With the invaluable help of Anne and Tom Wotring and Barbarina and Aaron Heyerdahl, we formed our small non-profit organization and gathered together a fine board of capable and steadfast individuals – Bob Engelman, Greg Mueller, Anne Wotring, Carol Petrash, Richard Ailes, and Ken Courage. They were later joined by Cheryl Dodwell, Tom Dews, and Jeri Darling – all of whom had a connection to Waldorf education. Five of the seven original board members have served Nova for the entire time. We also brought together a fine group of accomplished educators to serve as an advisory board.
In addition, our work with the Center for Courage and Renewal allowed us to collaborate with an exemplary group of educators striving to support public school teachers through Parker Palmer’s extraordinary work with the Courage to Teach.
Through grants which we received we were able to write four books, two on parenting – Covering Home and Navigating the Terrain of Childhood, and two on teaching – Understanding Waldorf Education and our latest book, Turning Lead into Gold. Our goal was always to convey the essential ideas from Waldorf education in clear and accessible language. We carried that same intention in our On Parenting radio show, in our Ted Talk, and in our small part in the documentary, The Challenge of Rudolf Steiner.
Our most innovative and collaborative work came with our very successful Enlivened Literacy Program. With the significant help of advisory board member, Laura Birdsall, and the Safe and Sound organization we were able to design a curriculum for young children in the City of Baltimore to promote writing fluency, vocabulary development, and reading comprehension by incorporating art, storytelling, and drama. This unique curriculum was written for children who were struggling to succeed on the Maryland State achievement test. The program was well received, especially by the children, but was undercut by the arrival of No Child Left Behind with its emphasis on high stakes testing.
In addition, our work with the Center for Courage and Renewal allowed us to collaborate with an exemplary group of educators striving to support public school teachers through Parker Palmer’s extraordinary work with the Courage to Teach.
As we head into 2023, our last year of the Nova Institute, it is with a clear sense for all involved that the time is right to conclude our work. I am filled with gratitude for the opportunity to have served as the director of our small, but earnest, non-profit. As E. F. Schumacher expressed so poignantly, Small is Beautiful. The Nova Institute has tried to live up to that statement. In closing, let me say again how deeply we have appreciated all of your support and we are ever so grateful for the work it has enabled us to do.
Sincerely,
Jack Petrash
Send me an email to my new email address
