The Washington Informer: Education

The school, with 114 students, has a curriculum that includes studies on peace and conflict resolution.

According to 11-year-old Ashleigh Williamson, a 6th grader who has attended the school for two years, “I think this was cool. I got to learn more about peace. This could change me, and I could learn to be more peaceful.”

Williamson explained that the curriculum at her school has impacted her life.

“Since I’ve been going, I have been able to walk away from a fight,” she said.

The school’s curriculum is the brainchild of its founder, Dr. J. Daniel Hollinger.

An innovative and accomplished educator, Hollinger founded Rock Creek International School in 1988 and served as its head for 17 years. During his tenure, Dr. Hollinger and his colleagues developed unique dual-language immersion programs, which they now offer at CIS.

The school, with a more than 50 percent minority population, has a mission that includes valuing cultural diversity and acquiring peacemaking skills. Hollinger, who grew up as a Mennonite in Lancaster, Pa., said walking a path of peace has always been a part of his life.

“Mennonites tend to be Pacifists, and I brought that with me into my adult and professional life. I believe teaching children and young people how to be peaceful within themselves, and in their families and community, is a very important part of growing up,” Hollinger said.

“I think subjects such as science, math and literature are important, but there is nothing more important than teaching peace. In the past, we haven’t given peace a seat at the curriculum table.”

Hollinger said noted journalist Coleman McCarthy challenged him and other school leaders to create peace schools.

“Here, we bring together kids from all over the city and all wards. These are a very diverse group of students—culturally, racially, economically and linguistically. That diversity greatly enhances the social and learning environment,” Hollinger said.

“The opportunity to engage with others from so many different backgrounds is a very valuable way to learn about other cultures. They also learn to analyze political conflicts and look at conflicts between countries, people, and religions.”

Nathaniel Mills, the school’s athletic director and peace studies teacher, said students learn Tai Chi, Tae Kwan Do, golf, swimming and other sports in the athletic program.

“We teach that athletics is about cooperation. It’s not about being competitive,” Mills said.

In the Peace Studies program, the students have participated in such events as The Annual Prayer Vigil for the Earth and have attended talks at the U.S Institute for Peace.

“They also have sat in on discussions about values with graduate students at local universities,” Mills said.

On Sept. 19th the students listened to Alfredo Sfeir-Younis, a nationally known economist and author, who led the Sept. 21st silent meditation and gave a brief talk on peace. Sfeir-Younis then led the students through a brief meditation, teaching them how to breathe properly and move into a state of silence.

Mills, a former Olympic speed skater, then queried the students about a recent protest against the war that some of the students had attended.

Abigail Hollinger, 14, said she attended the protest, “because I felt like I would be having an effect on the war. But people were getting arrested and lying on the ground. I didn’t feel like I was making a change. I felt that maybe there was a better way that I could be making a contribution.”

On Sept. 21st, standing with other classmates at The Jefferson Memorial, Abigail Hollinger said she felt the silent meditation would have made more of an impact than the protest.

“I think they had a profoundly, empowering experience and one that that they will be interpreting for the rest of their lives,” Mills said.

For more information on Coeus International School, visit www.coeusis.org or call 202-237-0040.