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Click the image for the full newsletter: Center & Periphery September 2024: Special Douglas Gerwin Appreciation Issue —————————————————————————————————————– From the Editor’s Notepad October 2024 Dear Friends, Greetings, and thank you for reading our Center & Periphery newsletter. Please allow me to introduce myself: I am David Barham, and after having led the Waldorf High School Teacher Education Program (WHiSTEP) as Director these past few years, I am now also serving as the Center’s new Executive Director and the editor of this triannual newsletter.  Today’s special edition is dedicated to our dear friend, Douglas Gerwin, who after serving CfA so magnificently for so many years, recently stepped back from his work as the Executive Director and as the Editor of this publication. On Tuesday, July 2, before a large and enthusiastic crowd of well-wishers, we gathered at the High Mowing School in Wilton, NH to celebrate Douglas with heartfelt talks, live music, spoken word eurythmy, a hilarious skit, and lots and lots of laughter, hugs, human warmth (and cakes and cookies!)  Please read on for glimpses from that special evening honoring that special man, our own “Captain Waldorf,” Douglas Gerwin. It truly takes a global village to honor Douglas’s lifetime of devotion to the Waldorf movement.  With warm regards, David BarhamExecutive DirectorCenter for Anthroposophy —————————————————————————————————————– Introduction to the Evening from new Center for Anthroposophy Executive Director, David Barham Good evening and welcome everyone. My name is David Barham and I will be your MC for tonight’s festivities, and I want to warmly welcome all of the Center for Anthroposophy and Antioch alums who are here with us tonight. While we have over 150 people on campus for our live week of Renewal and for the residency for our brand new Mentor Training program, it is a delight to have our alumni with us as well. It is always wonderful to have our alumni back on Abbot Hill to reconnect, catch up and share stories.  We are also delighted to welcome all of the friends and colleagues of Douglas Gerwin who have come this evening. And of course, it is especially wonderful to welcome Douglas and Connie back to Abbot Hill!  For tonight is an incredibly special event. Tonight we come together to honor our friend and colleague Douglas Gerwin. I’m only going to speak briefly here as we have an extraordinary group to honor Douglas in words, music, eurythmy and more. They will share and celebrate Douglas’s endless accomplishments and lifetime of service to Waldorf education, and especially Waldorf high school education. Whether it be CfA/Antioch, the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America, the Waldorf Research Institute, the Hague Circle/International Forum, or the Pedagogical Section Council, Douglas has given deeply of himself and deepened the impact of Waldorf education.  Everyone in the Waldorf movement, here in North America, and all over the Waldorf world, knows Douglas. Douglas created and served as the Director of the Waldorf High School Teacher Education until just a few years ago, and also led our entire organization as Executive Director. You will hear tonight of the incredibly combination of skills, insights, tireless energy, depth and profound human care and kindness Douglas brings to everything he does.  It is my honor to now serve as the Director of Center for Anthroposophy’s Waldorf High School Teacher Education Program. Beginning in August, I will also begin serving as CfA’s Executive Director. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that I would hold these two positions that Douglas has been identified with for so long. Douglas’s shoes are big shoes to fill indeed- bigger than mine as you can see, and leave me with so much to grow into.  I could speak all night about my respect and admiration for Douglas, how he has mentored me and made it possible for me to step into this work. I will let the others do so. But there is one thing I need to do here, in front of Douglas, and you all: I want to state my intention publicly to serve Center for Anthroposophy, the high school program and Waldorf education as faithfully and with as much passion and devotion as Douglas did for all of those years, and give everything I have to be worthy of filling these big- and much fancier- shoes.  Thank you for all Douglas. For the hours of your time, your stories, your multi-part answers to my endless questions, your patience, your inspiration, and especially for your trust in me to carry on your legacy of work and care for this movement and our organization.  —————————————————————————————————————– A reflection from Tuesday, July 2, 2024 from Deborah Dornemann On Tuesday, July 2, 2024, friends, family and alumni of Antioch and the Center for Anthroposophy gathered together for a farewell tribute to Dr. Douglas Gerwin, a renowned leader, researcher, writer, teacher and promoter of Waldorf education.  A joyous mood filled the hall at High Mowing School in Wilton, New Hampshire. It was a reunion of like-minded souls, warmed with memories of shared endeavors, hopes, and years of collaboration. The evening featured music, eurythmy, skits and a heartfelt sentiment of gratitude. Oh, and there were props…many props, as well as fun with word play! The event started with the image of Douglas’s shoes, which David Barham, the successor of Douglas with CfA, will undoubtedly try to fill with steadfastness and earnest striving.  It was acknowledged that Douglas’s shoes are larger and fancier than Davids. It is also evident that both walk the same path of integrity and purpose.  David Sloan, a long-time colleague of Douglas, used many words to describe his friend: writer, educator, acclaimed speaker, Godfather, pastor, patron, counselor, regal eagle, fast care driver, treasured friend and, possible oxymoron, ‘Witty Anthroposophist’. David gave Douglas a cap that read, “Captain Waldorf: Wiltin’ in Wilton.” After many deep belly laughs, the pendulum swung in another direction, and we were gifted with hearing the very talented pianist and composer, Matt Witherow perform Brahms, Intermezzo Op 118, a favorite of Douglas. It […]

We are thrilled to announce the release of Listening to Our Teachers, a profound exploration of the Waldorf educational experience by esteemed author and educator Torin Finser. Now available through SteinerBooks, this book offers a unique and intimate look at the thoughts, philosophies, and experiences of Waldorf educators, providing readers with invaluable insights into the essence of this transformative approach to education. Pick up your copy today and embark on a journey of discovery, reflection, and inspiration, guided by the expertise and passion of Torin Finser.

Wilton, New Hampshire, July 7-12 In today’s world, we are constantly bearing witness to global crises and tragedies, and therefore, we live in a world that is rife with untreated trauma. How do we create a culture that is inclusive of this task, given to all human beings? A culture where everyone matters, and where human encounter is the ultimate creative invitation to harness our capacities of presence? We need tools to achieve deeper levels of understanding and to put our knowledge into action. I have found much to learn from the worldwide crisis intervention leader, Bernd Ruf. He is the founder of the Parzival Center, a school of 750 children from infancy to age 24, where everyone is accepted, no matter how difficult the task, and how deep the suffering. Bernd is also the co-founder of the Emergency Pedagogy Center in Karlsruhe, Germany. Since 2006, trained therapists, teachers, and trained emergency pedagogy volunteers have reached out to countless places all over the world to help children and young people experiencing trauma from war or natural catastrophes. Why Emergency Pedagogy? 1. Because we want to help those in need: Traumatized children are in the most dangerous position as their trauma can hinder their development and prevent their lives from reaching their full potential. Every human being who is prevented from bringing their capabilities to this earth is a loss for all of us. “The human being who saves a person saves the world.“2. Because we are all connected to this earth we need our collective consciousness and our collective efforts: Only in human encounters can we make a difference. The earth depends on us becoming well-grounded so we can do what we came here to do. Our work is all about helping the children incarnate despite trauma. Bernd tells of a woman who watched the team work with children. Every day she arrived from early morning to late evening, always sitting on the spot where dark stains tainted the wall behind her. On the last day, she stood up and said, “My child was shot here, in the head and in the heart. She added, “You don’t only heal the children, you heal the earth.” There is no human being without the earth, and there is no earth without the human being. 3. Because we live in a time where we need to understand that spiritual health is physical health and that we are in a battle against the materialistic forces that aim to dehumanize us. What happens when we experience trauma? Through shock, the I excarnate, and you can say that the I is imprisoned, unable to fully incarnate. Where the I should reside, there is a wound, and if not attended, can create a vacuum, making the person vulnerable and less able to find meaningfulness in their lives. This affects health as well. We have a unique opportunity to meet Bernd Ruf, listen to daily morning lectures, and attend afternoon trauma-preventative therapy sessions before a Q&A session with Bernd at the end of the day. Getting to sit in a circle with Bernd and to ask questions in such an intimate setting is such a memorable experience. Please consider joining this unique opportunity. We still have some housing, please visit our website at centerforanthroposophy.org/kairos-instituteand register. There’s lot more information there as well about Emergency Pedagogy and our courses. With warmest wishes, Karine Munk Finser, Director, Kairos Institute, Training in Artistic Therapies, Training in Emergency Pedagogy karine@centerforanthroposophy.org

During this winter season at the Center for Anthroposophy (CfA), the directors of our seven programs––a record number!––are forming new courses and line-ups of faculty in preparation for the spring and summer terms ahead. In this issue of Center & Periphery, CfA’s thrice-yearly newsletter, you can read about the latest selection of our in-person and online courses and services. Continue reading…

High school teachers specializing in science and math are especially helped by a training saturated in the arts––especially the performing arts––as this new video of CfA’s Waldorf High School Teacher Education Program (WHiSTEP)  so aptly illustrates. Watch the video below.

With this issue, we kick off what we hope will become a regular feature of our thrice-yearly publication––namely, interviews with our alumni describing their life’s journey as Waldorf early childhood, elementary, high school, and subject teachers. What––or, more likely, who––drew them to Waldorf education, and how did they find their way? Continue reading…