Explorations Online 2024-2025

Deepen your understanding of the life of spirit through study, exercises in self-development, and the practice of the arts.

Deepen your understanding of the life of spirit through study, exercises in self-development, and the practice of the arts.

Program introduction

With its online format, this course in foundational studies is available to interested people from around the world. We are gratified that so many have been finding this course to be a meaningful and practical way to deepen their understanding of basic anthroposophy and the arts – while also having the opportunity to consider the contemporary issues facing us in our schools and society today.

This foundational program fulfills entrance requirements for further teacher education programs.

What you'll experience

The 2023-24 program has begun and is well underway. Next year’s course will begin mid-March 2024, and will run through February 2025, with a three-month summer break. Classes meet on weekends twice a month – Saturdays and Sundays 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET, 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. PT.

Each class begins with 30 minutes of artistic work (speech/storytelling, movement, music, or pastel drawing), followed by contemplative studies on current themes, using anthroposophy as a method of inquiry.

To view the schedule and workshop themes of the current cycle, see the Program Schedule section below.

Who should attend

The course is intended primarily for parents, administrators, and new teachers in public and independent Waldorf schools as well as those teaching children at home.

Tuition

The tuition for the entire 10 month course of classes is only $850. You may either register with a $85 deposit, which would be followed by 9 more automatic monthly charges of $85 each, or you may choose to remit the full $850 at registration. In either case, however, if you choose to pay with a credit card, there will be a 3% bank processing fee added.

Financial Aid

A limited financial aid is available upon request. Anyone in need of such tuition assistance, please fill out and submit the form below.

Explorations Financial Aid Application

Name

Next three questions for teachers and school staff only:

All applicants:

Your annual family income:(Required)
Do you intend to pursue Waldorf Teacher Training upon completion of this course?(Required)
Beverly Boyer Image

Beverly Boyer

Director of Explorations

We are now accepting registrations for our next cycle beginning March 12, 2022

Contact Beverly directly with questions about the program.

2023 REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED

Interested in joining us for the 2024 sessions? Please fill out the interest form below. Thank you!

Beverly Boyer Image

Beverly Boyer

Director of Explorations

Contact Beverly directly with questions about the program.

What you'll explore

Click the toggle below for the schedule and session topics we’ll cover. 

Program Schedule

We will meet on weekends twice a month — Saturdays and Sundays 12:00 — 2:00 ET, 9:00 — 11:00 PT.

Class Schedule for Explorations Online 2023-2024
March 11 and March 25-26, 2023
Meditative Practices and Self-Development, with Bev Boyer, with a welcome from Torin Finser, speech with Debbie Spitulnik
April 22-23 and April 29-30
Practical Thinking and the Rightful Place of Technology, with Douglas Gerwin, eurythmy with Leonore Russell
May 20-21
Parents and Community in a Waldorf School, with David Barham, pastel drawing with Nikki Shoneman
Summer Break
September 9-10 and September 23-24
Meeting the Social and Emotional Needs of Children Today, with Kim John Payne, eurythmy with Leonore Russell
October 14-15 and October 28-29
Temperaments and Learning Styles with Carla Beebe Comey, speech with Debbie Spitulnik
November 11-12 and November 18-19
Healing the Hurt: Learning to Support Each Other as Advocates for Social Justice, with Heather Scott, singing with Meg O’Dell Chittenden
December 2-3 and December 16-17
Phenomenology: Learning to See with Beginner’s Eyes, Study and Visual Arts with Colleen O’Connors
January 13-14 and January 27-28, 2024
Overview of the Waldorf Grades Curriculum: A Renewed Pedagogy for Our Times, with Alison Henry, singing with Meg O’Dell Chittenden
February 10-11 and February 24
Innovation Through Anthroposophical Initiatives, with Karen Atkinson and Bev Boyer, speech with Debbie Spitulnik

Program Leadership

Beverly Boyer Image

Beverly Boyer

Director of Explorations

Faculty

The 2023-24 guest speakers and artistic leaders include:

Torin Finser
Beverly Boyer
Debbie Spitulnik
Douglas Gerwin
David Barham
Leonore Russell
Kim John Payne
Carla Beebe Comey
Heather Scott
Meg O'Dell Chittenden
Colleen O'Connors
Nikki Shoneman
Alison Henry
Angela Lindstrom (guest presenter)
Karen Atkinson

What former students have said...

Blessings to you and thank you so much for this wonderful program. It enriches my weeks and days and moments with an internal calm and strength I have never known.

Blessings to you… Explorations participant

Each week is truly a gift of true learning and I so appreciate how each weekend builds and layers from the previous weeks in such an intentional way…Especially between this session and last session- taking last session’s concept of racialized identity to another level… giving us the keys of how to truly change ourselves through our awakened thinking. I am just so impressed by how these complex understandings have been made accessible to us as teachers in such a meaningful and thoughtful way.

Each week is truly a gift of true learning Explorations Participant

Reading and Materials List

  1. A pack of chalk pastels (not oil pastels), A rainbow of colors is preferred. (Nupastel by prismacolor are good quality.)
  2. Pastel paper 9”x12” or bigger - can use watercolor paper - 3 sheets.
  3. Colored pencils or Lyra pencils - whatever colors you already have will work.
  4. A journal to write and sketch in - blank and unlined is best.
  5. Masking tape.

All reading assignments will be taken from a single text – Guided Self-Study by Torin M. Finser. This book is a compilation from Steiner’s basic books, including How to Higher Worlds, Theosophy, and Intuitive Thinking as a Spiritual Path: A Philosophy of Freedom.

Guided Self-Study is readily available from Amazon as well as from Steiner Books. There is a reading assignment for each workshop theme throughout the course as listed below. Note that assignments are given using both page references and chapter titles. Please bring your copy of Guided Self-Study to each class.

The readings are meant to serve as both a preparation for the weekend sessions and a reference point for discussions. Instructors will assume some familiarity with the material and will welcome questions and lively engagement during the weekend sessions.

Workshop One: Meditative Practices and Self-Development
Prior to the first class, please read pages 191-202 (Appendix 1) and pages 3-21 (chapters 1 – 2 in section of the book called the “The Book of Peace”)
Prior to the second weekend, please read Pages 69-79 (Chapter 1 from the section of the book called “The Book of Knowledge”)

Workshop Two: Practical Thinking and the Rightful Place of Technology
Prior to the first weekend, please read pages 103-116 (Chapters 1-3 from "The Book of Freedom”)
Prior to the second weekend, please read pages 141-161 (“Practical Training in
Thought”)

Workshop Three: Parents and Community in a Waldorf School
Please read pages 80-88 (Chapter 2 from “The Book of Knowledge”)

Workshop Four: Meeting the Social and Emotional Needs of Children Today
Please read pages 22-31 (Chapters 3 and 4 from “The Book of Peace”)

Workshop Five: Healing the Hurt
Please read pages 32-48 (Chapters 5-8 from “The Book of Peace”)

Workshop Six: Phenomenology: Learning to See with Beginner’s Eyes
Please read pages 117-132 (Chapters 4-8 from “The Book of Freedom”)

Workshop Seven: Temperaments and Learning Styles
Please read pages 89-102 (“The Four Temperaments”)

Workshop Eight: Overview of the Waldorf Grades Curriculum
Please read pages 139-140 (Chapter 12 from “The Book of Freedom”)

Workshop Nine: Innovation Through Anthroposophical Initiatives
Please read pages 203-215 (Appendices 2 -3)