our philosophy

we believe…

• Focusing on wellness rather than illness will have a positive impact on overall wellness.

• That through the promotion of nutrition, exercise, self-reliance and service to others, many of the individuals caught in the cycles of illness, including but not limited to, mental illness, victimization, dependency, co-dependency, tolerance of abuse, auto immune disease etc will discover a framework from which they may work toward health.

• Wellness is something learned on a precept upon precept bases and can not be forced but rather needs to be cultivated slowly and intimately. With time, as one learns, interest is raised and enjoyment comes from the growth one makes and the wellness one encounters.

• One of the greatest opportunities for individual growth is in service to others. There will be many opportunities to volunteer within the Shinah House community. Seniors will share their great knowledge with young parents, children and youth. Youth will inspire younger children. Those that have achieved success in a wellness challenge of their own will give hope to those presently struggling. Volunteering will be part of the Shinah House wellness regime.

 

in “Leadership Education” inspired by Thomas Jefferson Education, the approach to teaching and learning is based on the lives of the eminent and influential thinkers, doers and creators of all time. It involves five main elements:

  1. Classics and classic experiences—words, music, places, people, art and other media worth returning to over and over again. Classics deepen not just our understanding, but they deepen us.

  2. Mentors, as opposed to professors/lecturers. Mentors are caring, knowledgeable people who lead us through study and learning that are uniquely suited to our immediate needs, as well as our hopes, dreams, and unique purposes in life.

  3. Simulations—actual experience with the things we are learning in a practice setting. Simulations are an excellent way for learners to synthesize what they already knew with what they have recently learned, and to make new understandings from the experience.

  4. Field experience—actually using what one has learned in a work or service setting, particularly with the view of making meaningful contributions to home, community, and society as a whole.

  5. God/Truth—the earnest belief, or search for understanding, of universal Truth. Whether one believes in God or not, having a standard of right and good guides both the acquisition and the uses of knowledge and skills.

the seven “keys” to putting these five elements into practice are:

  1. Seek the best sources of learning you can find—seek “classics.”

  2. Find the best mentors you can find who are both caring and knowledgeable.

  3. Focus on "inspiring" students and learners, rather than “requiring.”

  4. Make sure you have great learning to share—it’s hard to give what you do not have. We phrase this, “You, not them.”

  5. Seek for simplicity rather than complexity in education.

  6. Aspire to quality in learning and learning environments, rather than quantity.

  7. Rather than dictating what students are to learn by focusing on structured content, make sure there is generous time for learning to take place. Help students set goals to devote regular time to their own education.

in addition to the principles of Leadership Education we follow the four concepts from the Arbinger Institute guide:

  1. "I am not the teacher” leads us to understand that students educate themselves by their own choice; we facilitate the process by being inspirational.

  2. “My obligation is to learn”…to learn about my students’ talents, abilities, needs and hopes, as well as growing my own understanding and passion about the material I teach.

  3. “I see greatness” is a belief that helps us remember that every person has genius and that exposing our students to greatness leads them to develop their own unique greatness.

  4. “I build community” emphasizes that the very act of learning is an exchange between many parties—the past, the future, those who have taught us, those we teach, those who will benefit from our students’ betterment, and the community at large. All learning takes place in the context of relationships, and building healthy learning relationships makes learning a pleasure for us and a gift to others.

we hope

We hope that people who come to Shinah House, for whatever reason or time in their lives, will gain knowledge and skills to improve their wellness but—most of all—a desire to keep growing and learning.