Greetings Fellow Citizens of the World!

This issue is devoted to Citizenship, and especially to the ways in which people actively nurture a sense of community to create a more healthy and harmonious world. Homeschoolers have the unique freedom to truly become involved in the community at home and beyond. They also tend to show a passion for deepening the quality of their children's engagement with the world—their sense of stewardship, personal responsibility, compassion, and cooperation. In recent surveys, we asked families, "How do you encourage good citizenship (either global or local) in your homeschooling efforts?" and received an avalanche of responses which were so uplifting and inspiring that we couldn't help but feel that the future of our children shines brightly.

Since being kind to others was named in our surveys as one of the top qualities of good citizenship, in this issue you'll find an article about nurturing kindness and compassion in your children ("Kindness is Key"). You'll also see articles from two of our Vermont neighbors: World Learning ("Poetry of the 'Other'") and Marlboro College ("Beyond the Classroom: Learning in Action"), both emphasizing the importance of taking your studies from the classroom into the world. In addition, two Oak Meadow high schoolers share their thoughts on experiencing culture and history firsthand. We hope this issue of Living Education inspires and informs your home learning journey.

Happy homeschooling!
Oak Meadow Staff

Oak Meadow Staff