As parents, educators, and communities navigate the challenges of raising children in the digital age, the need for meaningful connection and safe passage into adulthood has never been greater. A recent Psychology Today article reflects on these challenges, particularly the impact of social media on youth mental health, and highlights ways that Spirit Series makes a difference. Through immersive, values-based classroom programs, Spirit Series creates opportunities for students to develop connection, community, and a sense of belonging during the often-turbulent preteen and adolescent years.
Spirit Series understands that true growth comes from meaningful experiences. Spirit Series accomplishes this by engaging students in theatrical productions of curriculum-approved stories, such as Seeking Socrates, which teaches the importance of living by one’s inner guidance. With every student participating, the program fosters mentorship, collaboration, and resilience. As Richard Strauss puts it, Spirit Series helps kids “grow in a safe and boundaried way,” offering an antidote to the isolating effects of the digital world and paving the way for healthier, more connected lives.
Excerpted from the Psychology Today article “Socrates, Social Media, and the Power of Safe Passage”
Published August 22 2024, by Stephanie Sarazin M.P.P.
Socrates, Social Media, and the Power of Safe Passage:
What is safe passage? Whether it’s a parent or peer who guides us as we become parents or a patient parent who lights our path to adulthood, society benefits when we are safely stewarded. Having worked with thousands of students over the last 20 years, the Strausses suggest meaningful, intentional activities can help kids safely transition into the next phase of life. As parents, they also recognize this isn’t easy and can be uncomfortable. But what growth isn’t? “Kids are not entitled to being comfortable,” Richard Strauss shared, “(Spirit Series) makes them uncomfortable and in doing that, we help them grow in a safe and boundaried way.”
For Spirit Series, that looks like talented, trained actors leading the classroom in the collective telling of a relatable, curriculum-approved, story. For example, in “Seeking Socrates,” students tell a story set in Classical Greece, teaching that true happiness comes to those willing to live by the guidance of their inner knowing. While some of the most desired positions are cast by lottery, every student participates—from set construction to costume design, singing, and acting. In doing so, Strauss says, “Students are mentored, and everyone is initiated.” (Note: if Bill and Ted are credited for your mispronunciation as “So-Crates,” you’re likely of prime mentoring age!)
Programs like this one aren’t new. High school clubs cultivate community and have long-provided students a place to gather and connect. Some even include initiation ceremonies. But outside of athletics, fewer options are available for middle and late elementary ages. That means we’ll need to get creative and meet the need for community, belonging, and mentorship in other ways.
