Founded in 2013, the Living School is the Center for Action and Contemplation’s mission-focused program grounded in the wisdom and practices of the Christian contemplative traditions. Its purpose is to nurture the conditions for inner and outer transformation through equipping students with tools, teachings, and experiences to work together for a more just and connected world.
In 2021 we paused Living School applications to create dedicated space for to work on the future of the program. Though the pause was longer than we initially planned, much more has been accomplished in that time than we thought possible.
The Living School is becoming a three-part program, each with its own structure and focus. Part one will introduce students to the essentials of engaged contemplation, rooted in a living, evolving Christian tradition. It will be a one-year, online course of study made up of group and live instruction from CAC faculty and staff that will present this foundational material in a manner that is simple, accessible, and equitable. We are also exploring a new online platform that will create more opportunities for personal interaction and connection.
Part two will be modeled on the existing Living School program but will reduce each cohort to a smaller size to make it easier for students to connect and engage more deeply in learning with each other, CAC faculty and staff. It will remain a two-year program and will require part one as a pre-requisite. Part three will consist of short courses designed for small groups of students to engage in a “deep-dive” with a faculty member or guest teacher on an advanced topic. We anticipate these courses will be three to six months and will require students to have completed part two.
This fall we will be inviting a group of students to register for part one as part of the CAC’s Early Access Program to test new material prior to public release. This allows us to assess the course’s impact on students and to ensure the necessary conditions for vulnerability, healing, and transformation.
If you would like to be considered as a participant in the Early Access Program for part one this fall, please sign-up for our Living School Updates email list below.