Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment

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Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment
Image:Msaelogo.gif
Knowledge is Structured in Consciousness
Location
Fairfield, Iowa, USA
Information
Enrollment

242 K-12
Faculty 31 full-time, 18 part-time
Type Independent School
Athletics conference Southeast Iowa Superconference
Mascot Pioneers
Color(s) Green and Gold         
Established 1974
Homepage www.maharishischooliowa.org

Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment is an independent, non-sectarian, college preparatory school located in Fairfield, Iowa, USA. The school bases its curriculum on the practice of Transcendental Meditation.

Contents

[edit] History

Maharishi School began in 1974 as an elementary school of 12 students to provide education to the children of the faculty of Maharishi International University (now Maharishi University of Management). When enrollment was opened to children from the local community, the resulting increase enabled the school to move from a small building on campus to its current location, and in 1981 the Upper School was formed. The school became accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States in 1986, and in 1987 grades K-6 became accredited by the Iowa Department of Education, which also accredited grades 7-12 as a college preparatory school due to the high percentage of graduates accepted at four-year colleges and universities. In 1989 the school began to offer single-gender classes whenever class enrollment was sufficient. As a result of its belief in single sex education, in 2003 the school split into three divisions: 1) Boys‚ Middle and Upper School; 2) Girls‚ Middle and Upper School; and 3) Lower School, grades K-6, which has separate classes for girls and boys.

[edit] Academics

The Upper School curriculum includes the traditional core subjects that are taught at most college preparatory schools: math, science, English, and social studies. Sanskrit is offered as a foreign language. A variety of other courses—including speech, art, music, writing, senior thesis, photography, Destination Imagination, Science Fair, and History Fair—round out the curriculum.

Students in all grades practice the Transcendental Meditation technique twice daily during school hours. Students also study the curriculum known as the “Science of Creative Intelligence,” which is explained to be the study of universal principles of natural law. In addition, SCI is integrated into academic course content, and guidelines to promote holistic teaching are followed by the school faculty. The school describes its curriculum and philosophy as “consciousness-based education.” [1]

[edit] Fine Arts

The Arts Department consists of Visual Arts and Music. Vocal and instrumental music are offered during school hours and as extracurricular programs. The school is a member of the Photo Imaging Education Association (PIEA), and Middle and Upper School students have placed in the PIEA International Student-Teacher Photo Competition and Exhbition every year. [2]

[edit] Athletics

Maharishi School competes in the south division of the Southeast Iowa Super Conference. School sponsored sports include cross-country, basketball, track, tennis, golf, boys’ soccer and girls’ volleyball. Any student can be a member of an interscholastic sports team. Since the tennis program began in 1988, the boys’ tennis team has won 16 singles, doubles and team championships, a state record. Varsity coaches attribute the success of their teams to the players’ practice of Transcendental Meditation. [3][4]

[edit] Admissions

Before attending classes at Maharishi School, new students and at least one of their parents are required to learn the Transcendental Meditation technique. Standardized test scores or GPA are not a factor in admission. Financial aid is offered to families with demonstrated need. [5]

[edit] The School and Community

Parents strongly support the mission of the school, and the idea of consciousness-based education. Many families have moved to Fairfield from elsewhere in the country expressly to allow their children to attend Maharishi School.[6] The school has been showcased as a "Cool School" by Teen People Magazine. [7]

In a cover feature story that identified an emerging trend toward non-traditional schools offering unique curricula, the editor of Worth Magazine stated that “an alternative education during the formative, pre-collegiate years is not only innovative, it can be highly successful.” In its May, 2004 issue, Maharishi School, along with seven other private schools, was chosen to represent some of the "finest alternative private education options." [8]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Maharishi School: Consciousness-based education, <http://www.maharishischooliowa.org>. Retrieved on 15 March 2007 
  2. ^ Photo Imaging Education Association, <http://pieapma.org/contest/index.htm>. Retrieved on 15 March 2007 
  3. ^ Gray, B: "School Spirit: A Boys Varsity Team Claims a Winning Mantra", Tennis Magazine, April, 2003
  4. ^ Lidz, F: "Different Strokes", Sports Illustrated, December 23, 1996
  5. ^ Self-Study Report for the Independent Schools Association of the Central States. April, 2006.
  6. ^ Shanley, M: "A School Like No Other", The Iowan Magazine, Fall, 1998
  7. ^ Rabinovitz, K: "Cool School of the Month," Teen People Magazine, April, 1999
  8. ^ Alternatives in Private Education. Retrieved on 2004-04-08.

[edit] External links

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Transcendental Meditation