Full Circle Learning,

United States

About Full Circle Learning

Mona Partner Since 2007

Full-Circle Learning helps young people embrace their role as society’s humanitarians and change agents.

Mona supports two programs in California: a Summer School program in Piru and an After-School program in Tarzana. The Summer School serves the children of migrant workers and helps students achieve academic excellence while building character, creativity, and conflict resolution skills.

The After-School program serves the students at Tarzana Elementary School where 44 different languages are spoken, integrating academics, arts, conflict resolution and service to the local and global human family.

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Full Circle Learning's Habits of the Heart Curriculum

Each week of the summer and after-school program focuses on a different Habit-of-Heart theme, such as Resiliency, Honesty, Unity, Forgiveness, Friendship, and Humility. The teachers adapt the themes to the academic, artistic, and service goals of each age group. In this way, students develop academically while also building a vocabulary and repertoire of strategies that help them practice positive character and leadership habits and contribute meaningfully to their communities.

Piru Summer School

Piru's summer program is offered over four weeks and is open to children from preschool through secondary school, serving four feeder schools in the Ventura County area. Classes are grouped by age: the Peacemakers (3-6 year-olds), Rebuilders (7-11 year-olds), and Ambassadors (12 and beyond).

All students come together for service-learning field trips. They also learn songs together to sing for their field trip hosts as a gift and to uplift those in need they may encounter during service projects.

In 2023, the program focused on four habits-of-the-heart: awareness, leadership, teamwork, and altruism.

Tarzana After-School Program

The Habits-of-Heart after-school program serves disadvantaged and new immigrant students at Tarzana Elementary School (42% Hispanic, 41% White, 10% African descent, Asian 10%). Learning focuses on developing "habits of heart" as life skills that will help students enhance their writing, speaking, science, art and music capacities. 60% of the students in this program are girls.

The program has been in Tarzana for the past 20 years and the school's Parent-Teacher Association is eager to continue it.

How we help

Mona has partnered with Full Circle Learning, namely its Piru Summer School Program since 2007. The program has thrived as a generation of students have grown to adulthood building upon what they learned to resist gang life, appreciate differences and become ambassadors of goodwill and peace. Many of the program's teachers and site directors grew up in the migrant workers’ village where the initiative began.

Mona has supported the Tarzana After-School Program since 2014. At least half of the students who attend the program are recipients of Mona scholarships. Each Habit-of-Heart unit integrates language and writing skills, socio-emotional skills, various arts, and community service.

2023 Achievements

Piru Summer School Program:

Served 27 children
Students Engaged in activities to develop the weekly habits-of-heart: Awareness, Leadership, Teamwork and Altruism.
Carried out 4 service projects impacting 60 people, with the support and involvement of 74 parents.

Tarzana After-School Program:

39 students provided scholarships to the after-school program
Students from El Salvador, Israel, Palestine and El Salvador attended the program, speaking four different languages
Students studied four units on Kindness, Cooperation, Aspiration and Creativity

2024 Needs - $28,603

Piru Summer School Program, $15,800

Continue the summer program for 45 students supported by 5 teachers, $5,800
Provide operational support (Teachers, Assistants, Program Support), $10,000

Tarzana After-School Program, $12,803

Provide scholarships for 30 students to attend the program, $7,000
Teacher training, $5,803

Updates

Encouraging Safety

Field trips are an essential part of the Piru summer program as they help learners broaden their horizons and explore new ways to be of service in their communities. For example, a few years ago, after a spate of traffic deaths, the students encouraged a car dealer in their community to help reduce road rage by teaching new car buyers the habit of Forgiveness. They made key chains for the car dealer to give to each customer who promised to practice forgiveness on the road. The following year, as the students gave the car dealer gifts of their handmade art, he burst into smiles. “I’m so glad you’re here!” he said. "I’ve given away so many keychains, I’m almost out! Everyone wants that reminder. I hope you brought more!”

Coincidentally or not, a check of traffic records for that year showed no new fatalities on that stretch of highway.

New home in Piru

In 2018, due to various challenges, the Full Circle Learning summer program moved from Rancho Sespe to the nearby town of Piru, California. This move turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Parents of this year’s program in Piru reached out to explain the visible difference they see between the teachers in the program and other teachers their children have encountered at school.