Sign up for this 8-week course and learn how to share important rituals, stories, and other family traditions to help ground your kids in your core values. Get matched into a curated small group with other parents to find your support system as you put ideas into practice, and find a safe space to take care of yourself.
This project is supported by the generosity of the John Templeton Foundation. Participants in this journey will be asked to complete two questionnaires to help the Foundation learn about what support is most impactful for parents seeking to share their values.
The 8-week program takes place as a series of 60-minute Zoom calls, during which you’ll walk through exercises that have been developed by experts in psychology, secular spirituality, and family rituals.
A discussion and activity guide helps you and your fellow parents take turns leading the group, keeping time so that everyone has the opportunity to contribute.
Each weekly Nearness gathering follows a five-part structure:
Take a deep breath. Relax your shoulders. Settle into silence.
Read aloud the Agreements: the perfect tool for collective intention-setting.
Engage with short, inspiring readings, energizing practices, and centering reflection prompts.
Share appreciation for feeling connected, supported, and refreshed as your return to your work.
Feel seen in your authentic self as you share. Experience deep connection as you listen.
Kick off your journey with a clear overview of the program and enjoy a meaningful first conversation with your small group.
Clarify your parenting values in your first deep-dive reflection exercise. Connect deeply with your fellow parents as you share together.
Notice where your core parenting values thrive and where you struggle. Practice a powerful self-compassion exercise with your small group.
Learn how to create a non-reactive space for your kids to explore their spirituality with two mindfulness strategies taught live by a guest teacher.
Dive into a powerful text to understand what beauty and pain from your own childhood inform your spiritual life today. Choose what to hold onto and what to let go of.
What is “sacred” in your life? Explore how to take everyday sacred moments seriously and build a rhythm of family life that strengthens the sacred, however you define it.
Rely on your small group’s wisdom to workshop a specific pain point in your family around spirituality–maybe your partner, in-laws, or discuss how best to engage your kids.
Celebrate completing this course by creating your family’s ritual calendar and enjoy hearing the affirmation of your fellow parents as you give thanks for each other.
Kick off your journey with a clear overview of the program and enjoy a meaningful first conversation with your small group.
Clarify your parenting values in your first deep-dive reflection exercise. Connect deeply with your fellow parents as you share together.
Notice where your core parenting values thrive and where you struggle. Practice a powerful self-compassion exercise with your small group.
Learn how to create a non-reactive space for your kids to explore their spirituality with two mindfulness strategies taught live by a guest teacher.
Dive into a powerful text to understand what beauty and pain from your own childhood inform your spiritual life today. Choose what to hold onto and what to let go of.
What is “sacred” in your life? Explore how to take everyday sacred moments seriously and build a rhythm of family life that strengthens the sacred, however you define it.
Rely on your small group’s wisdom to workshop a specific pain point in your family around spirituality–maybe your partner, in-laws, or discuss how best to engage your kids.
Celebrate completing this course by creating your family’s ritual calendar and enjoy hearing the affirmation of your fellow parents as you give thanks for each other.
Each ten-week Nearness program takes place as a series of Zoom calls, during which you’ll walk through exercises to navigate retirement that have been developed by experts in psychology, connection, and personal growth. A discussion and activity guide helps you and your fellow participants take turns hosting the conversation, keeping time so that everyone has the opportunity to contribute.
Info sessions will give you a taste of the course experience and allow you to ask any questions that you may have. Use the button next to each time slot to register!
This 10-week program is the first of a three-part experience. The following two courses will be offered later in 2024. You can take one, two, or all three programs.
Nearness is a 8-week course (running from the week of February 10 to April 6) that takes place as a series of 60-minute Zoom calls. You’ll walk through exercises that have been developed by experts in psychology, secular spirituality, and family rituals to help you identify and share your values with your kids. A discussion and activity guide helps you and your fellow parents take turns guiding the group, keeping time so that everyone has the opportunity to contribute.
This 8-week course runs from the week of February 10 to April 6, with sign ups opening on January 1.
Feel free to reach out to us at hello@nearness.coop to express your interest in participating. We'll be back in touch closer to the launch date with more info!
Nearness is all about cultivating connection. We know that sometimes meaningful conversations need a little bit of support, and our small group journeys are the perfect way to help provide some guidance for deep reflection. Over the years, we’ve heard again and again from parents of young kids about their desire for more support, reflection, and connection with peers around questions like how to cultivate family rituals, share progressive values, and a generate feeling of wholeness for their kids. This program is designed to help do just that!
Thanks to the generous support of the John Templeton Foundation, this program is free for parents of kids aged 4-12 years old.
Small groups meet each week for 60 minutes in the 8-week journey.
When completing your sign-up form, you’ll be asked to indicate a time when you can meet every week. We’ll then match you with other parents who can also meet at the same time.
There’s no professional facilitator for the gatherings. Instead, each week, you’ll receive a Guide Sheet, which provides step-by-step guidance for the ritual conversations, including words to say to open and close a meeting, timing guidelines, and prompts for sharing. You'll also receive video guidance at the start of your journey. With these resources, small groups will be equipped to rotate who is the informal “Reader” for the week's gathering.
You can choose from one of these consistent weekly meeting times:
As part of this project, we’re researching how best to support parents in sharing their values with their kids. You’ll be invited to fill out a survey at the beginning of the program and another toward the end. Your privacy will be respected, and all research findings will be anonymized.
Nearness is just in English for now—but with a number of participants for whom English is their second language. In the future we hope to have Nearness groups in many different languages!
The only data Nearness collects is from your intake form, which we keep safe and secure, and for our own use only. We will never share this information.
Nearness uses Mighty Networks as our community platform. You can read their robust privacy policy here.
Great. Please feel free to reach out to us with questions at hello@nearness.coop!