Teaching Peace
since 1965
In recognition of 55 years of teaching peace, our community was awarded the honor of serving as the 2021 San Antonio Peace Laureate as part of the CompassionNet initiative. The Peace Laureate recognizes a local voice of wisdom and experience to speak for peace and justice in San Antonio. The very first laureate, Dr. Ruth Lofgren, believed in the healing power of the natural world for children and their families and we are proud to continue her legacy with our culture of teaching peace through nature-based learning.
“Peacefulness is a form of leadership.” - Isabeth Bakke Hardy, Circle School Founder
Teaching peace through culture is the bedrock of our curriculum, culture, and cooperative.
The Circle School’s founding ethos and curriculum is shaped by the work of Nicholas Roerich, a Russian philosopher, humanitarian, and theorist of interdisciplinary education. Roerich developed the Banner for Peace Through Culture, which is our school symbol, to be flown over schools, museums, libraries, and other cultural institutions to protect them in times of war. Like the Red Cross protects hospitals even in times of war, so the Banner for Peace protects the cultural institutions that serve the human spirit and connect human culture across all our valuable differences. Through his efforts, a Pact for Peace was signed in support of this concept in 1935. Also through his efforts, leagues devoted to the concept of peace through culture were established around the world. This aspect of his work still continues.
