National Thought Leaders

“Stories to Light OurWay is a wonderful resource for introducing young people to the wisdom and moral lessons found in the world’s religions and cultures. The stories are presented in ways that allow children to learn about the beliefs and values that have shaped human experience for centuries. The Wisdom Thinkers Network’s approach to story-telling is an educationally and constitutionally sound way for public schools to build good character and encourage cross-cultural understanding.”

-Charles C. Haynes

Chairman, Character Education Partnership Senior Scholar, First Amendment Center Director, Religious Freedom Education Project

“Ralph, I really love your stories. Your ability to capture the essence of each tradition’s universal message allows us to appreciate how much alike we really are without overwhelming us. Stories to Light OurWay, is a real gift to our children and teachers who want a simple resource to build a classroom and community culture which honors diversity and discourages bullying while nurturing good behavior that can extend to and include the family.”

-Dr. Michele Borba

Internationally recognized author, speaker, & educator on parenting, character education and bullying prevention     http://www.micheleborba.com/

“I consider Stories to Light OurWay a real gem. Your collection and retelling of key stories from some of our world’s great religious and cultural traditions fills such a need as our world grows smaller, though not necessarily kinder. The fact that your work aims explicitly at fostering moral and spiritual growth – at furthering that kindness – makes it all the more meaningful. You have done us all a service, and I want to express my gratitude on behalf of CSEE and of a number of schools, and young people in them, that I know will benefit from your efforts.”

-David Streight Executive Director

Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education    www.csee.org

“Stories to Light Our Way is a wonderful resource to support K-12 students – and adults – understanding and appreciating the wisdom that is reflected in the world’s religions and cultures. Stories are one of the most powerful ways to learn. And, these stories promote social, emotional and ethical as well as intellectual learning: the foundation for school – and life – success.”

-Jonathan Cohen, Ph.D.

President, National School Climate Center: Educating Minds and Hearts Because the Three Rs are Not Enough; Adjunct Professor in Psychology and Education, Teachers College, Columbia University    www.nscc.org

“An excellent learning tool that enables students to be engaged in creating a community of empathy through the shared wisdom of stories. I have observed teachers use the stories from The Wisdom Thinkers Network to incorporate behavioral lessons within ELA and Social Studies classes.”

-Dr. Philip Fusco Assistant Director

The NY State Academy for Character Education at The Sage Colleges.

“Stories to Light ourWay: Journey to theWorld of Good is an appealing children’s anthology of poignant stories from around the world which illuminates a pathway to wisdom while inferring the universality of character development throughout the earth’s cultures.”

-Barbara Luther

Director of Professional Development Character Education Partnership Washington, DC   www.character.org

“I really love your CD you so graciously gave me a couple of years ago. The quality and richness of the music, the sound of the MC’s voice and your beautiful voice, the wonderful stories with great meaning/moral message, and even the way you pause at the right time, and take your time etc. is really very special. Your message is loving, and I wish there were more CDs out there like yours.”

-Kit Rogers

National Storytelling Network

“I am writing this letter on behalf of Ralph Singh, who has shared his project, Stories to Light Our Way: Journey to the World of Good. As a 35-year veteran educator, an Education Professor, a Responsive Classroom Consulting Teacher and former staff development specialist at BOCES, I see numerous applications for Ralph’s work. The stories are derived from a variety of cultures and faith traditions, and they teach universal values such as forgiveness, generosity, kindness, courage, and self-control. These interface perfectly with the socials skills taught in Responsive Classroom, the Community of Caring, Character Counts,Wise Skills and a variety of other character education and anti-bullying programs. As well, the stories integrate beautifully with the Common Core Standards in Language Arts, specifically ELA Literacy Standards, which require students to:

“Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text” CCSS.ELA- Literacy RL.3.2. and “Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges” CCSS.ELA-Literacy RL.2.3. (©2012 Common Core State Standards Initiative)

The stories can be adapted for a variety of grade levels and can be used as vehicles for teaching a number of NYS Social Studies Standards as well. I see application in the teaching standards dealing withWorld History, Geography, and Civics, Citizenship, and Government.

The stories are accompanied by a series of thought-provoking questions and an audio CD, thus allowing them to be adapted for students with disabilities and students needing to be challenged. I hope you can help communicate the value of these stories to teachers, counselors, and administrators in Elementary, Middle and High School.”

-Lauri Pepe Bousquet Visiting Assistant Professor Dept of Education

Le Moyne College Syracuse, NY