Great Plains Earth Institute is an environmental education program that seeks spiritually integrated solutions to ecological challenges through transformational experiences.
As a community catalyst and change agent, Great Plains Earth Institute provides innovative programs that empower individuals and groups to take care of Earth. Programs emphasize individual responsibility as well as the importance of a supportive community, offer action-oriented educational, spiritual and creative forums for rediscovering our interconnectedness to all living things, and provide access tools and resources for individual and cultural change.
"To change one's life: Start Immediately. Do it flambouyantly. No exeptions." - William James
MISSION STATEMENT
Working Together to Care for Earth
PRINCIPLES
A POSITIVE VOICE - Recognizing that Earth and our environment have been compromised and are in crisis, we will be a positive voice offering holistic, action-oriented, and life-changing forums that are educational, spiritual and creative in nature. COLLABORATIVE - We will reach out to community individuals and groups seeking new ways to address our environmental problems and work toward the promise of a sustainable future. We will reach out beyond the scope of environmental groups to those who have a reverence for all living things. VALUE DRIVEN - We will approach our responsibilities to Earth and environment with integrity and with the awareness and acceptance of our relationship and interconnectedness with all creation. We believe that the Earth is one total system, and how we treat Earth is an index of how we treat one another. We believe in the sacredness of Earth and respect and view all species and natural elements as being in one single community. COMMUNITY BUILDER - We will continue to develop an expanded vision of community that includes neighborhood economic development while addressing social and environmental justice issues. SPIRITUAL EXPLORATION - We believe that the problems surrounding Earth and our environment are spiritual in nature and that we must work to heal the sense of separateness and disconnectedness between all species and us. Therefore, we will provide venues for one-on -one spiritual direction and group dialogue.
OUR VISION
Great Plains Earth Institute is a non-profit grassroots education organization whose mission is Working Together To Care For Earth. GPEI's discussion circles, community programs and special events inspire individuals to reawaken to Nature, reexamine their values and habits, and recommit themselves to protecting Earth. We hope to make a difference - one heart and one mind at a time.
In the 21st century, it is clear that we are facing a global environmental crisis of unprecendented scope. We believe that the root causes of these problems are psychological, spiritual, cultural and individual. The search for lasting solutions, then, must begin with each one of us examing our attitudes, values and intentions about the natural world and helping one another find the courage to change and grow.
We at GPEI are working to create a new vision of American society - one based on sustainable community, ecological health, and a sense of the sacredness of Creation. And we're offering people the resources to help make that vision a reality.
"We were a silent hidden thought in the folds of oblivion, and we have become a voice that causes the heavens to tremble." - Kahlil Gibran
