Emotional Imprint™ is a rigorous, K-12 program that teaches students emotional literacy (the ability to read each other’s emotions) and empathic understanding (the ability to inhabit the perspective of another.) Beginning in kindergarten, students learn, practice, and apply the skills necessary to listen to, comprehend, analyze, appreciate, and inhabit the perspective of others. Emotional Imprint prepares students to work collaboratively with others, assume leadership roles, and help build a more peaceful world.
What is the philosophy of Emotional Imprint™?
All of us possess the potential to read the emotions of, reflect on the communications of, and change our reactions to our fellow global citizens. These behaviors can and should be taught. EI is as necessary as reading, writing, and mathematics to be a productive, successful, and caring member of society. When applied to other disciplines, EI leads to a deeper, more critical understanding of them.
What happens when this philosophy is put into practice?
- By effectively taking the perspective of another, one can articulate more effectively the factors that led to the Cold War, and
- Understand more deeply the motivations of Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment
- Design a more intuitive cellular phone for consumer use
- Collaborate better with other students on group projects
- Mediate more successfully talks between Arab and Israeli groups
- Design a more relevant training program for new employees
- Help greater numbers of people recover from illness
- Be a more loving partner, better parent, closer friend, more collaborative colleague, and more productive citizen of the world
What will students achieve through Emotional Imprint™?
As graduates of this program, young adults will be able to communicate productively with others in social, political, governmental, work, and volunteer settings, applying the behaviors that they have developed as children.
Why is Emotional Imprint™ necessary?
Too many students graduate from school lacking the skills necessary to be effective leaders. They may treat others whom they perceive to be “different” with suspicion, distrust, fear, and even disdain, all of which leads to divisiveness. They may be quick to react to others, operating from one way of experiencing, feeling, and thinking about the world, leading to conflict. In order to prepare students to be productive, successful, and caring members of a global society, we need to teach them to think deeply and critically, articulate their thoughts and ideas, listen actively with openness, question their own reactions and opinions, exercise diplomacy, and work collaboratively.
What are the components and educational tools of Emotional Imprint™?
EI™ provides an engaging, user-friendly, interactive, developmentally appropriate curriculum, with comprehensive training for faculty, and evaluation tools and processes. EI’s foundational tool comes from the field of philosophy: the thought experiment. Lesson plans present realistic scenarios and ask students to consider reasons why different people might behave differently under specific circumstances. They Illustrate how a greater depth of understanding and empathy can lead to more useful responses and positive outcomes. Related teaching tools include: