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Tareq Abuhalima, a graduate assistant at Bluffton University’s The Lion and Lamb Peace Arts Center, is excited about the new peace programming the center is offering for children. During the spring 2023 semester, Abuhalima along with 10 Bluffton University students developed “Teaching Peace to Children.” The sessions focus on issues such as conflict resolution and cultural understanding. 

“It’s been a successful start to the program, and we are planning to duplicate it in the fall,” said Abuhalima, who is earning his Master of Arts in Organizational Management at Bluffton. “It’s important to familiarize children with these topics. It’s a critical period of time on which they will build the rest of their lives.”

Taught mainly by education majors, the programs also provide undergraduate students additional experience in lesson planning and classroom management. 

Growing up in the Gaza City, Abuhalima is achieving a dream to continue his studies in the United States.

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By Paula Scott

When the Icon visited the Schumacher Homestead on June 3 for a brief lesson in pen and ink writing, it was almost as if time stood still. The parlor was filled with period furniture from the 1800s and photos of the Schumacher family surrounded us. The five docents who were there to greet guests--Nancy and Ed Yeager, Ivan and Rachel Friesen, and Keith Sommer--were dressed in period garb.

A reminder that time had not in fact stood still? The room was deliciously cool thanks to air conditioning in the house.