The Habits of Learners at Abrome are the habits of heart and mind; the dispositions that young adults need to live a life of meaning and purpose, to be happy and joyous human beings. They are proclivities that they acquire and cultivate by virtue of growing up in a thriving community of exuberant learners. The learning space at Abrome is organized to engender the following habits within the community:
Happiness
Abromies find joy in leading their lives and learning from it as they grow. They are emotionally resilient human beings who regularly experience moments of happiness. They find purpose in what they do and care about the quality of every instance of their lives. They strive to attain serenity, inner strength, confidence, and fulfillment in their lives. The joy of learning and happiness is the underlying state of being for Abromies.
DIALECTICAL INQUIRY
Abromies seek deep understanding of the world around them as opposed to a superficial retention of facts and concepts. They investigate ideas from multiple vantage points, to include conflicting sources of information, while acknowledging the biases of those sources as well as their own internal biases. To further inform their own learning, they seek out critical responses from within their communities, engaging with others by examining and interrogating competing ideas, and considering their perspectives and arguments. Abromies debate to explore, they value each other’s thoughts and ideas and build each other up.
Understand Thyself
Abromies self-reflect. They are self-aware and metacognitive; therefore, they learn to identify, understand and balance their emotions. If people can understand themselves, they can understand and empathize with others, resulting in healthier souls, and a healthier society. Abromies identify their interests and passions as they make decisions about their lives; they are the owners of their lives, their learning pathways and all of its outcomes.
INTELLECTUAL VITALITY
Abromies are full of wonder; they are curious and driven to understand the world around them. They dive deep to satisfy their curiosity, often unconstrained by time, because they are eager and enthusiastic about learning. They are not bound by traditional academic disciplines; they leverage their creativity and imagination to transcend those disciplines. They love ideas. They are full of ideas. They daydream, they are comfortable with ambiguity, and they question and revisit their own assumptions in the process of creating knowledge.
Focus on Community
Abromies maximize their individual learning experiences through their communities. An Abromie’s community will include Abrome Facilitators and young people of varying ages, and may include mentors, friends and family members, and volunteer Facilitators. Abromies co-create community through healthy relationships by focusing on shared values, to include a commitment to community care. Abrome provides a psychologically safe space for young people to immerse themselves in learning, where they can identify opportunities for co-learning, co-teaching, shared projects, and other forms of collaboration.