Exploring Meaning in Life in the Tel Hai Gifted Children’s Center

Abstract

While high IQ is likely to be an advantage in moral reasoning, it does not guarantee students’ putting those morals into practice. A clearly defined sense of purpose grounded in values of social responsibility, exploration of values, and the search for ultimate truths, both personal and collective, is paramount. The Meaning in Life program in Israel was introduced in the 2008-2009 school year and The Center for Gifted Children at Tel Hai Academic College became one of the first educational institutions to implement it. In total, 67 seventh and eighth graders were divided into multicultural groups of no more than 15 pupils per teacher. Basing discussions on a wide variety of short philosophical texts and maxims, from Eastern and Western cultures, children were deeply engaged in addressing the values and everyday implications of this wisdom. The last stage of the program was the creation of products that represented their current and developing outlook on the meaning in life, either verbally or graphically. The general applicability of the approach across nations and contexts was discussed.