Classroom Workshops
One thousand Peace
Cranes, it is said, have special significance. They are folded to bring
luck, to celebrate life, to remember, and to bring healing and peace. It is
our intention to fold 6,000,000 cranes, one thousand for each victim of
terrorist attacks on 9-11. As death-toll estimates have gone down, we
remain committed to our original goal; the violence has affected many more
than those who were killed on that day. We want the feeling of Peace to
affect everyone and believe that this work might in some way help prevent a
reoccurrence by promoting more peaceful responses.
Why teach students to fold cranes? We are bombarded daily with
images of violence. Unless we do something concrete to replace images and
feelings of violence, hate and fear, those feelings fester and grow. When
we fold cranes, we take the time to slow down, to focus, and to honor each
other, to feel calm and peaceful. Folding peace cranes is not a lesson in
instant gratification. It is a time-consuming and often difficult process.
The result is a solid, three-dimensional souvenir of the knowledge we gain
and the peace we create inside us.
When leaders from the WTC Healing Project come to your classroom, we
bring along three flags made from cranes: The American Flag, the New York
State Flag and the California State Flag or the flag of Mexico. We speak briefly
about the effects of 9-11, we tell the story of Sadako and the Peace
Cranes, and explain the significance of one thousand cranes. We then teach
the students how to fold Peace Cranes, step-by-step. Once a person folds 3
cranes, he or she generally "gets" it, and can teach others.
Depending on the age range of the students, they can fold anywhere from
3-10 cranes in the time we are there.
If you are interested in hosting a WTC Healing Project Classroom
Workshop, please contact us, and feel free to download whatever information
might be of use to you in forming your own crane folding event.
We encourage everyone to contribute their cranes to the project. When
the project is presented to the City of New York in September 2003,
the circle of healing will again be completed.
If you represent a school or group that wants to stage a folding
event, a Primary Folder / Instructor may be scheduled to facilitate your
event. Please email schools@wtchealingproject.org or call (510)
436-3023.
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