Starlight Rays

Shape the future of Waldorf education

This online series offers Waldorf high school teachers, administrators, staff members, and parents a rare opportunity to explore contemporary issues together and share observations with seasoned colleagues from CfA’s Waldorf High School Teacher Education Program (WHiSTEP).

Questions we’ll explore

• How can we prepare young people for an uncertain future?
• How can we help adolescents connect with the Earth and act responsibly for her wellbeing?
• How can teachers foster kindness, confidence, and sensitivity so graduates become agents for change?
• What changes have Waldorf high schools made, and what changes do they still need to make?
• As technologies of manipulation gain power, how can we protect students’ sense of self, access to reality, and ability to give purpose and direction to their lives?
• How can educators present information while fostering healthy dialogue, discussion, and debate?
• How can students find common ground and build community without giving up individual beliefs?

A community of inquiry

Each seminar brings participants into conversation with practicing educators and colleagues who care deeply about adolescents and their world. Presentations offer insights and practical strategies, with time to reflect on how they apply in classrooms and school communities.

The series does not claim to offer simple answers. Its purpose is to open vital topics in a spirit of thoughtful discourse and help educators meet the evolving needs of their students.

2026–2027 series lineup

All seminars meet online from 3:00–4:30 pm Eastern Time.

• September 5 — Dr. Martyn Rawson: Steiner Frequently Called the Waldorf School a Method School. Oh Really? Which Methods Are Those?
• September 26 — Vicki Larson and Heather Scott: Stepping Into Life: Cultivating Student Leadership
• October 10 — Carol Bärtges: What Have They Been Doing in the Lower School?
• October 31 — Dr. Adam Blanning: What Does a Healthy Sensory Diet Look Like for the Modern Adolescent?
• November 7 — Alison Davis: Let’s Get Real About Burnout
• November 21 — Sven Saar: Does Spirit Matter?
• December 12 — Cedar Oliver: “True Equality”: How and Why We Sort Our Students
• December 19 — Dr. Constanza Kaliks: Citizenship and the Search for Knowledge on the Human Being as Fundamentals for the Teachers’ Work
• January 9 — Liz Beaven: Talkin’ ’bout My Generation
• January 23 — Nathan Wilcox: Solid Foundations: The Three Critical Skills Every Ninth Grader Needs, and How to Teach Them
• February 13 — Beverly Amico: Education in a Time of Systemic Change: Trends, Challenges, and Possibilities for Waldorf Schools
• February 27 — David Barham: Instilling Social Impulses in an Antisocial Age

Registered participants receive login information and links by email before each seminar, along with reminders throughout the fall and winter.

Related program

Those seeking graduate-level preparation to teach in a Waldorf high school can learn more about the Waldorf High School Teacher Education Program (WHiSTEP).