Learning to Know
Exploring ourselves, our experiences and the world around us.
- Self-awareness
- Curiosity
- Reflection
- Understanding emotions
- Exploring new perspectives
- Lifelong learning
Our Curriculum
Learning to Live, Create, Connect and Flourish
At Sprinkle of Happiness, learning is more than acquiring knowledge. It is about discovering ourselves, exploring our experiences, building meaningful connections and finding new possibilities for how we live.
Our curriculum brings together educational ideas, reflective practice, creativity, community and Sikhi-inspired values. It is a guiding philosophy for how we design our spaces, not an accredited course.
- Survival
- Expression
- Connection
- Hope
- Joy
Foundations
The Four Pillars of Learning
Our approach draws inspiration from UNESCO's Four Pillars of Learning, set out in the report Learning: The Treasure Within (1996). Here is how we interpret each pillar in our own work.
Learning to Do
Putting knowledge and reflection into practice.
- Creative expression
- Journalling
- Practical skills
- Trying new experiences
- Building confidence through participation
- Turning ideas into action
Learning to Live Together
Learning through relationships, understanding and community.
- Empathy
- Respect
- Belonging
- Listening
- Collaboration
- Appreciating difference
- Shared experiences
Learning to Be
Developing as a whole person.
- Identity
- Values
- Creativity
- Self-expression
- Personal growth
- Meaning
- Agency and possibility
Sprinkle of Happiness is not affiliated with, approved or endorsed by UNESCO. The pillars are an inspiration for our thinking.
Sikhi-rooted values
Rooted in Values, Open to Everyone
Sikhi inspires how we think about dignity, compassion, service and community. These values shape how we welcome and care for people. Nobody is asked to practise Sikhi or hold any religious belief, and this is never religious instruction.
- SevaSelfless service: contributing to others without expecting anything back.
- Sarbat da BhalaWishing for the wellbeing of all people, everywhere.
- Chardi KalaResilient, hopeful, rising spirits, even in hard times.
- Equality and dignityRecognising the equal worth of every person.
- SangatThe strength of a supportive community gathered together.
Our roots shape how we welcome people. They do not determine who is allowed to belong.
People of all faiths and none are welcome, including LGBTQ+ people of every background.
Reflective practice
Understanding Ourselves Through Reflection
Our activities draw on ideas from psychology, learning, emotional awareness and reflective practice. Writing, conversation, creativity and movement can give people room to notice what they think and feel, and to make their own meaning from it.
These activities are for learning, creativity and wellbeing. They are not a substitute for healthcare or psychological treatment.
Activities may encourage
Self-awarenessAttention and reflectionEmotional expressionCreative explorationSocial connectionPersonal meaning-makingRecognising habits and patterns
Shadow journalling
Shadow Journalling: Exploring What We Carry
Shadow journalling is a reflective writing practice for gently exploring the thoughts, feelings, beliefs, memories and patterns we might find difficult to acknowledge. It is a creative practice, not therapy or trauma processing.
Possible themes
- Identity and belonging
- Fear and shame
- Expectations and pressure
- Relationships and boundaries
- Hope and imagination
- Personal strengths
- Patterns and choices
Example prompts
- What parts of myself do I find difficult to express?
- Whose expectations am I carrying?
- When do I feel most like myself?
- What does belonging mean to me?
- What would I like to give myself permission to explore?
Journalling is always optional, and you can skip any question. Please don't revisit overwhelming or traumatic experiences without appropriate professional support. If you need help now, visit Need Support?
The Sprinkle of Happiness journey
Five stages, in whatever order life brings them.
The journey is a way of describing what our spaces make room for. People may revisit stages, live several at once, or connect with the journey in their own way. There is no fixed order and no finish line.
Survival
Acknowledging where we are, recognising challenges and creating room for support.
Expression
Exploring feelings, ideas and identity through writing, art, movement and conversation.
Connection
Finding belonging through relationships, community and shared experiences.
Hope
Exploring possibility, imagination and meaningful future directions.
Joy
Making space for creativity, celebration, gratitude, play and Chardi Kala.
In practice
How the Curriculum Comes to Life
Each offering draws on these ideas in its own way. Formats, facilitators and focus differ from one programme to another.
Workshops
Creative writing, guided reflection, journalling and artistic exploration.
Explore WorkshopsCircles
Listening, belonging, shared experiences and community.
Explore CirclesWalks
Gentle movement, reflection and connection with the outdoors.
Explore WalksLGBTQ+ Safe Space
Identity, inclusion, creative freedom, faith and belonging.
Explore LGBTQ+Rebel Recovery & Freedom
Shame-free peer support, reflection, accountability and community.
Explore Rebel RecoveryYoga
Presence over performance, breath and reflective practice. Yoga has its own developing curriculum.
Explore Yoga
Curriculum
Developed with Kaan Singh
The curriculum is shaped by Kaan's lived experience, his work as a writer, performer and photographer, his interest in facilitation, and his vision for a community where people can heal, create and belong together.
Read Kaan's storyStill growing
A Curriculum That Grows with the Community
Our curriculum will keep evolving through experience, feedback and the needs of the people who take part.
We do not believe learning ends when a workshop finishes. It continues in the conversations we have, the questions we ask, the connections we build and the possibilities we begin to imagine.