JOHN HUNTER, a native Virginian and graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, is an award-winning gifted teacher and educational consultant. In 2012, the GlobArt Award was awarded to John Hunter for his transformative World Peace Game and conscious teaching practice.
John Hunter made Time Magazine’s list of the 12 top education activists in 2012 and is recognized as one of the top 50 TED2014 All-Star Speakers.
Employing his background as a musician, composer and filmmaker during a three-decade career as a teacher, Hunter has combined his gifted teaching and artistic talents to develop unique teaching programs using multimedia software programs in creative writing and film courses.
During his university years, he traveled and studied comparative religions and philosophy throughout Japan, India and China. It was while in India, the cradle of Ghandian thought, Hunter, intrigued by the principles of non-violence, began to think of how his profession might contribute to peace in the world.
Knowing that ignoring violence would not make it go away, how could he teach peace in an often-violent world? Accepting the reality of violence, he would seek to incorporate ways to explore harmony in various situations. This exploration would take form in the framework of a game – something that students would enjoy. Within the game data space, they would be challenged, while enhancing collaborative and communication skills.
In 1978, at the Richmond Community High School, Hunter led the first sessions of his World Peace Game. Over time, in a synchronous unfolding with the growing global focus on increasingly complex social and political conditions, the game has gained new impetus. As Hunter succinctly explains, “The World Peace Game is about learning to live and work comfortably in the unknown.”
John currently serves as Founder and Director of the World Peace Game Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to spreading the practice and philosophy of the World Peace Game.
ANDREA COPELAND-WHITSETT, a native of Charlottesville, has been active in her community for many years. Through her work with Positive Channels, she hosts local programs; emcees, moderates and facilitates community events and discussions; mentors young women and girls; and volunteers with various local nonprofits, including the Community Investment Collaborative, United Way of Greater Charlottesville and the Emily Couric Leadership Forum. Andrea is the director of member educations services with the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce, leading its signature program, Leadership Program.
