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The Visionary – Rev. Doug Yagaloff

THE VISIONARY - REV. DOUG YAGALOFF

DOUG-PHOTO-for-SOMforKIds
Rev. Doug Yagaloff

Science of Mind for Kids began in 2012 as the dream of my friend and Science of Mind minister, Rev. Doug Yagaloff. He wanted all children to know that they are each perfect, whole, and complete beings having a truly wondrous human experience.

 

He was living his ultimate purpose as a minister of Science of Mind, practicing at the Palm Springs Center for Spiritual Living, and was inspired to share Science of Mind teachings with children.

 

He envisioned an engaging curriculum that would empower children by helping them remember that they are each a unique and special part of God having a joyous adventure on Earth. He knew that by applying Science of Mind concepts to our lives, we can all create the happy lives God wants for us.

 

He saw this curriculum being used by children and adults in all New Thought philosophies, including Centers for Spiritual Living (CSL), Unity, and by families seeking to impart these helpful  concepts and practices to their children.

 

Rev. Doug made his transition to spirit in 2013, but his vision continues to grow.

The Curriculum Developer – Dr. Avianna Jones

MEETING DOUG - IDYLLWILD'S LEMON LILY FESTIVAL

Avianna Jones, Ph.D.
Avianna Jones, Ph.D.

I first met Doug in 2010 when we worked together in our beloved community of Idyllwild, California, on a project designed to restore our native Lemon Lily. Idyllwild's Lemon Lily was on the verge of extinction, and Doug's role was to create a community "Lemon Lily Festival" to raise awareness of the Lemon Lily's plight. To be successful, volunteers from all areas of life – environmentalists, botanists, business owners, creatives, etc. – would need to unite in this cause.

 

As a somewhat reclusive creative and environmentalist, I hesitated to become involved in any community project – until I met Doug. He truly represented the leadership model of the future in which everyone's perspective is heard and respected while energetic space is held for the highest expression of the mission and all participants. I will be ever grateful to Doug for inviting me to share in the amazing experience of launching a successful community event inspired by a native wildflower. Through his leadership and support, my creative spirit was nourished and supported.

 

While working with Doug, I drew on every aspect of my background as a retired psychologist, video producer, photographer, and curriculum developer.  My role in the Lemon Lily Festival was to create the educational material for the festival, which included t-shirt designs, comic books, a book for kids and a 4-minute documentary – Dreams Come True – Idyllwild's Lemon Lilies Come Home. If you are interested, you can view the video and see some of my Lemon Lily creations at my swallowcreek.com video production site.

 

In 2012, Doug shared his vision of a "Science of Mind for Kids" project and invited me to create the curriculum. I was honored and excited to be part of his dream, and we began our work together to fulfill his vision as a labor of love for both of us.

 

The Illustrator – Ken Mitchroney

THE ILLUSTRATOR - KEN MITCHRONEY

The puppies began their lives many years ago as teachers of a character education curriculum I developed for Florida schools, "Good for Me!"

The Power Puppies Image

Since I am not an illustrator or character designer (!), I contacted the best in the business – Ken Mitchroney – who was illustrating Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle comic books at time. He agreed to design my characters and illustrate the curriculum to bring it all to life. I couldn't have been happier as I saw my little guys going out into the world.

 

"Good for Me!" won many awards as the time and captivated children and teachers alike, thanks in big part to the amazing art Ken created.

 

You can view Ken's current bio on Linked In. (Prepare to be amazed.)

The Science of Mind Principles for Kids Curriculum

THE SCIENCE OF MIND PRINCIPLES FOR KIDS CURRICULUM
As Doug and I worked together, the Science of Mind Principles for Kids curriculum came together quickly. It was a labor of love for both of us. We envisioned a series of four books, each with seven lessons, that covered concepts related to body, mind, and spirit and the application of Science of Mind principles. Doug saw the curriculum as applicable to both children and adults in all New Thought philosophies, including Centers for Spiritual Living (CSL) and Unity.

 

How to Remember Who You Are: Book 1: About God and You. Science of Mind Edition, was the first in the series. Sunny and Spot, two of the Power Puppies, stepped up to serve as teachers. Book 1 CoverOther books we planned to include in the series were How to Train Your MindHow to Take Care of Your Body, and How to Live a Happy Life.

 

Lesson outlines were completed for all the books, and as the first book was completed, we sought feedback from other Science of Mind ministers, teachers, and practitioners and adjusted content as we moved forward.

 

"Remember Who You Are" Proposed Series Covers Image
"How to Remember Who You Are" Proposed Series

The project was launched at Asilomar in 2012 in draft form, and we received lots of encouragement to continue our project.

Pilot Testing

PILOT TESTING

Following the launch, Doug arranged for pilot testing of the curriculum in the Fall of 2012 at the Center for Spiritual Living in Palm Desert, California. KaZ Akers implemented the program and had great feedback for us.

 

We learned that children were throughly engaged with the material and enjoyed responding to the prompts throughout each lesson. We were encouraged to continue!

 

KaZ's mission is to "To bring meditation to anyone and everyone who needs it!" and she has a great website to check out: KazAkers.com.

The 2016 Revision

DOUG'S PASSING

Unexpectedly, Rev. Doug made his transition to spirit in the fall of 2013, leaving behind a large following ... and his unfinished dream.

 

THE 2016 REVISION

In the years following Rev. Doug's passing, our dream remained unfulfilled and I moved on to complete other projects. But in the summer of 2016, I received a strong message during a meditation that our Science of Mind for Kids project should be brought to completion.

 

I have learned not to dismiss strong messages received in meditation, so I revised our book and created the website to support readers.

 

Here are the changes to the 2016 edition:

  • I felt that it was important to reflect that the book now stands alone and is not part of a series, so the title was changed to Science of Mind Principles for Kids: About God and You.
  • The original first lesson introduced all four puppies, suggesting that stories about them were to come.
  • A new story was written for Lesson 1 (Why Are We Here?) that features Sunny and Spot, and is still based upon Ernest Holmes' parable of the angel who came to visit Earth.
  • To be consistent with the puppies' new character names, a name was changed in this revision.
  • Finally, Doug's name was added to the cover to reflect his role as Editor of the work. He did not wish this recognition as the first edition was completed, but I believe his vision should be honored in this way.

After Doug's passing, I received supportive and encouraging communication from both adults and children who were familiar with the program, asking about the plans for program completion. While I have studied Science of Mind and I apply the concepts in my life, without Doug's depth of knowledge, there are no plans to complete the remaining three books at this time.

The Future

 

THE FUTURE

 

At this time, there are no plans to complete the remaining three books Rev. Doug and I envisioned.

 

In 2018, I discovered the new field of Spiritual Ecology, and immediately knew I had found my tribe. I am currently working on material for children with the intention of fostering a deep love and appreciation for our beautiful planet. If you want to learn more about my new project, you can find a link on my aviannajones.com site.

 

I hope you enjoy our book, and you find the information on the website helpful in your important mission of teaching the young ones.

 

It was my honor to work with my friend, Rev. Doug Yagaloff, on Science of Mind Principles for Kids

 

It was his dream to share Ernest Holmes’ concepts with children, wishing to empower them as they learned to understand and live the principles of Science of Mind. 

 

Thanks for all you do for the children.

 

Avianna

Thanks for All You Do