NALA, the New Adult Learning Association, is a community of individuals who want to bring change in the world for the future of our world. We work together with learning processes based on seven step processing also called New Adult Learning processes. By creating connection and community, NALA strives to ignite interest in transformative learning that will in turn facilitate spiritual connection, individualized learning and the co-creation of generative pathways. We want to see these new pathways bring balance and healing for ourselves, our relationships and the greater community around us.
Our Story
Coenraad van Houten, a member of the Social Science Section at the Goetheanum, carried forward an impulse inspired by Rudolf Steiner and further developed through F.W. Zeylmans van Emmichoven and Bernard Lievegoed. His life’s work centered on a profound question: once the human being is fully born at twenty-one, what becomes of the life forces that are released—and can they be consciously transformed for adult learning? Through both research and practice, Coenraad demonstrated that they can. He articulated this path in four key works—Awakening the Will, Practising Destiny, The Threefold Nature of Destiny, and Creative Spiritual Research—and developed the three paths and seven-step processes known as New Adult Learning, now used worldwide by individuals and professionals. Inspired by this work, Arlene Thorn and colleagues at the Rudolf Steiner Centre Toronto began offering related programs. In the early 2000s, Arlene trained in Europe with Coenraad and Shirley Routledge van Houten through the New Adult Learning Movement Network (NALM Network). Through Arlene’s shared research weeks and collaboration, she guided and developed New Adult Learning in North America.
Due to health concerns, Arlene later entrusted the future of the movement to a circle of her colleagues committed to carrying it forward. Today, this work lives within the New Adult Learning Association (NALA), whose members have taken up the responsibility of stewarding and developing it further. NALA strives to serve as a community hub for those seeking inner development through this framework. Through seasonal events, workshops, and gatherings for individuals, families, and professionals, the association nurtures connection and continued growth. The website is intended as a meeting place where community and facilitator members can share and discover events, strengthening collaboration across regions.
As part of its ongoing initiative, NALA offers core development programs, facilitator training, and organizational consulting—both in person and online. All of the programs offered are grounded in this shared approach, supporting both personal transformation and professional application, while being individualized by each facilitator.
Facilitators
