Thank you to all who helped make this a special event
Let’s exchange presents with
ASDE’s community
December 17th, 2022
Be present at ASDE’s first SDE Presents!
Join us on December 17th, 2022 as some of ASDE’s friends and community members are offering their knowledge and experience as presents to those interested in Self-Directed Education.
You can offer your own present in the form of a donation that will help The Alliance for Self-Directed Education to work towards its mission.
An international event
with topics facilitated by people from different countries
Two sessions to attend
Multiple topics, stories, experiences to choose from
Be present, mindful, resourceful, be yourself, and dive into the weekend with ASDE!
In 2022, ASDE plans to reconnect with its community and create a space for collaboration and reciprocal support. In order to learn how to do this better, we asked our community members and friends: what support do they need and what support would they be able to offer. When people started to talk about offering their stories, to share their different experiences, their difficulties, and their breakthroughs, we immediately connected ideas and created this event: Community Presents.
Community Presents is a place where community members come together and share stories, fears, hopes, initiatives, and empower and inspire each other.
Community Presents is ASDE’s 2022 fundraising event: facilitators donate their time, expertise, and experience; participants donate money for ASDE to be able to work towards its mission. All of this as a present-exchange-Saturday in which we meet people with the same interest: Self-Directed Education.
We hope for the event to be a safe, creative, community space where people connect, exchange stories, ideas, phone numbers, and resources.
Schedule (Listed in Eastern Time Zone)
We are hosting this event in multiple time-zones. Find your time zone here.
Second Round runs LA: 10.30 – 12.00/ NY: 13.30 – 15.00/ Dublin: 18.30 – 20.00/ Vienna: 19.30 – 21.00/ Cluj: 20.30 – 22.00
Note: Sessions and Facilitators subject to change
First Round of Sessions
Gina Riley, Ph.D. (she/her)
Professor and Researcher
“Intrinsic Motivation and Unschooling”
This presentation explores the theories of Self-Determination, Cognitive Evaluation, and Intrinsic Motivation as it applies to unschooling and self-directed learning. Because of curriculum and time constraints, intrinsic motivation may be difficult to facilitate within the traditional classroom. However, one of the most impressive strengths of unschooling is that the entire process revolves around a child or teen’s intrinsic motivation to learn.
Janice McDonald (she/her)
Unschooling Parent and Tipping Points Co-Editor
“Ideas for Building Capacity”
Knowing what factors affect one’s capacity and what the barriers are is key to knowing what support to seek. In this session, participants will brainstorm together what goes into determining one’s capacity. Then, they will focus on identifying different types of support, to see there could be multiple ways to build their capacity. Note: Janice is not a therapist
Traian Brumă (he/him)
Learning Architect with The Alternative University
“The journeys while on THE journey”
Join this moderated discussion with Traian Brumă, whose experiences took him from rollerblading to co-funding the Alternative University – the first democratic, Self-Directed Education community in Romania; from the Alternative University to travelling the world for 22 months in search of self-directed universities and communities. Join a talk about the learning journeys that happened while on the journey through Thailand, China, Turkey, USA, Malaysia, Indonesia, Mexico, and other places.
Maro Tzoumerkioti (she/her)
Coordinator at EUDEC European Democratic Education Community
“Ask me anything about EUDEC European Democratic Education Community and let’s get connected.”
Maro Tzoumerkioti is a mother of four and lives in Greece. She wholeheartedly believes Self-Directed Education is the only respectful and rational way for anyone to educate themselves. She is involved in EUDEC, the organisation presented in this session. EUDEC seeks to promote and support democratic education across Europe and is working to become the foremost advisory organisation and connective network for European schools and organisations practicing and seeking to develop and promote democracy in education.
Peter Gray, Ph.D. (he/him)
Research professor at Boston College, author of Free to Learn
“Ask me anything about Self-Directed Education”
Peter Gray is a research professor of psychology at Boston College who has conducted and published research in neuroendocrinology, developmental psychology, anthropology, and education. Most of his recent research focuses on the role of play in human evolution and how children educate themselves, through play and exploration, when they are free to do so. He is author of Free to Learn Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life (Basic Books) and the internationally acclaimed college textbook Psychology, author of The Peter Gray Psychology Today Collection
Kids from Green School Romania
“Ask Me Anything about My Education”
Green School is a self-directed school, using nature-based and agile learning models, based in Cluj-Napoca, Transylvania, Romania. The school is hosting almost 60 kids aged 3-13 and a few of the them will join Community Presents in an “Ask Me Anything about My Education” session.
Zoe Valerie + Evangelos Vlachakis
Zoe – founder, activist; Evangelos – cinematographer, facilitator, activist
“Defending the Obvious”
We would like to present Spring Academy which the Alliance has supported with the publication of Defending the obvious and more.
Spring Academy is trying to build a self directed learning community for all ages and socio-economic situations without borders. The idea was born out of educational reform activism in Greece where educational choice is limited in collaboration with educational reform experts and organisations from all over the world.
Second Round of Sessions
Brooklyn Wetzel(She/They)
Drop-out, Outsider Artist, Unschooling Parent, and SDE community facilitator
“What’s next? Self-directed education for young adults instead of college”
Brooklyn leads a discussion on the alternatives to heading to college.
Domari Dickinson (she/her)
Positive & Purposeful Parenting Coach
“Community Conversation”
Domari will open up the floor to hear from community members about their successes and struggles when it comes to their SDE journey. Join this session for a candid community conversation about all things SDE!
Gina Riley, Ph.D. (she/her)
Professor and Researcher
“Unschooling Students with Disabilities”
The number of families choosing to homeschool has grown tremendously in the past decade. As the number of families homeschooling in the United States and abroad grows, there becomes increased variety in the ways in which families choose to homeschool their children. This presentation focuses on those parents who have chosen to unschool their child with disabilities. A 15 question survey was open to 50 families who have unschooled students with disabilities for at least 2 years. Overall, results showed that unschooling provided a healthy, healing environment for students with disabilities; although they wished more respite and
unschool friendly therapeutic services were available.
Traian Brumă (he/him)
Learning Architect with The Alternative University
“The journeys while on THE journey”
Join this moderated discussion with Traian Brumă, whose experiences took him from rollerblading to co-funding the Alternative University – the first democratic, Self-Directed Education community in Romania; from the Alternative University to travelling the world for 22 months in search of self-directed universities and communities. Join a talk about the learning journeys that happened while on the journey through Thailand, China, Turkey, USA, Malaysia, Indonesia, Mexico, and other places.
Maro Tzoumerkioti (she/her)
Coordinator at EUDEC European Democratic Education Community
“Ask me anything about EUDEC European Democratic Education Community and let’s get connected.”
Maro Tzoumerkioti is a mother of four and lives in Greece. She wholeheartedly believes Self-Directed Education is the only respectful and rational way for anyone to educate themselves. She is involved in EUDEC, the organisation presented in this session. EUDEC seeks to promote and support democratic education across Europe and is working to become the foremost advisory organisation and connective network for European schools and organisations practicing and seeking to develop and promote democracy in education.
Peter Gray, Ph.D. (he/him)
Research professor at Boston College, author of Free to Learn
“Ask me anything about Self-Directed Education”
Peter Gray is a research professor of psychology at Boston College who has conducted and published research in neuroendocrinology, developmental psychology, anthropology, and education. Most of his recent research focuses on the role of play in human evolution and how children educate themselves, through play and exploration, when they are free to do so. He is author of Free to Learn Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life (Basic Books) and the internationally acclaimed college textbook Psychology, author of The Peter Gray Psychology Today Collection
Zoe Valerie + Evangelos Vlachakis
Zoe – founder, activist; Evangelos – cinematographer, facilitator, activist
“Defending the Obvious”
We would like to present Spring Academy which the Alliance has supported with the publication of Defending the obvious and more.
Spring Academy is trying to build a self directed learning community for all ages and socio-economic situations without borders. The idea was born out of educational reform activism in Greece where educational choice is limited in collaboration with educational reform experts and organisations from all over the world.
Registration has now closed.
Watch our newsletter for updates about our 3rd SDE Weekend Event on March 3-5, 2023!
This event will be held primarily in English, with sessions in other languages or featuring live translation indicated as such in the schedule based on presenter preferences. Automated Closed Captioning will be turned on for all sessions. Recording will be turned off for all sessions. A maximum of 30-second videos may be recorded with the sole purpose of dissemination and promotion of ASDE’s work. Participants agree to help us hold the learning space by showing respect for themselves, each other, and the space. ASDE has been learning and growing and invites you to read our updated forum guidelines and our reflection on our commitment to SDE as Anti-Oppression Work if you haven’t had a chance to do so yet. ASDE is committed to being more responsible towards nature and we invite you to stop your camera when screen sharing, plug in your device only when needed and close other unused apps on your device while on zoom meetings.
GDPR information available here.