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Conflict is an essential piece when people are learning and living life together, and it is necessary. There are many different ways to engage in and approach conflict, and many ways it shows up in SDE communities and unschooling families. Listen to our panel discussion about the different ways conflict is approached at their centers, in their Flying Squads, and in their individual SDE relationships.

Self-Directed Education (SDE) principles are often talked about in relation to older kids, but what does this mean in the context of caretaking and raising babies? Like in all of SDE, there is no one way to do things, but many guiding values with a basis in trust and respect for young people. Hear about what SDE means to us in the context of caring for the youngest humans, and our collective struggles, questions, ideas, and successes as we raise our babies as free people.

DEcentralization and Ownership of web 3 is asking “Where is DEcentralization & Ownership in education?” Unknowingly, web 3 will “create” what it thinks does not exist. Self-Directed Learning is DEcentralized Learning owned by Learners & supported by adults. Web 3 tools including blockchain, DAOs and DeFi invite us to “on chain” SDL, celebrate self governance in a DAO and find solutions in new funding models. Some folks on Web 3 Blvd are oblivious to the folks on UNschooling Ave. Some folks on UNschooling Ave are fearful and distrusting of Web 3 Blvd. I am yelling up the street for everyone to “MEET ME @ THE CORNER!” Let’s PLAY!

What are the underpinnings of a young person’s transition to adulthood? What do healthy and satisfying adult lives look like? Using a discussion-based approach, we explored how adult allies (in families, SDE centers, youth groups, etc.) can support young people in their transition to adulthood while encouraging and respecting their autonomy and independence.

“I think I want to try out conventional school.” This sentence can be alarming for those of us who are committed to an SDE and unschooling path. But there are many reasons young people might be compelled to try out school. Listen to this panel for an honest discussion about how this has come up in their family, reasons why young people might want to try out school, what the conversation is like when talking about joining school, and ways to navigate the school system when your SDE kid is in it.

In this session, we talk about what education and learning can mean when we begin to see children as whole, complex, capable people. We discuss all the various ways young people learn and how reducing learning to something concrete and measurable strips it of the many ways it can happen and look like. We also talk about why it even matters to recognize learning, by discussing invisible learning as a way to push back on dominant narratives around children, education and learning.

A workshop on the role storytelling can play in self-directed education and how we can support ourselves and others in creating and collaborating

After having led many discussions on screen time, Brooklyn brings a different angle to this year’s SDE weekend, with a focus on the quality and values pop culture and screens bring to our lives. The idea of youth accessing popular media can be scary. Moving past the conventional; discussion of managing your youths’ time on screens, Brooklyn will explore how opening up to popular media brings a deeper world view for the whole family. How dissolving value judgments brings trust to our relationships with our youth and how to build media literacy and online safety into your family culture.

Rosalia presented on the different aspects of body autonomy, boundaries, and consent. This foundational education is the basis for raising empowered children that understand their rights, but also the rights of others, and how this can create the robust and more effective transition to body safety education as the child develops.

How to recognize and process the thoughts and behaviors in educators, parents, and students that can compromise the integrity of your SDE practice

It is not uncommon for one parent to be all in (or mostly in!) on SDE, and for another to be skeptical or, sometimes, completely against it. This can be such a difficult situation, but one that many of us encounter. Listen to our panel discussion to hear the ways different families approach this and how it shows up for them.

This is a presentation and discussion exploring the practice of intuitive family travel; an exploration ethic that aims to honor our internal navigation systems and create rich, fulfilling experiences for the whole family. Based on our 2+ years as a nomadic, unschooling family, I will discuss how we included our children in itinerary building, how our changing environments and landscapes shaped what and how we learned, as well as how our Worldschooling stories and strategies reverberate in our lives. We are engaging in embodied, environment-dependent learning even as we haven’t left our current home in a year! In the interest of including children in discussions about them, there will perhaps be some input on the day from my young people, should spirit move them to do so.

In this Radical Deschooling Chat, we’ll share why we adults so often engage in (and create!) power struggles with young people. We’ll dive deep into triggering moments and the underlying fears that spark them, and how changing our perspective of what’s happening can help us both change our attitude and language in order to build connection with the young humans in our lives. Are you ready to combat the adult supremist in you? Regardless if you’re a facilitator, running an ALC or a parent, if you’re an adult supporting youth – this offering is for you!

Are you new, or semi-new, to Self-Directed Education (SDE)? In this session we chatted about what SDE is, the underlying values and optimizing conditions for SDE to flourish, the many and varied ways SDE can look in practice, and answered any questions participants had about Self-Directed Education, and the Alliance. Watch this recording if you are looking to learn more about SDE and how it shows up in the world.

Are you thinking about starting an SDE center or community, or have you recently started one? Is your child a part of an SDE collective? Are you just looking for inspiration? During this workshop, Raj shared the Liberated Kids journey from seed idea to reality. Participants had the chance to ask questions, break out into small groups to map out their next steps, and share their own seed ideas with the rest of the group.

Flying Squads is a youth liberation and anti-oppression collective. We believe in the abolition of divided spaces between young people and the rest of their community. This means that Flying Squads step out of the classroom and off the playground and into public space as a form of youth activism. Listen to a group of flying squad youth and facilitators discuss the ins and outs of Flying Squads.

In this panel, Unschoolers will discuss their experiences and thoughts on growing up in a world that is often doubting, questioning, mistrusting, and making fun of young people who aren’t sitting in school all day. Navigating doubtful family members, comparing oneself to peers, and getting the most ignorant questions from new acquaintances, unschooling can often feel alienating in a world where school is the default. We’ll talk about how we deal with these issues, and oftentimes, just laugh it off.

Intuition is an inner guidance system which is often conditioned into silence through dominant culture education and approaches to learning. Societal expectations and intergenerational trauma histories also impact our ability to access this life-giving tool. Through this session, you will be invited to reflect on your current relationship to intuition, how it informs your relationship to those around you, and how you want to weave intuition-building skills into your decisions moving forward.

We want more for our young people and ourselves. We deserve more. But, how do we actually get it and what is it what we are trying to get? There are no simple answers or linear paths. But, having a framework to lean into as we navigate the process helps. Together we will explore my Decenter to Center Framework as a tool to not just decenter schooling but also create a home culture that centers learning, connection, belonging, and relationship. Progress requires a high vision. Process helps keep us on our path.

In my experience, I’ve found there is not an area that goes unturned while deschooling and unschooling. This can have my critical lens on and in focus most of my waking hours. As a result, it’s become imperative for me to have times throughout the day where I am both awake and restful. As we gather together for this offering, I’ll start by sharing a little about me, followed by ways I carve out space for this practice, moments when rest has found me, and how important a sense of safety is for our bodies to feel okay to rest. There will be time throughout for emerging ideas and questions.