Happy New Year! I am looking forward to a busy 2025, and excited to share that I have three public events scheduled already! The field of education reform, school choice, and alternatives to school has expanded enormously in the past couple of years, and there are many people and organizations sharing their creative work. I’m delighted to be one of the “older folks” available to offer some long-term vision to this community. North Star is in its 29th year, with many second-generation members, and the Liberated Learners network is now in its 12th year! I rejoice that we now have so many allies, with so much vision, and also so much professionalism. The skill set and business acumen now available in a range of workshops, podcasts, and trainings is impressive.
My focus remains on making school optional, and creating programs that have sufficient offerings to support families to leave the conventional model of most public and private schools for the adventure of self-directed learning. I value every invitation to share this perspective and approach. I am grateful to the organizations listed here for spreading hope and optimism in the coming year.
(Wednesday, January 22 at 3:00 ET with Pat Farenga!)
The Learning Planet Festival is a two-week online global festival around education reform. This community hosts an open-ended platform for people to share their projects and ideas. Last year’s festival included more than 600 presentations to more than 70,000 viewers! Wow!
This year, Pat Farenga of Holt Associates/Growing Without Schooling and I will speak about unschooling and youth empowerment. We are among a substantial set of festival presenters involved with Rights-Centric Education, focused on the rights of young people to control their own lives and learning. Pat will discuss the history and legacy of John Holt and the modern unschooling movement, and I will share North Star’s work to make this approach accessible for any interested family.
The Learning Planet Festival has offices in France and hosts many Europeans, Asians, Africans, and Latin Americans in its events. There is a good chance Pat and I will make some new friends here! I encourage you to look over the links above and consider showing up for a couple of events over the last two weeks of January to hear about a global movement.
2. Limitless Podcast and Progressive Education (Wednesday, February 12, 2:30 pm ET)
Jo Symes and Alex O’Neill are leaders of the Self-Directed Education movement in the United Kingdom. They produce a series of events, training, and podcast series to promote the establishment of more centers and programs as alternatives to schools. Incaseyoudon’t know, England is quite open to homeschooling, and is home to a fantastic range of alternative schools and programs. This podcast series features an inspiring set of individuals and organizations changing the educational landscape of the U.K. I am honored to be part of this ongoing series. (I think a field trip will be necessary sooner or later!)
3. The Liberation of Education Annual Conference and Youth Education Expo, Austin Texas (August 8-10, 2025)
An in-person conference in Texas! I have never been to Texas, but I have spoken with Lacey Price and participated in her podcast series with The Liberation of Education! I will be part of a panel speaking about the impact of conventional education on the mental health of young people today. I look forward to sharing stories of how North Star has worked with many teens suffering from depression and anxiety over the years, and how our approach can make both a short-term and long-term difference in the lives of our members. I look forward to having a chance to meet people in-person in a fresh region of the United States for me. Thank you, Lacey!
