LIVING AND LEARNING CENTRE

By the Saskatoon Unschoolers

The Saskatoon Unschoolers are in the process of establishing a “living and learning centre” in Saskatoon. This centre will provide a welcoming and inspiring gathering place for children of all ages where self-directed learning can be facilitated and supported by the adults involved in the children’s lives. We strive to make learning a family and community-based process where children and youth are supported in exploring their own relationship to the world, whether that be through unstructured play or formalized workshops, classes or mentorships. We envision the centre as an environment where children can learn not only to survive in the world but thrive in it and where they experience individual passions being negotiated and facilitated within community.

Matt Hern*, educator, author and public speaker, is the founder of the “Purple Thistle Centre”; a learning and resource centre in Vancouver, B.C. He describes the Vancouver centre in a way that can shed some light on the spirit, if not the specific vision, of what we are attempting to create in Saskatoon:

“The place is open most days and nights, there is always food available and it has a homey feel to it. We have some pretty good computer gear, run various classes and workshops …, help kids find employment and training spots, have a great schedule of activities and there is a convivial, busy energy throughout the week. We all have more ideas and projects in mind than we can reasonably act on. More than anything, we want to make it possible for kids to build their lives, act on their politics, travel, gain skills, find jobs, work in community and do it without school.” (Field Day: Getting Society Out of School, p. 213).

The Saskatoon centre would seek to establish this same spirit of openness, dynamic energy and ongoing commitment to the facilitation of our children’s initiatives.

*Matt Hern is editor of "Deschooling Our Lives" and author of "Field Day:Getting Society out of School. He holds a PhD in Urban Planning and writes and lectures widely.

Matt Hern was the keynote speaker at the Saskatoon conference:"The Third Celebration of Self-Directed Learning" (September 30th, 2006).

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