Sudbury-Style Education in Central Connecticut
by Holly McHaelen
All children are
naturally curious and love to learn! But conventional schools
undermine children's self-knowledge, self-confidence and
self-expression. The mainstays of conventional schooling--
force/coercion, tests, grades, rewards/penalties and a
"one-size-fits-all" curriculum-- can virtually destroy the joy of
learning for a young person. Real education is about
nurturing children's passion for exploring and understanding themselves and
their world!
When young people are afforded the freedom and responsibility to create their own education in a democratic environment, when they and their choices are respected and trusted, when their curiosity is supported, and when their learning is 100% self-directed, then their competence, confidence and independence develop naturally.
It's time such an educational environment existed in central CT, as it does in many other areas! That's the motivation behind a group of founders who are starting the Mountain Laurel Sudbury School. If the idea of education that truly empowers young people resonates for you, I invite you to join us in creating an extraordinary democratic "unschool" in central CT.
Our passion is not for students acquiring specific skills. Our passion is for students running their lives. --paraphrased from Starting a Sudbury School by Dan Greenberg and Mimsy Sadofsky
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