Communities in Action

Self-directed learning centers are kind of like schools, in the sense that they bring young people together in a physical space to learn, but they’re also nothing like schools, because there’s no curriculum or set schedule to follow. While every self-directed education center is different, typically the adults present are called “facilitators” (not “teachers”)—their role is primarily to partner with young people, who have agency over what and how they want to learn on any given day. Many self-directed education centers offer scholarships or sliding scales to accommodate families from all backgrounds.

Co-ops bring families and young people together to share the learning journey. This is a great way to build community, make friends, and learn from one another’s expertise and experiences (and also give parents time and space to work on other projects). Parents or guardians are typically involved to some degree in the co-op experience, acting as facilitators in young people’s learning journeys.

Group field trips or park meetups happen often, and typically organically, in the self-directed education community. The key here is connecting with others in your area to find out who else is unschooling—this can happen on Facebook, word of mouth, NextDoor, or through your network. It can start simply by joining forces with one other family for a trip to a zoo, and then turn into a weekly meetup where other families start attending. If you can’t find something like this in your community, start it!

Hear unschoolers talk about the importance of community in self-directed learning.