Cedar Hill Open Learning
City: Surrey
Province/Territory: British Columbia
Postal Code: V3X 2S3
Country: Canada
Description
Human beings are learning creatures. We don’t have to persuade babies to be curious and to seek competence and understanding. The same can be true at any age. Rather than trying to motivate or control young people, we support their basic human drive to learn and grow. Where obstacles – internal or external – might get in the way of this intrinsic drive, we focus on supporting community members (of all ages) to overcome these obstacles.
Our vision is based upon the belief that children’s natural curiosity and vitality should guide their learning experiences, which may take many different forms. We believe that personalized, self-directed, democratic learning environments, where children and adults might have different roles but, in the end, have equal say, affords the optimal opportunity for children to learn and to thrive both as individuals and as members of their communities.
We do not aim to produce specific types of young people, with specific, assessed skills or knowledge, but aim to provide an environment in which young people can define who they are and what they want to be…
SDE Optimizing Conditions
- Responsibility – When an individual is allowed to direct their own learning, they are able to follow their passions and learn on a deeper level. There is no deadline to our learning or to learn any specific skill by a particular age. Learning is a lifelong process.
- Youth Autonomy – Play is a hugely important element of child development. A child who is allowed to play at will develops strong communication and problem solving skills, learns to set and achieve goals, and learns how to relate to their world.
- Access to Tools and Technology – During their time here, children are free to follow their own interests. They are welcome to participate in (or organize their own) games, arts, drama, building, woodworking, music, science, growing… and whatever else they can dream up!
- Adult Allies – A free education is one that is entirely directed by the individual. We have no compulsory curriculum, no mandatory lessons, no assignments and no grades. All academic work is optional and will only be completed when and how the individual chooses.
- Free Age Mixing – Yes!
- Community – Children will be free to do as they wish with their time, within the confines of the community's safety rules and the code of conduct, which will be democratically created and kept up to date by the learning community.
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