Using a pony passion to explore art to zoology while developing traits from patience to perseverance. Merging reading, writing, ‘rithmetic with riding. Exploring opportunities such as such as the 4H Horseless Horse Project if you don’t own a horse. Note: This general approach to passions and curriculum can be used with other passions as well.

How to move from reading, hearing, and thinking about the ideas behind “child-led learning” to taking the leap of faith and putting them into practice with your own family. Creating an environment where your child can either stop and smell the roses or excel at the speed of light. Speaker will discuss the joys and challenges of learning while we live using examples from her family. Also see D-1.

How does homeschooling (and especially unschooling) influence our role and responsibilities as parents? What kinds of decisions are appropriate for young people to make? When do less than ideal outcomes turn into good learning experiences and when do parents need to step in? Can parents set boundaries and still respect their children as individuated humans deserving of respect?

Time to look under the hood of unschooling. What makes it go? What makes it stop? What are the concepts at the personal level which make it a successful homeschooling modality? What do you pay attention to? What do you ignore? When do you step in? When do you step back? Is it true anything goes when you unschool?

How the presenters and their daughters (both lifelong unschoolers from two different families) navigated the application and transcript issues of college admission which resulted in being accepted and given financial aid by a selective college. How their unschooling experiences influenced their outstanding academic achievement in college.

For established unschooling families with at least one year’s experience. (For an introduction to unschooling, see “Exploring the Basic Ideas of Unschooling.”) How do parental guidance and direction continue to show themselves and allow for a peaceful coexistence with our kids? How might we as parents react when our children pursue topics we feel negatively about or did not expect? What can parents do to maintain a balance between the fear of external academic goals and the internal joy of unschooling? What about all that time the kids spend doing “nothing?”