We are a year-round, outdoor, all-weather, off-grid, screen-free, mixed-age self-directed learning community
It is our goal to become a Washington State Approved School, which will allow us to offer a full-time program.
In the meantime, we offer a variety of part-time options.
Self-directed education means that kids are free to follow their interests.
It means they have a real voice, and real choice, in their education, and what that looks like, and what they get to learn, at a pace that works for how their brain works.
They get to develop their inner genius.
They get to grow up as themselves, without the trauma of standardization.
Nothing could be more personalized and customized... except for unschooling at home. We are unschooling + community.
We're unschooling + community.
The community aspect of our center means that kids get to develop authentic peer relationships.
They work together to create the rules that they live by.
They get to discuss, deliberate, negotiate. As a result, they become incredibly articulate in a way that just doesn't happen for kids who grow up in other-directed schooling systems.
You might say that self-directed learning / democratic school is the perfect training in how to be a healthy, functioning, empathetic adult who is prepared to be a participating member of a democracy where regular people matter.
Don't we want that?
Compare this to the standard sit down & shut up model of schooling that most of us went to, which definitely did not give us the lived experience of what its like, and what it means, to work together with others to create something that works for everyone who is a part of it.
Which country has not ratified the Convention on the Rights of a Child, which upholds children's rights, including the right to play?
Answer
The United States of America.
"Until [2015], the United States was one of three countries — the other two being Somalia and South Sudan — that had failed to ratify the CRC. And while it was embarrassing enough to be in this limited company, this year, our fellow outliers ratified the convention. So now we’re completely on our own."
Source: ACLU.org
The Spokane Learning Co-op is a member-run, member-centered learning community. Our Co-op is ideal for any student or families interested in cultivating truly happy, confident, self-directed young adults.
We provide diverse, self-directed learning experiences through innovative classes, dedicated mentors, and an autonomous, dynamic community.
The most valuable opportunity we offer members is the time and space to discover who they are. Members have time to be, to think, to talk, to play, to discover what they enjoy and appreciate. This is where the real beauty of self-directed education lies and where the most important learning usually takes place. They get to discover who they are now... instead of needing to go find themselves later.
Unlike conventional schools, Self Directed Education centers do not use coercion or manipulation tactics. We do not use any of the strategies that destroy intrinsic motivation: imposed curriculum, tests, or grades.
We prioritize mental health and an understanding of child development. That means that, unlike conventional schools, we don't force kids to do things that are developmentally absurd.
Staff act as mentors who help provide support and help to solve problems.
Members develop the skills and qualities necessary to become successful adults.
Let's give our kids everything they need to succeed. They are our future. They will be facing unprecedented decisions that we can't even imagine. They need nothing less than our very best.
We believe in consent everywhere in life... including education. Blake Boles, author of Why Are You Still Sending Your Kids to School?, explains it well in his video To Fix Education, Make it Consensual.
We believe in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Article 12 states that children have a right to have a say on matters which affect them. This includes being able to make informed decisions regarding their education.
Consensual education most appropriately meets the needs of the learner, the community, and society. It does this through developing reflective individuals who are collaborative problem-solvers and creative flexible thinkers.
We believe that this is just what our world of constant political turmoil and emergent technologies needs.
The basis of a consensual, democratic education is in certain rights, which we define as follows (based on the 2005 Resolution of the 13th International Democratic Education Conference (IDEC), Berlin, Germany):
In any educational institution, students have the right
to make their own choices regarding learning and all other areas of everyday life. In particular, they may individually determine what to do, when, where, how and with whom, so long as their decisions do not infringe on the liberty of others to do the same.
to have an equal share in the decision making as to how their organizations – in particular their schools – are run, and which rules and sanctions, if any, are necessary.
Self-directed learning communities like the Spokane Learning Co-op all share the following elements:
Firm foundations in a values culture of equality and shared responsibility. Respect breeds respect. Trust breeds trust. Compassion breeds compassion. Tolerance breeds tolerance. Listening breeds listening.
Collective decision-making where all members of the community, regardless of age or status, have an equal say over significant decisions such as school rules, curricula, projects, and even the hiring of staff.
Self-directed discovery: Learners choose what they learn, when, how and with whom they learn it. Learning can happen inside or outside of the classroom, through play as well as conventional study. The key is that the learning is following the students intrinsic motivation and pursuing their interests.
Autonomy means having the freedom to make decisions.
Young people understand how little say they often have in their lives. When they come to the Co-op and are given more freedom than ever before, it's like a burst of energy that transforms them. Many young people seem to rediscover their enthusiasm for life.
At the Co-op, they're not left to figure out their newfound independence alone. They work with a caring staff mentor who guides them in understanding and using their new freedom wisely.
While it takes more than independence to grow up well, we see it as a crucial factor for young peoples' well-being, including socially, emotionally, and academically
Members are given a great deal of responsibility for running the co-op as well as over their individual pursuits. They create and carry out co-op rules, dealing with issues that arise, and more. Staff act as mentors or advisers who help provide support and help to solve problems.
Unlike our government, with its representative democracy, and unlike a direct democracy, which typically means a competitive us vs. them mentality where one group "wins" and the other is unhappy, sociocracy seeks to find a third way -- neither "our way" or "their way," but a nuanced decision that everyone can agree to live with and uphold.
In our Co-op, sociocracy is both a matter of principle and a source of endless learning opportunities. Sociocratic values are integrated with the foundation of the center in order to promote understanding of justice, mutual respect, trust, responsibility, and self-determination within a community of equals.
Watch this documentary trailer on sociocratic schools in the Netherlands called School Circles.
We truly value learning that comes from within and is driven by our members' own motivation. At the Co-op, we strongly believe that everyone, including our staff and students, is continually learning and sharing knowledge. We often switch roles between being a mentor, learner, and even a teacher.
We love when students express interest in leading activities, classes, or bigger programs for their peers. This opportunity for our members to take the lead holds enormous potential for fostering strong connections among peers. It's not just about the activities themselves; it's a chance for personal growth and enhancement while engaging with others in a positive way.
“So many of the things that we care about are completely learned through the creative process,” Ginsberg said. When kids are allowed free time to play, they learn how to work in groups, negotiate, share, self-advocate, and make decisions."
Click here to read the full post on Mind/Shift about the importance of play.
Every young person will need to learn how to make decisions for themselves…
the only question is: when do they get to start practicing this skill?
Imagine a teenager handed a blank notebook and told: “You can learn whatever you want.” For some, it might feel like freedom. For others, it might feel like being set adrift. But either way, that moment — when you realize you are responsible for what you know — is inevitable.
The only question is when it arrives.
For most of modern history, education has followed a command-and-control model. Students are told what to learn, when to learn it, and how to prove they’ve learned it. The hidden message is clear: Trust the system. Wait your turn. We’ll tell you when you’re ready to think for yourself.
But here’s the truth: no matter how much we structure the path, life doesn’t follow syllabi. Whether someone goes to college, drops out, apprentices, or joins a startup, they eventually face the same cliff-edge: “What now?”
And that’s when the muscle of self-directed learning is tested. The only question is whether it has been exercised — or left to atrophy.
We often assume young people can’t be trusted with their own education. We fear they’ll waste time, miss fundamentals, or focus only on what’s easy. But that assumption says more about our system than it does about them.
Kids are naturally curious. Let them have a self-directed education, and they’ll fall down rabbit holes of astrophysics, game design, or beatboxing tutorials. Let them have a self-directed education, and they’ll learn logic, design, and social collaboration. But tell them they must memorize the Krebs cycle on command, and you’ll often kill the very thing we claim to nurture: intrinsic motivation.
The paradox is painful. We treat students like they can't steer the ship, but then expect them to captain it the moment they graduate.
Here’s the cost of delay: Every year that a young person waits for permission to self-direct, they become more dependent on external validation. More afraid of making the “wrong” choice. Less practiced at navigating ambiguity, managing time, or recovering from intellectual failure.
Eventually, life throws them into the deep end anyway — whether it’s starting a job, launching a company, raising a family, or facing a crisis that no curriculum ever covered.
Self-directed learning will be required. The tragedy is how long we make them wait to practice it.
Some worry that self-direction means abandoning structure. That’s a false dichotomy. The best self-directed learners aren’t anti-discipline — they just build it themselves. They create systems, deadlines, learning communities. They draft their own curricula. They ask better questions, not fewer.
What if our job as educators, parents, and mentors wasn’t to prescribe every step, but to cultivate the skills needed for navigating steps?
What if instead of waiting until someone is “old enough” to direct their own learning, we asked: “How soon can we equip them to start?”
The tools are here. Self-directed learning centers. Interest-based communities. Open-source curricula. Clubs. Online courses. Peer-to-peer learning circles. Podcasts. Forums. Access to knowledge has been democratized — what’s scarce now is permission. Cultural permission. Educational permission. Parental permission.
Many young people are ready. They’re hungry. They’re bored of worksheets and desperate for meaningful problems to solve. When given the chance, they rise — awkwardly and imperfectly at first, but authentically. And they only get better at it.
Self-directed learning isn’t a rebellion. It’s not a fad. It’s the future of how humans will need to learn, re-learn, and adapt for the rest of the 21st century.
Every young person will eventually need to become a self-directed learner. It’s not an “if,” it’s a “when.” The only variable is how long they’ll have to wait for the opportunity — and how much damage is done in the waiting.
What would happen if we stopped postponing autonomy?
What if we designed learning environments that trusted young people sooner — and taught them to trust themselves?
Maybe then, the cliff-edge wouldn’t be so terrifying.
Maybe they wouldn’t fall.
Maybe they’d already know how to fly.
Members at the Spokane Learning Co-op are in charge of their own education, which means balancing freedom and responsibility. Students are expected to sign in and out every day, do chores, participate in the weekly school meeting, be able to follow Co-op rules, and exist peaceably with the other members of the Co-op.
Many adults are surprised at how well most children, in this environment, rise to meet these expectations. We expect a transition period when a young person transfers to the Spokane Learning Co-op, and maintain open communication with families during this time, so that any issues with transitioning can be addressed.
However, as with any school, sometimes the Spokane Learning Co-op is not a good fit for a particular young person. Learn more about which children do best at similar learning environments.
We prioritize community building. We form authentic, mutually respectful relationships with each other. We recognize all behavior is communication.
The kids create their own rules, together. Children do not make theoretical rules; their rules are based on real situations that they have experienced and would like to see changed.
At our Rules Meetings, we sit in a circle and, once by one, say how we want to be treated here. We engage in a collaborative discussion to turn these requests into rules that make sense. We practice sociocratic consent -- a rule is approved if no one has a reason to object to it. Children as young as four have actively participated in our process.
We have noticed that the longer a child has been a member of the Coop, the more thoughtful and nuanced their ability to make rules becomes.
Many parents have expressed that they feel their kids are safer in this type of learning environment than in other environments. Thanks to our focus on community building, our young people have a low tolerance for perceived bullying and a high acceptance of others. While interpersonal conflicts are always going to arise, the day-to-day stresses of being in many conventional compulsory school settings are not there.
Members are also responsible for each other. Instead of letting another person get hurt, make a bad choice, break a rule, etc., they will intervene or get a staff member for help. However, we do encourage our members to play, climb, run, jump, skip, and scramble as much as they want. Bumps, bruises, and skinned knees are definitely possible.
Of course there are rules and boundaries. They are created by our Meeting and broadly fall into two categories - respect for others and respect for the Co-op building, grounds, and reputation.
Our school’s sociocratic approach ensures that issues which arise are handled by peers (members and staff members alike) in an open and fair way. Cooperation and understanding are reached when all members of the community work together to create an environment of trust and support.
To be clear, the Spokane Learning Co-op prioritizes (in descending order):
Safety. Safety is more important than anything.
Respect for Human Rights. Our center models respect for oneself and one's peers. Personal boundaries and property rights are strictly enforced.
Learning & Exploration. Unstructured play introduces and reinforces life lessons. Staff members are available as resources to all students.
All members must be able to function safely in our school environment and communicate well enough to understand and follow school rules.
Neurodiverse students (ADHD, autistic, learning differences) have been proven to thrive in such environments. However, we are not a therapeutic school, and do not have staff trained specifically in special needs. However, that does not mean those people are unwelcome.
You will not see the standard protocol of a conventional compulsory school; i.e. behavior plans, ARDS, IEP meetings, 504 meetings, OT, PT, etc. We accept students who have an IEP, but if they are not successful, with reasonable accommodations, they would not be able to stay in the program. We also do not have staff dedicated as aids for specific students.
If your child needs specific services or counseling, they will have to receive those services outside of our current staff. However, we have found that most students are capable of finding happiness and success within this type of environment.
We do not believe that young people are ever "behind" or "not succeeding" because how can anyone be behind in their own life? Each child is an individual, with individual gifts, talents, and weaknesses. We aim to foster an environment that encourages students to embrace themselves, just as they are, and build a life that makes them happy. With that pressure gone, students are given the freedom to find their own way, and do.
If you have questions about your child’s special needs, please contact us and we'd be happy to discuss whether our school would be a good fit for your family.
A parent's main job at the Spokane Learning Co-op is to be a resource for the students and to make sure the center is running appropriately, properly, and legally. Parents must pass a criminal background check.
Parents perform a diverse set of roles from supervising play, listening to students, guiding inquiry, cleaning the bathroom, mediating interpersonal issues, and otherwise serving in any way the kids need. We ask that parents to try not to intervene while kids are working out their conflict amongst themselves as we do not want to deprive them of these important learning experiences.
When it comes to matters of safety, we try to discern between Risk and Hazard. It is important for children to learn to navigate Risk: it is safer to learn how to navigate Risk than it is to not learn how to navigate Risk. We try to avoid intervening in cases of Risk. For example, a Risk might include a child carrying heavy tires to the top of our straw bale pyramid. We do want to intervene in cases of a true Hazard. For example, a Hazard might include a child who has taken off their shoes and is about to step on a nail.
Parents also work independently to improve the co-op. A common way parents do this is by sharing their experiences with other parents, both in-person and online in the local Facebook homeschooling groups. Your stories matter, and they help our community grow. Parents might also offer to help out in other ways, for example, donating or otherwise procuring things we need for the Co-op. Some examples include donating building supplies, craft supplies, books, and grocery staples. Helping out might also include picking up items from around town from Facebook Marketplace.
Unlike other local co-ops that require parents to teach a class, we do not. You are, however, free to offer an Offering. This is an activity, game, craft, etc., that you prepare in advance and offer to the group at the beginning of a session. There is no minimum or maximum requirement for the number of times you do this, or even if you do it at all. You do not have to sign up for a day to do this; you simply do it when you want to do it.
Unlike other local co-ops that require parents to sign a Statement of Faith, we do not. If you believe in Self Directed Education, you are welcome here. We just might be the most diverse and inclusive alternative education option in Spokane.
Unlike other local co-ops that require parents to stay on site the whole time, every time, regardless of your child's age, we provide more flexibility. If your child is under the age of 5, we ask you to stay on-site while your child is here. If your child is 5 or older, we ask that you stay on site for 25% of your child's enrolled hours. For example, if your child comes once a week, we ask you to stay once a month to help us fulfill adult:child ratios. Many parents have asked if they may stay on-site every time. The answer is yes. Your comfort and your child's comfort is important. You may stay for as long as it takes for you and your child to feel comfortable transitioning to a drop-off situation, if that is something you decide to do. You and your child are free to move at your own pace with this.
The Underground History of American Education, by John Tayle Gatto. This is the book that changed my life and got me down this rabbit hole back in 2009 while an architecture student at Harvard.
Dumbing Us Down, by John Tayle Gatto
Weapons of Mass Instruction, by John Tayle Gatto
Free to Learn, Peter Gray
Punished by Rewards, Alfie Kohn
Everywhere All the Time: A New Deschooling Reader, Matt Hern
Raising Free People, Akilah S. Richards
How Children Learn, by John Holt
How Children Fail, by John Holt
Learning All the Time, by John Holt
Teach Your Own, by John Holt
Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv
Changing Our Minds, Naomi Fisher
Why Are You Still Sending Your Kids to School, Blake Boles
College Without High School, Blake Boles
Just as there are no standard children, there is no standardized list of what all members learn. It would be impossible to come up with such a list for all members.
They will learn at their own pace the things that are relevant and interesting to them. These things are often signs of their own unique inner genius. We give them the time, space, materials, and support so that they can develop the thing they were born to do.
They will learn many other things too, often without even realizing it. Academic skills are learned as a natural by-product of pursuing their interests.
As a full-time Washington State Approved School, we will work with each member to meet all of the state requirements. Members who choose to complete the requirements will receive a diploma. Anyone who wants to go to college can go to college. Or perhaps your child would rather start a business, travel the world, or take on the biggest challenges facing the world today.
The structure of the Spokane Learning Co-op means that opportunities to learn how to live a successful life are build in. These abilities include:
communication skills
negotiation skills
Problem solving skills
respect for human rights
how to communicate productively with other people, even if you don't agree with them
empathy
conflict resolution
the sociocratic process for ensuring that all voices are heard
their ability to use their own agency and ability to affect the world around them
We provide an extensive variety of classes and workshops designed to help our members reach their goals. These classes take place in small groups, allowing for active participation and personalized attention.
We also embrace member's personal projects, where they dive into real-world issues, brainstorm solutions, choose a plan, and see it through to the finish. This approach helps them develop critical thinking, creativity, practical know-how, and, of course, problem-solving abilities.
Apart from our classes and activities, we also encourage independent studies and offer one-on-one tutoring whenever it's needed. We strive to support each member's unique learning journey to help them thrive academically and personally.
There really is no typical day at the Spokane Learning Co-op. We do have a general flow. All students participate in our morning meeting where we discuss events for the day or any important news for the entire school community. We have our Meeting once a week.
The rest depends on the individual person. Open discussion, reading, doing art, building, and making music are some common activities we've observed at similar educational centers. Sometimes members ask adults to teach specific lessons or courses.
For a younger member, their day may look like a lot of exuberant play, social skills development, and time for free exploration with some staff or peer-led classes or activities that have been requested by the members.
Sometimes our middle/high school-aged members like to have a schedule of activities and classes that meet each week (such as Book Club, Mythology, Theater, Dance, Science, etc), but often they enjoy the flexibility to pursue their own interests. However, the schedule is always flexible and always changing. If a class is a flop, we take it off the schedule and try something different. If members think another project or activity is more important at that moment than a particular class, they will work on that instead.
There is no requirement that a member attend all or any of the activities provided, so members may spend days working on an art project, practicing for a recital, or reading a really good book.
Children seek information when they are ready to learn it. When they come across situations where they need higher math skills they will acquire them.
Basic math skills are learned in everyday life, at school and at home. Things like using money, playing games, creating art, and reading the time, are all examples of using basic math daily. If "being taught" is the path to learning the student chooses, staff are capable and prepared to teach many different subjects at a student's request.
Check out this TED Talk from a conventional math teacher.
Natural Building
Cooking
Baking
Permaculture
Aquaculture
Gardening
Composting
Raising Chickens
Foraging
Camping
Hiking
Community Building
Restorative Justice
Way of Council
Girl Scouts & Boy Scouts
Entrepreneurship
Salon
Pecha Kucha
Philosophy
Chess
Book Club
Creative Writing
Novel Writing
Storytelling
Art
Sculpture
Ceramics
Drawing
Painting
Quilting
Weaving
Felting
Theatre
Music Lessons
Singing & Choir
Acting
Improvising
Open Mic
Comedy Writing
Playwriting
Scriptwriting
Reacting to the Past Live Action Role Play
Nordic LARP
Foreign Languages
Sign Language
Field Trips
Travel
Apprenticeships
Volunteering
Conventional schooling has given all of us a misunderstanding of the value of play in childhood by relegating it to a place of non-importance in the child's school day.
Nothing could be further from the truth or more harmful to child development.
At the Spokane Learning Co-op, we consider play to be an essential form of learning. Through play, children learn to express creativity, cope in social situations, learn about their interests and develop their sense of right and wrong, among many other skills. Here is a blog post on "Mind/Shift" about the importance of play.
Physically, children need to move, and current research indicates that they learn more when they are moving. Play almost always involves movement. It also involves an intensity and focus that are precursors to the same level of performance that children will show when they find passions and their career interests.
Watch this video on the real reason why children fidget.
Furthermore, creativity demands play. We play with ideas; managers play with new processes; scientists play with hypotheses and experiments; inventors play with new toys, vehicles, products; marketing professionals play with new slogans; and pioneers in all fields play with finding new ways.
Children learn all sorts of things from each other during play. Listen to a group of any age: they learn that there is more than one way to do something; they discuss politics from their family's perspective and hear how other families think; they dream about the future and share their dreams; they take charge one day and follow the next; they are honest with each other about their feelings; they examine the workings of machines; they hear about a friend witnessing her baby sister being born; they hatch a plan to protect their inventions; they help younger children with a project; they find a way no matter how long it takes... the list and the learning is endless.
Children also learn about society through their interaction with others in play. They learn the importance of rules and boundaries, the importance of working it out, the value of all members of the group. They develop skills in leadership, initiative, cooperation, responsibility, collaboration, fair play, compassion and justice.
Most importantly, they learn all of these things in the process. They learn in an experiential way because it is part of their play. That is very different than the focus of traditional schooling which believes that it is their job to teach these things, usually through manipulated activities or to 'please' the teacher. Children 'own' what they learn on their own and most children discard the majority of what is taught to them when they did not ask to be taught. (Teenagers, probably more so.)
We are thankful to Dr. Victoria Dunckley, author of Reset Your Child's Brain, for her guidance in this matter.
Dr. Dunckley was recently a guest on the podcast 1000 Hours Outside, where she described the damage screen time causes. Not only does screen time have deleterious effects on our eyes, mood, behavior, mental health, but they also contribute to misdiagnoses.
Because we prioritize children's mental health, we have made the decision to be screen-free and device-free.
We encourage you to listen to the full episode here: When Face-to-Screen Replaces Face-to-Face: Understanding the Impact of Screens on Kid's Health.
All kids are motivated. All children have a passion for learning and discovery. If your child doesn't exhibit motivation for learning, why might this be the case? What has his or her experience in "learning environments" been like? Has your child become accustomed to being led, directed, and bossed around by adults?
Unfortunately, most "learning environments" designed for kids these days are really just overly structured, adult-led activities during which the kids are expected to be more-or-less passive subjects. They are not allowed the freedom and trust required to truly develop their own passions and pursue their own curiosity.
At the Spokane Learning Co-op, kids have the freedom to pursue their own learning in whatever form appeals to them. For some kids, this freedom is an immediate call to action. For others, it takes more time. Boredom (in the absence of coercion) is the best way to cultivate self-reflection, followed by self-motivation.
We challenge all parents who hold this belief about their child(ren) to reconsider. Reflecting inward about your own experience as a child will help. As always, communicating openly with your child and asking about his or her experience may yield the best results.
We recognize that most of us did not grow up learning in-depth relational skills centered around peace and collaboration. To that end, we intentionally and regularly participate in courses, workshops, and circles designed to help us get better and better at having mutually healthy relationships with other people.
We offer three classes for all members: Non-Violent Communication, Alternatives to Violence, and Sociocratic Decision Making.
We ask that parents also take these classes to help them understand and uphold our goal of creating a peaceful culture that respects each person.
