Negotiating consent and navigating conflict in
self-directed learning communities
Wednesday 9 July, 7.30-9.30pm BST
Are you thinking about setting up a learning community? Or perhaps you run or work at a provision already. Our next webinar will interest you if you’re planning to offer a self-directed* learning environment. Come and meet Je'anna Clements, co-founder of the Rights-Centric Education Network and of Riverstone Village, a Sudbury-inspired self-directed learning community in South Africa.
In self-directed settings, everything rests on consent. Young people have full autonomy over their time and activities and we, as adults, support them rather than being in charge. But what does 'consent' truly mean when children are so used to pleasing adults? They might say 'yes' to our suggestions, but are they genuinely interested, or are they just tolerating what they're ‘supposed to want’?
This workshop offers practical insights around negotiating for real consent, instead of a compromised ‘oh, okay then, if it makes you happy’. How do we interact so that 'yes' is authentic, unlocking powerful motivation to learn and master skills? Getting this right is what frees us from the exhausting role of being 'edutainers', and ensures that education is optimised without relying on subtle forms of coercion.
Understanding the dynamics of consent also opens up powerful new options for dealing with conflict. Restorative justice can evolve even further, to become Transformative justice, making the world a happier place for all.
Best of all, once consent stops being murky, life can relax into being deliciously playful.
*By the way, that means these skills are also transformative for personal relationships, so even those with different models of education in mind are warmly welcome!
Please join Je'anna for an interactive workshop - with optional levels of participation - because your deep consent matters, too!
About Our Speaker
Je'anna Clements is a mother, writer and passionate advocate for children's rights. She is co-founder and facilitator of Riverstone Village, a Self-Directed Education (SDE) community in South Africa. With an Honours degree in Psychology, Je'anna went on to pursue self-education in SDE, becoming a specialist in the field. She offers international training and support for SDE facilitators and unschooling parents, focusing on empowering young people, including those with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA).
She is the author of several books, including "What if School Creates DYSlexia?", "Help, My Kid Hates School!" and the "Helping the Butterfly Hatch" series for SDE facilitators.
Je'anna has served as an Oversight Committee member at EUDEC (European Democratic Education Community), and co-founded Fhree.org and MyLifeMy.Education before becoming a Founding Member of the Rights-Centric Education network. With over 18 years of experience, Je'anna’s work reflects her commitment to helping others navigate and achieve best practice in the world of Self-Directed Education.
Event Format, Recording and Ticket Price
This event takes place online via Zoom at 7.30-9.30pm BST on Wednesday 11th July and will be run as a practical workshop with optional levels of participation.
If you have questions but can't make the date, you are still welcome to register for the event. Simply send your questions through to us at [email protected] and they will get asked in the session on your behalf. The recording will be sent to all registered participants as soon as possible after the live event.
This webinar is £20 for non-members, and FREE for members.
Become a Member and Attend for Free!
Join Us!
Would you like to join the Education Start-Ups membership community? Our membership offers:
Monthly expert webinars (like this one);
Monthly group coaching for peer support and collaborative problem solving;
Online platform for sharing resources/ideas and supporting each other between sessions.
Some extra bonuses too!
You can find out more at EducationStartUps.org/community.
Note to Members
If you are a member, you do not need to register for this event. You will automatically receive the Zoom link in your online community portal.
About Us
This webinar series is brought to you by Jo Symes at Progressive Education and Alex O’Neill from Limitless. We are education activists who have a shared passion for raising awareness of alternatives to mainstream school.
For the past couple of years Alex and Jo have been creating events and resources for start-ups, in response to the growing number of children and young people leaving mainstream education, and the urgency that parents/carers/educators feel to build new learning environments where young people can thrive.
Introducing Alex O’Neill
Alex is the driving force behind Limitless, an organisation dedicated to igniting social change with a special emphasis on revolutionising the education sector.
Through the Limitless podcast, she shares expert insights and neuroscience tips to empower changemakers to tackle the world's most pressing issues.
Alex is committed to uniting individuals who are driven to advance education and supporting them in overcoming obstacles that stand in their way.
Introducing Jo Symes
Jo is the founder of the social enterprise, Progressive Education. Her website is an inspiration hub for exploring alternatives to conventional schooling and campaigns to bring about change. She is building a global directory of jobs, events and progressive schools and learning communities.
It began with the launch of the Progressive Education Group on Facebook in 2019, which is an international community of over 10k parents/carers, educators, academics, researchers, psychologists, education innovators, changemakers and young people.
