What the Toronto Unschooling Conference Means to Me

When we started homeschooling in 2002 I didn’t know any other family in person who had chosen this educational path, let alone unschooling. Looking to connect face-to-face with others who had chosen this lifestyle, we attended our first unschooling conference in South Carolina, USA in 2003. It was a bit of a drive from Ontario, Canada but the sense of community we found there was wonderful. No longer theoretical, unschooling families existed and we touched them.

After a few years of personal unschooling experience and of attending Kelly Lovejoy’s US-based Live and Learn conferences, I wanted to create this kind of gathering and supportive environment north of the border. When the topic of homeschooling comes up, (as it often does in social situations, invariably in some form of “What grade is your child in?”) unschoolers can be left feeling defensive of their family’s lifestyle and learning choices. With the Toronto Unschooling Conference (TUC) I wanted attendees to spend time surrounded by like-minded families while exploring and learning more about unschooling. I wanted to create a place where families could feel a sense of comfort and expansion, of growth. A place to live unschooling. The first TUC was held in 2006.

As many unschoolers have found within their own families, the best learning happens when people are relaxed, open, interested, and engaged. At TUC I strive to create a rich and stimulating environment where families can have fun together and learn more about unschooling. Much of the learning is in the living, in seeing other unschooling families in action, in spending time with their own family in a relaxed and supportive environment. The conference group activities are consciously chosen with the full age range of families in mind: camp fire, talent show, potluck meal, afternoon picnic etc.

For a deeper examination of unschooling there are talks and discussions spread throughout the weekend. In the talks unschooling ideas are explored in-depth by experienced unschoolers. At TUC the speakers are always unschoolers themselves, sharing their own experiences and ideas. Though there are a growing number of experts in various fields, including education, that understand and support unschooling, I think that relying on expert opinions to support our choices is often a detrimental shortcut to our long-term understanding of a subject, any subject. Many times when a question arises we find ourselves turning back to the expert for the answer, instead of taking the time and effort to understand a topic deeply enough to be able to contemplate the latest situation and arrive at a path forward ourselves. With TUC I do my best to create an environment that enables attendees explore this deeper level of understanding of unschooling.

One of the things I love about the conference talks is the depth of insight and clarity the speakers reach. Taking advantage of lots of preparation and writing time they delve intensely into their topic - an unschooling topic chosen by them as an idea they feel passionately about and wish to share with others on their unschooling journey. I am always amazed at the wisdom shared and how core concepts of unschooling weave throughout the talks each year, even as the topics themselves seem so diverse.

The talks are followed by group discussions, where everyone is free to share and question. Over the years I’ve found that the combination of talk followed by discussion creates a terrific learning environment for the participants. The talks engage and challenge them with unschooling ideas, churning up thoughts and questions which are then addressed and expanded upon in the open discussion.

It may sound like a school-ish environment but it’s very different in a couple of key ways: It’s not compulsory and it’s welcoming of all ages. It’s not even frowned upon if anyone chooses to skip any or all of the talks in favour of a funshop, or a hike around the property with their family, or to take a nap. In the talks and discussions you’ll find younger kids playing quietly in the back of the room, on their own or with their parents, older kids listening alongside the adults, participating if they feel drawn. All ages are welcomed and respected. Adults and children alike will come and go as needed, without stigma, and without creating a fuss or unduly disturbing the speaker or the other attendees. There isn’t often a need for the kids to loudly interrupt because they know and trust their parents will attend to them immediately; and there isn’t a need for the parents to act apologetic or frustrated because they won’t feel judged by those around them. Everyone’s needs are met and respected and the flow is beautiful to observe. The child is heard and returns to their activity, maybe with, maybe without, their parent; or the parent leaves, checks in with their child, and returns; or the parent listens to the talks and discussions while colouring with their child, or playing with stickers, or while their child sits on their lap and plays their handheld video game. The approach to the situation and the process to address any issues is unique to each family, considerate of the personalities involved.

The funshops are workshops for all ages, with the goal of sharing fun activities with others. Maybe a child hosts a beading funshop to share their passion for creating bead animals; maybe a parent hosts a balloon hat funshop to share her joy in creating exotic hats that make kids light up. Unschooling parents often immerse themselves alongside their children in fun activities: Sharing the joy and the learning.

So what does the conference mean to me? It means the chance to create an environment where unschooling families can enjoy each others’ company and learn more about unschooling, whether they are considering a move to unschooling, have recently begun the journey and are discovering how all-encompassing this lifestyle can be, or have years of experience. It means a chance to share the unschooling experiences of my own family, those of the speakers, and of the participants. I know it meant a lot to me to mingle with other unschoolers face-to-face when I first started, it still does, and I’m excited each year to create that opportunity for others.

If you're interested in finding out more about the conference, feel free to check out the website: Toronto Unschooling Conference. Next year's gathering will be September 9-11 at the wonderful Ecology Retreat Centre in Orangeville, Ontario.