19th of March 2022 |
9.00 - 14.30 (GMT) |
Zoom |
Free |
How does it work
We are celebrating Summerhill centenary with a Living Library that will offer you the chance to extend your definition of how Self-Directed Education "feels" like.
In this Living Library the books are people sharing, with vulnerability and authenticity, parts of their SDE life journey. A person who wants to join the event will have the chance to become a reader and take a book loan from a librarian. The readers of the book get the chance to communicate for 40 minutes, in a breakout room with no more than 17 people. The smaller the groups, the deeper the conversation. No book reading will be recorded, privacy is part of the deal.
Self-Directed Education is a new concept for many people from the majority of the countries and, in different situations, people involved in it receive usually many questions, they face misunderstanding, labelling or even discrimination. You may know about Self-Directed Education or you may be 100% new to the concept. In this event you will be able to interact with a few stories that may help you deepen your understanding about Self-Directed Education.
You can choose to interact with people who learn, facilitate or manage SDE spaces and more specifically, Summerhill School. You can talk with parents, facilitators, managers, founders and students of Summerhill & Friends.
So, let's take a look at these things:
What's a book: a volunteer willing to share stories and experiences as an SDE-er; Among the books we have in this event: a parent/ teacher/ facilitator/ student/ learner/ manager/ director/ dreamer/ founder;
What's a reader: a person interested in understanding different SDE perspectives; a person curious about Summerhill School; a person who considers SDE an option for their child/ themselves; a person who thinks SDE is not real education; a person who enrols as a reader in this Library.
What's a librarian: a person supporting you understand what books you can choose; what books you selected; how to get into a dedicated breakout room; a person helping you connect with people who will contribute to unlearning stereotypes;
What's a dictionary: a person that helps a reader to understand the book (if the book is not able or wish to speak in English); a person who helps the book understand the reader; a person who helps create understanding, not just language translation;
How does it work: you apply to become a reader (write your name, email address, select the books you want to read, make offerings on your own); on March 19th, between 8.30 and 8.59 am GMT (UK time) you join the zoom link (that you will find in your email after registration). You join each session (starting with the Welcome & Introduction, continuing with the reading sessions, then joining the open space breakout rooms topics offered by the participants (in their enrolment form), you reflect and say goodbye. With time you will know a bit more about how SDE feels for some people.
How can you join: scroll down and complete the enrolment form till Friday, March 17th, 23.59 GMT (UK time). Read the email that you will receive in 1-2 days after enrolment and join the event, for free, but with curiosity and respect.
In this Living Library the books are people sharing, with vulnerability and authenticity, parts of their SDE life journey. A person who wants to join the event will have the chance to become a reader and take a book loan from a librarian. The readers of the book get the chance to communicate for 40 minutes, in a breakout room with no more than 17 people. The smaller the groups, the deeper the conversation. No book reading will be recorded, privacy is part of the deal.
Self-Directed Education is a new concept for many people from the majority of the countries and, in different situations, people involved in it receive usually many questions, they face misunderstanding, labelling or even discrimination. You may know about Self-Directed Education or you may be 100% new to the concept. In this event you will be able to interact with a few stories that may help you deepen your understanding about Self-Directed Education.
You can choose to interact with people who learn, facilitate or manage SDE spaces and more specifically, Summerhill School. You can talk with parents, facilitators, managers, founders and students of Summerhill & Friends.
So, let's take a look at these things:
What's a book: a volunteer willing to share stories and experiences as an SDE-er; Among the books we have in this event: a parent/ teacher/ facilitator/ student/ learner/ manager/ director/ dreamer/ founder;
What's a reader: a person interested in understanding different SDE perspectives; a person curious about Summerhill School; a person who considers SDE an option for their child/ themselves; a person who thinks SDE is not real education; a person who enrols as a reader in this Library.
What's a librarian: a person supporting you understand what books you can choose; what books you selected; how to get into a dedicated breakout room; a person helping you connect with people who will contribute to unlearning stereotypes;
What's a dictionary: a person that helps a reader to understand the book (if the book is not able or wish to speak in English); a person who helps the book understand the reader; a person who helps create understanding, not just language translation;
How does it work: you apply to become a reader (write your name, email address, select the books you want to read, make offerings on your own); on March 19th, between 8.30 and 8.59 am GMT (UK time) you join the zoom link (that you will find in your email after registration). You join each session (starting with the Welcome & Introduction, continuing with the reading sessions, then joining the open space breakout rooms topics offered by the participants (in their enrolment form), you reflect and say goodbye. With time you will know a bit more about how SDE feels for some people.
How can you join: scroll down and complete the enrolment form till Friday, March 17th, 23.59 GMT (UK time). Read the email that you will receive in 1-2 days after enrolment and join the event, for free, but with curiosity and respect.
Schedule
Our books
"Why I chose to Home Educate" Bev Adams
"When my second child started state school at the age of 4 I started to ask a lot of questions about education. My discoveries began my home education journey."
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"Barefoot in November" Zoё Neill Readhead
"I could read a short chapter about equality from my new book, Barefoot in November and then open it for discussion. I know that I have slightly more blunt views to many others about how we create more equality, especially among men and women, so this might be interesting."
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"Autistic mom, autistic daughter" Electra K.
"As an undiagnosed autistic girl, school was torture to me. I was a good student but I couldn't fit with my classmates, I didn't have the social skills needed to be part of the group and I spent most of the time alone and/or bullied. When I first starting thinking of having children, I knew that I'd do everything I could for them not to go through the same."
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"Free Student" Paula Urban
"I used to go to a free democratic school and spend my days pretty much doing whatever I wanted to and I will be talking about what that was like for me (spoiler: it was pretty great). Now I go to a public state school and it's so very different, and honestly unnecessarily mean. I have and keep wondering why school just can't be fun. "
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"Outsider in a Community"
"I am a mother to three Summerhillian children of whom two have been boarding since a young age. I’ll talk about my journey of letting go, and how a school can heal childhood trauma wounds for a whole family."
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"If someone would listen" Nadia Al-Sagban
"Studied human rights because I loved to fight (or this is what people told me when I was a kid). While still a student, I decided to co-found a school with human rights in mind. We are in our 5th year of self-directedness and still learn how to have a space where children are listened to, no matter of their age or the topic that they chose to get into."
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"The path to youth rights" Alexander Khost
"This is a story of discovering that Self-Directed Education is not about education, but about all components of society and liberating young people. This is my personal story that started with a conventional upbringing to thinking that this was about giving children choices in education. Started with A.S.Neill's book and led me to raise my children as free people and create spaces where youth are seen, heard, respected and supported."
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"A centenary and beyond!…" Henry Readhead
"100 years of Summerhill School and A.S.Neill’s educational philosophy in practice. What does this mean for the future of humanity?
I am a grandson of A.S.Neill and have been part of the Summerhill School community for 41 years through many different capacities: student, teacher, international ambassador and Deputy Head." |
"An idea that became a desire, an interest that became motivation and an action that became learning" Lenia Versi
"Can a typewriter inspire children to act and become interested in learning?
“Let’s make a boat!” What can an idea lead to? On the Greek island of Andros, a self-organised group has brought together all the unique ways of thinking and learning. Curious children ask questions, search for, explore the unknown… Shining eyes and heads on fire… Children and grown-ups together travel on the path of knowledge. Where learning is joy. Where life becomes a poem and fulfils itself. My name is Lenia Versi. When I was young, I was one of those children who followed the thinking of grown-ups and hence endangered my own. I experienced a lack of freedom to make my voice, feelings and thoughts heard. As a result, I begun dreaming of the possibility of a different and better childhood and became highly motivated to find out how this is possible. I became a teacher and found the way to do it! I am now making it happen…" |
"Auld Lang Syne; a life seeded at Summerhill." Nathan Clutterbuck
"Front drive, Poc, Gram, Big Beach, Picture Committee, Beaston, Hocky Field, French Windows, San, Meeting, Neill's Tree, New Pair, Carriages, Murder Game, E.O.T.
Pick a word and let's discuss what they mean to a life before and after Auld Lang Syne (the leavers song). I am Nathan, ex-Summerhillian and brother to Jacob and Hester Clutterbuck. Our combined years at Summerhill could buy us a discount. I'm a Graphic Designer and Stage Manager living in East London, where I work with my K9 friend Parker. " |
"Aged working-class anarchist dancing activist" Ian Cunningham
"The existing schooling approach has to go. I am part of a subversive movement where we create learning communities instead of schools. Summerhill has provided one model of how education should support freedom - 99% of schools undermine freedom and need to be dismantled. They are one of the main causes of the problems that face the world today."
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"Science Teacher - Summerhill School"
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"Member of an intercultural pedagogical project in Lesvos" Konstantina Papaioannidou
"What do I learn by living my everyday life with young children from different cultural backgrounds? What impact do the principles of outdoor learning, freedom of choice , self-regulation, free play have in our development? The formation of a community in an environment with these kind of characteristics is just a dream or it can become my reality?"
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Become a reader in the library
You can attend this event for free, but a registration is required.
The registration form will be available from March 10th to March 17th. After submitting your registration form you will receive an email from the organising team with the details of the event and event etiquette recommendations.
The registration form will be available from March 10th to March 17th. After submitting your registration form you will receive an email from the organising team with the details of the event and event etiquette recommendations.
Event organised by
Green School Romania
Green School is a Self-Directed Education center focusing on natural learning hosting learning opportunities for people aged 3+.
We host an agile kindergarten and school, an animation centre and a training centre. Green School is an Agile Learning Center (ALC) recognised by the World Agile Learning Center Network and, starting 2022, is hosting a Flying Squad for children age 5-11 years old. Self-Directed Education and Nature-Based Education are not yet legally recognised models in Romania, but we contribute to change this through research, advocacy and persistence. |
Summerhill Festival of Childhood
5-10 August 2022: The Summerhill Festival of childhood is a community and family-friendly event, that will bring together many exciting projects, collaborations, workshops, presentations and performances based on art, music, theatre, dance, craft, educational and childrearing approaches, psychology, sustainability, community and children’s rights for thousands of participants. It will also have an international conference approach and will facilitate seminars, talks and focus group discussions.
Celebrating 100 years of Summerhill School and the inspirations A.S.Neill has given the world. Celebrating childhood as a critical period of time for all of us and for the future of humanity. |
to celebrate
A.S.Neill’s Summerhill School
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"Summerhill School was founded in 1921 at a time when the rights of individuals were less respected than they are today. Children were beaten in most homes at some time or another and discipline was the key word in child rearing. Through its self-government and freedom it has struggled for more than eighty years against pressures to conform, in order to give children the right to decide for themselves. The school is now a thriving democratic community, showing that children learn to be self-confident, tolerant and considerate when they are given space to be themselves.Summerhill School is one of the most famous schools in the world, and has influenced educational practice in many schools and universities. The democratic schools movement is now blossoming internationally, with many schools far and wide being based upon the philosophy of A. S. Neill or inspired by reading his books."