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Frequently Asked Questions
The How, What, Where & Why of "Where a child's enthusiasm can change the world" How did a SelfDesign Learning Centre come to the Creston Valley? What is SelfDesign? What is the SelfDesign Creston Learning Centre? Why have a SelfDesign Creston Learning Centre? What is a Learning Consultant? What is a Learning Plan? What is a Mentor? What is the ‘ideal learner‘ for our program? How is the SelfDesign Creston Learning Centre Funded? What parent/family contributions are expected? Where is the SelfDesign Creston Learning Centre? Further information and suggested reading How did a SelfDesign learning centre come to the Creston Valley? A group of like minded parents came together looking for a holistic way to educate their children. They recognized that natural learning enhances both biological and social growth. After months of conversation and research with the SelfDesign Learning Center in Vancouver, it soon became apparent that its philosophies were a perfect fit, and that a similar program could help nurture authenticity and genius in their children. SelfDesign is a natural learning community developed in 1983 by Brent Cameron, PhD. We are a Ministry-certified Group 1 Distributed learning school. The program was honored in 2006 with the “Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence -- Certificate of Achievement.” The art and science of SelfDesign is aligned with many principles of Perennial Philosophy, Multiple Intelligences, Emotional Intelligence, Constructivist Learning, Positive Psychology and Neuro-Biological ("Brain-Based") Learning. The basis of this philosophy is that all children are born with a natural desire to learn and inherently follow that desire when encouraged and supported. Until recently, the name of the learning center was Wondertree, which has been running continuously since its conception 25 years ago. SelfDesign was born out of Wondertree as the methodology, and also defines the identity of the online portion of the learning community. What is the SelfDesign Creston Learning Centre? SD Creston is a child centered, educational home where children learn how to learn. They can discover multiple intelligences and develop a life-long love of learning. Why have a SelfDesign Creston Learning Centre? SD Creston offers parents another option for their children's education. It provides parents the opportunity to participate in their children's learning process.The world is a changing place and SelfDesign Learning Centers are designed to help children develop into responsible, self-motivated and productive adults. What is a Learning Consultant? A learning consultant is a BC-certified teacher who is given the opportunity to teach, learn and grow with the children. Teachers in this position have sought out the program as their preferred learning environment. For them it is not just a job, but rather a way to actively participate in the learning process. Providing individual attention is a priority. Learning Consultants want learners to feel challenged, enthusiastic and excited about learning. They work closely with parents and learners to develop a place where learning possibilities are plenty and achievable. What is a Learning Plan? This process involves a meeting between the learning consultant, learner and parents to develop goals for future learning. The learning plan meetings are held two or three times per year. Based on the learning plan, the consultant finds appropriate mentors, designs outings and creates learning activities individual to each child’s needs as well as general group interest. Learning plans are considered an ongoing process and are used as a guide for the child’s learning. This allows for changes as they develop, while providing personal fulfillment and academic excellence. What is a Mentor? At SD Creston we believe that children are an important part of all communities and that it does in fact take a village to raise a child. Mentors who are passionate about education and value children as individuals are sought out to share their expertise, passion and love of their ‘thing.’ Mentors can be parents who wish to share a talent or hobby (sculpting, experimental film, sewing, woodworking), or a volunteer from the community who want to share their passions with others. Furthermore, mentors are hired by the children for specific skills or abilities. What is the ‘ideal learner‘ for our program? First and foremost, it is important that families have a good understanding of our philosophy, and believe in the inherent right of the child to guide their own learning. We support all types of learners, and ideally this year’s learners will be aged 11-14. Often learners who are self-motivated, enthusiastic and responsible do well with SelfDesign. We believe that when a community of adults is supportive, committed and open to the child's learning needs and passions, then amazing learning unfolds naturally. How is the SelfDesign Creston Learning Centre Funded? SelfDesign exists to support and inspire enthusiasm-based, holistic learning. Funding is provided 50% by the Ministry of Education and 50% ($300.00 a month) coming from parents. What parent/family contributions are expected? Being an active and supportive role in the child's learning is the most important contribution. We invite family members to contribute 4 hours per month (or a total of 20 hours a year) of volunteer services. This volunteer commitment can be anything from tidying up, to managing recycling, to helping in the office! For every skill, there is a task at SelfDesign! Where is the SelfDesign Creston Learning Centre? We are located at 212 Stace Rd. (Between Creston and Wynndel).
Further information and suggested reading: Please visit our website at www.selfdesign.org. Brent Cameron and River Meyer’s book, SelfDesign: Nurturing Genius Through Natural Learning is available through our website or at your local library.
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