Leadership Programs

Spring Retreat, May 2010, Ashland OR

Why Leadership?

Unschooling gives you the incredible opportunity to follow your dreams. But doing this is not always easy. Whether you face a lack of money, isolated home life, repeating cycles of boredom and negativity, or low inspiration, the challenges can seem overwhelming. The Unschool Adventures leadership programs exist to help you break through these barriers, start working on your biggest dreams, and make full use of your freedom as an unschooler.

We won't try to turn you into a CEO or a happy-thoughts-obsessed automaton. We will give you real tools for dealing with the adult world, lots of growth opportunities, and a supportive community. And we'll have a lot of fun :)

Our programs take inspiration from unschoolers like these:

Jenny Bowen

created an internship at age 15 at the exotic animal clinic in her hometown of Wichita, Kansas. Working one-on-one with the veterinarian, she dissected euthanized animals, shadowed operations, and scheduled appointments with clients. The vet soon gave Jenny the keys to the clinic and a weekly paycheck. (Jenny is currently a pre-veterinary biology major at Wichita State University and an avid long-distance biker.)

 

Jonah Meyer

walked into a chemistry class at the University of Massachusetts and asked the professor if he (age 15) could sit-in on the course for free. Delighted to have a student attending his course out of pure interest, the professor let Jonah participate in all class activities and tests. The professor later wrote Jonah a letter of recommendation that let him enroll in a more advanced chemistry class without the regular prerequisites. They remain friends, and Jonah can ask the professor any questions about chemistry that he wants.

 

Jane Burleigh

got a job teaching ecology on a tall ship in the Puget Sound at age 18--a position typically reserved for college graduates. Leaving high school in San Diego two years earlier, Jane took two semesters of college biology courses, interned at the San Diego Zoo, and volunteered at a wildlife rehabilitation center. Thanks to these earlier experiences, Jane impressed her employer and got the tall ship job despite her young age.

 

Whether your interest is animals, chemistry, tall ships, or anything else in our big fascinating world, the Unschool Adventures leadership programs give you the tools to find your own version of success.

Previous Leadership Students say...

"Since the retreat, I decided to go to college. Remember how I was telling you about how my mom was sort of pushing me into it? Well, when I got back home from Ashland, I had to ignore what she was saying and ask myself what I wanted to do. And, surprisingly, after also ignoring all of my teenage rebelliousness towards my mom's opinion, I found that what I wanted to do was go to college. [...] I applied to Chatham University here in Pittsburgh, and I'm attending this fall. I got several scholarships and grants.

I reflected for a while on the retreat and everything that I got out of it, and also on who I was and what I wanted before spending those six weeks in Ashland. I don't think I would be so ready to go to college if not for your retreat, nor would I be nearly as undaunted by the future as I am now. The world doesn't look like a vastly terrifying place full of creepy people... Would I have explored that territory if you hadn't given me and everyone else that push? Probably not, at least not for a while. Not to mention my self-motivation has increased very noticeably. I still find myself making lists and outlines of my goals, to this day.

Mostly though, I feel less like an ignorant kid who has no idea what she wants, and more like an actual person pursuing her goals. I feel safer in my choices, because like you've talked about many times, my goals are actual goals, and not just vague ideas of what I kinda want to do. [...] Thank you for helping me realize that it's absolutely possible to create my own life."

- Amber N. (Fall Retreat 2010)

"This has been a great experience--better than I could have ever imagined. Going into the trip I didn't really expect it to be that beneficial for me. I didn't think I would be able to come up with apprenticeships that I would be interested in doing, and I didn't have much motivation to try to come up with anything. But when I got to the retreat, the inspiration started forming. The motivation came and I had all of these ideas of what I wanted to do. The staff pushed us just the right amount and gave us so much support. This has been a life changing experience. "

- Bekka Z. (Spring Retreat 2010)

"Wonderful experience! Life changing, skill building, and friend making time. I will definitely be coming on another one of these retreats in the future. I feel I have the tools now to make my dreams come true and to accomplish my goals."

- Josh B. (Spring Retreat 2010)

From a leadership program parent:
"After the retreat, Amanda became completely comfortable with her decision to leave high school. She learned to see opportunities for success that are available to her by avenues other than what 'the system' says are available to her and the confidence to go for it." (Spring Retreat 2010)

Fellow Travelers

To learn more about our leadership style, browse the following articles, links, and testimonials from these fellow travelers in the world of self-directed learning and entrepreneurship.

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