Chelsea Thomas Profile :

Chelsea Thomas lives on the West Coast of Canada and is an unschooling mom of 4. She is completing her PhD (ABD) in Education at the University of Victoria and she regularly involves herself in advocacy projects within the university and community. Her most recent community based learning and healing projects include a community-school-university partnership project focused on integrating Indigenous ways of knowing and being into the BC K-12 science curriculum www.livinglabproject.ca and advocating for educational choice for families with www.welearnnaturally.com , an organization committed to advancing children's rights and youth allyship. Her doctoral research will focus on how Canadian families from a poverty-class heritage who have been historically excluded from equitable educational opportunities including home learning, perceive and describe their uncommon experience of unschooling in terms of both nurturing a sense of belonging and as a decolonizing approach to learning, education and life.

Erin Fleming Profile :

Erin Fleming is an unschooling mom of 3 near Toronto Canada. She has worked as a teacher in provincial public schools, developed self directed education programs in the private sector, and dedicates her time to projects related to helping families see the possibilities within education. She currently works as an unschooling and parenting coach. For Future School Leaders Chelsea and Erin will be sharing how intrinsically motivated learning is heavily dependent on the environment in which a learner finds themselves. If they are in an environment that is supportive and meets needs for safety, belonging, and freedom, the learner can experience an embodied, deeply meaningful experience. If they are in an environment that is not meeting some of their needs for safety, belonging, freedom, and choice, the learning will feel “outside” of them and the learning possibly less likely to be retained. As teachers, educators, and administrators, you play an important role in creating an environment for learners to flourish and experience the joy of embodied learning - the type of learning that leaves the individual feeling excited and passionate and eager for more. In this session Erin and Chelsea will walk you through the process of intrinsically motivated learning and how you can create an environment that is aligned with your values to support learners in their personal journey of learning and connection