Stephanie Kozak on Rethinking Education, Being an Advocate for Kids, and More

Stephanie Kozak left work with the school board after facing frustration time and again with how children were treated, especially those children given labels and sectioned off into "special education." She began her own school instead of trying to fight through a web of systems. Her creativity has brought about a beautiful learning space for children that centers on three principles: 1) Always be truthful, 2) Always be respectful, and 3) Always be kind.

Stephanie shares some advice on re-imagining what education can be for children, how parents can let go of the fear of following a particular structure (especially if they are new to homeschooling), how a day's learning can be adapted to the children's state of being; and she shares great tips on how to help with children's mental well-being, including listening openly to them; how to be an advocate for children; and finally, her new project, Alternative Path.

Alternative Path is a website Stephanie is developing that can be a hub for alternative education providers, seekers, and mentors.
It is composed of three parts:
1)Learning My Way: for anyone who currently runs an alternative education school or pods
2)Learning on the Fly: education A La Carte, like book clubs, cooking classes, playground meet-ups, homeschooling groups, etc.
3) Learning As We Go: mentorships, resources for educators, support teams, etc.

This project is for all of Canada.

If you are an educator and would like to be part of the Alternative Path, please email [email protected].

We are the community. We are the change.