Reschool Yourself

About the Project

If you could do your education over again, what would you do differently?

Reschool Yourself is my opportunity to answer this question during the upcoming academic year. By going back to school as a grown-up and following my curiosity around the globe, I aim to understand how school influenced my knowledge and identity, and begin to reeducate myself on my own terms. For the first time as a student, I will be able to decide what I want to learn and how I’d like to learn it: by reading a book, watching a documentary, or by apprenticing with knowledgeable people in my own network. By sharing my experiences through a blog and later in a book, I hope to encourage others to reshape their own learning and self-image at any age.

Phase 1: Revisiting the Past in the School Classroom
Who have I been until now, and how has my education shaped me?

From August to December 2008, I’ll revisit my old schools—from kindergarten to college—while they’re in session, triggering memories by doing whatever the kids do and sorting through old photos and journal entries. In order to understand how school influenced my beliefs about myself, I’ll explore classroom experiences that opened up opportunities for me, and others that narrowed what I thought was possible. In the process, I’ll begin “reschooling” myself, relearning the things that didn’t stick the first time and reevaluating what I think I already know. The project launched in the kindergarten classroom on the first day of school: August 20th, 2008.

Phase 2: Creating the Future in the Global Classroom
Who would I like to become, and how will I shape my continuing education?

From January through June 2009, I will travel within the country and internationally following my curiosity, filling in gaps in my knowledge, and pushing the limits that I’d previously placed on myself. I will structure these learning opportunities around empowering myself to be as self-sufficient as possible. I’ll update the site soon with more details.

During this school year, I expect to learn things that I never thought I could understand, such as car repair and computer programming; I’ll do things that I never thought I could do, like remodeling a house or sewing my own clothes. I plan to keep my travel itinerary somewhat flexible in order to pursue interests and opportunities as they arise.

In this blog, I’ll share the skills I learn along the way, from money management to designing websites, and stories about my experience of learning them. I’ll also map out how I found and structured each learning opportunity. I hope that readers will use the online community to exchange memories of school, knowledge, and resources of their own. Reschool Yourself is intended as both a personal journey and an example that regardless of your educational past, it’s never too late to reschool yourself.

For more details on the project, check out the FAQ section, and to sponsor the project launch, visit the Sponsor page.

Updated 10.28.08