A grown-up returns to kindergarten in pursuit of learning and happiness
Sponsor
My goal is to raise an initial $5,000 for start-up expenses for the first three months of Reschool Yourself, then another $2,000 for the rest of the fall. Please consider investing $10, $20, $50, $100, or any other amount to help launch the project.
There are 3 ways to donate:
1) Click “Donate” to contribute to a specific line item, in any amount, directly through PayPal. Please note that PayPal will allow you to partially fund an item.
2) Buy tiles in $10 increments through Peer Dreams.
3) Contact me to send a check.
See below for the Top 5 Reasons to Help Fund Reschool Yourself. In addition, donors get:
- A thank-you in the sidebar on my site, which is averaging over 1,000 hits per month.
- Your name hyperlinked to your website, or a cause you support.
- My undying gratitude. I might even commission a statue in your honor one day.
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Phase 1, Part I: Revisiting the Past in the School Classroom
August to October 2008 (3 months) - Elementary & Middle School
Technology - $2,100
$1,500 - Laptop computer & insurance
$260 - Digital camera
$190 - Digital camcorder
$200 - Miscellaneous technology
Software, website maintenance
Education - $1,500
$1,250 - Conference fees - Complete! Thank you to Dr. Sally Stewart for her sponsorship.
$200 - Miscellaneous Education
Possible classes: web design, online community building
Miscellaneous Living Expenses - $1,400
Food, health, transportation, etc.
Phase 1, Part I Total Budget: $5,000
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Phase 1, Part II: Revisiting the Past in the School Classroom
November to December 2008 (2 months) - High School & College
Miscellaneous Technology - $200
Software, website maintenance
Miscellaneous Education - $400
Possible classes: personal finance, yoga, salsa dancing, construction
Miscellaneous Living Expenses - $1,400
Food, health, transportation, etc.
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Top 5 Reasons to Fund Reschool Yourself
5. Capture your interest.
Blog posts and videos may document me trying to beat the reigning spelling bee champ in my hometown, repairing a broken carburetor at my dad’s auto shop, or milking a cow in New Zealand. It’ll be educational comedy at its finest.
4. Learn vicariously.
You may be curious what it’s like to trace one’s education back to its beginnings, study meditation in a monastery, or live on an organic farm or kibbutz, but you aren’t in a position to do these things yourself. Now you can find out without leaving the comforts of your home and job. I’ll be sharing stories and how-to’s as I go along.
3. Learn how to reschool yourself on your terms, and connect with other lifelong learners.
If you feel held back by workaholism, worry, or stress, I’ll be confronting these issues in myself and hope to pass on tools and advice that help me. I’ll also be sharing my learning opportunities and how I found and structured them, so you might do something similar in your own community: take a workshop, study abroad, or find an apprenticeship. You can share stories and resources with other learners through the online community.
2. Help schools around the world offer a relevant, exciting curriculum.
In the fall, I’ll be spending time in my own schools. In the spring, I’ll visit schools in each country on my itinerary. As I travel from school to school, I plan to “pollinate,” sharing innovative educational practices from around the world. That way, instead of being limited to one school, the best ideas can spread and gain momentum. I would eventually like to work with American policy makers to give all youth voice and choice in their education.
1. Invest in a project that can grow into a significant vehicle for change.
Small start-up funds can leverage big growth. For example, in 2005, Spark – the nonprofit that I co-founded — received an initial grant of $3000 and reached 11 kids. In 2009, Spark will have a $1.4 million budget and will reach over 400 kids. Funds invested today in Reschool Yourself might later yield a book, a series of reschooling workshops for adults, or an organization.
Please help launch a project that could have a big impact on me, you, and other lifelong learners around the world.
Thank you!
About Reschool Yourself
Reschool Yourself is a year-long project in self-education and empowerment. This fall, to understand how school shaped my identity, and to recover my imagination and intuition, I'm returning to my childhood classrooms. In the spring, in order to explore innovations in education and broaden my knowledge, I'll visit schools and pursue learning opportunities around the globe. Throughout the year, I'll share my transformative experiences of "reschooling" through this website, in the hopes that readers of all ages will exchange their own.
— Melia Dicker
Flickr PhotoStream
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