Reschool Yourself

Sponsor

Thanks to generous support from people like you, I met my goal to raise $5,000 for start-up expenses for the first three months of Reschool Yourself. Your contributions funded all the tools I need to document my reschooling, including a computer, camera, and digital camcorder. You also funded the basic living expenses that allowed me to focus on spending time at the schools and sharing my experiences with you. Thank you for making this project possible!

My current goal is to raise $2,000 by December 31 that will let me focus on writing and preparing for the spring phase. Please consider investing $10, $20, $50, $100, or any other amount.

There are two simple 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 enter the amount you’d like to contribute.

2) Contact me to send a check.

Since the $5,000 launch goal was met, the Peer Dreams campaign is now closed. Thanks to those of you who bought tiles!

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

Phase 1, Part I Total Budget: $5,000 - Complete!

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Phase 1, Part II: Revisiting the Past in the School Classroom
November to December 2008 (2 months) - High School & College

Phase 1, Part II Total Budget: $2,000

Miscellaneous Technology - $100 - $20 Complete, $80 to go!

Software, website maintenance, etc.

Miscellaneous Education - $200

Books and materials, especially around writing and publishing

Miscellaneous Living Expenses - $1,700 - $520 Complete, $1,180 to go!

These funds for basic expenses will allow me to focus on writing about my school experience and developing the book proposal.

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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 building a house out of rubber tires in New Mexico. 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 destination 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!