7-DAY TRAINING FOR PARENTS
AND ADULTS SUPPORTING YOUTH

New opportunities to join us in 2024 for The Shift!

The Shift is a bilingual (English/Spanish) 7 day long Deschooling Intensive for parents, adults supporting youth, facilitators and folks who want to transform how to think about education, parenting & community.

If you want to gain more freedom in life and build equitable & consent-based relationships with others and with yourself - this training is for you!

Can you relate?

”I dislike society’s norms, but I don’t know how to step away from that kind of life.”

”I’m so done with arguing and fighting. I want to learn other ways.”

”Sometimes I feel like such a crappy partner/friend/parent.”

”I really want to offer my kids the freedom to learn, but I keep falling back into wanting to control them.”

”I feel that my kids and I are living a limited life. We should be free, but how do we get there?”

“I want to support self-directed learners, but I lack the confidence.”

“I feel lonely on the unconventional path I’ve chosen.”

We hear these things all the time! (We’ve even said them ourselves…)
We want to shift things in our life but feel stuck and disempowered, slipping into confusion, fear and control.
What you really need is a shift in perspective, tools and support.

We are here to help you.

What is deschooling?
When we use the word deschooling, we’re referring to the process of change that comes from walking away from systems that are limiting and harmful.

Why is it important?
As our world changes, we are being asked to change with it. It can feel difficult to move away from societal systems that are limiting and harmful, especially if it feels like you’re doing that work alone.

We believe that such change can be internalized more easily with practice and support. We created this training to allow participants and facilitators to work together to look within and clarify our beliefs, values, and purpose and how our behaviors can better align with them.

By questioning the limitations of our society and fear-based beliefs and developing tools to reclaim our innate potential, we can build relationships based on equity, authenticity and choice and in doing so we set out on a new path towards radical learning and freedom.

THIS TRAINING IS FOR YOU IF YOU WANT TO:

End power struggles and transform your relationships (kids & adults alike).
Understand how oppression shows up in your life and develop tools to live more freely.
Learn to build consent-based, trusting and authentic relationships.
Release fear of what others think of your parenting and/or beliefs & way of life.
Develop communication & conflict resolution tools.
Step away from conventional systems (i.e. school) with more confidence and ease.
Truly understand how we learn & how to support self-direct learning for yourself and for others.
Learn through play.
Get clarity on what deschooling is and/or how to deepen & have more confidence in your practice.
Experience agile tools & practices used to co-create intentional community & culture.
Be part of an emerging & awesome community.

Now, slow your scroll for a second!

Imagine what it would be like to finally:

Understand where your limiting beliefs & programmings come from and why it’s been so hard to change.
Center relationship, share power, communicate clearly & navigate conflicts with more ease.
Feel more confident in your non-conventional path.
Have more joy in your life & deepen your connection to the people around you (kids & adults alike).

Sounds too good to be true?… It’s not!

We know because we’ve done it and because we’ve had the privilege to support so many more to initiate this process.
All it takes is openness, willingness and commitment to the process.

Are you ready?

We can’t wait to meet you!

But wait! Have we met yet?

Hi! We’re Becka Koritz and Sari González, unschooling moms, parent coaches, leaders in the self-directed education movement & founders of Radical Learning where we support unschooling families in moving from control & fear based systems to those of trust & freedom.

Together we have 30+ years of experience working with kids, coaching parents and training adults supporting youth.
We provide support at the intersection of unschooling, parenting, relationship & community building through various kinds of unschooling tools and resources for self-directed learning families and communities.

We also run Explora ALC, an Agile Learning Community in Puerto Escondido (Mexico), advocating for children’s rights & freedom.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW!

February 28th - March 6th

WHEN
February 28th - March 6th (rest day on the 3rd): 10am – 4pm

WHERE
TBD

CONTENT (including but not limited to…)
Self-Directed Education - Building equitable relationships - Non-Violent Communication - Authentic Dialouge - Emotional Intelligence - Learning through play - Trust building - Setting boundaries - Radical self-acceptance - Nature connection - Learning how to listen - Conflict resolution - How to support natural learning - Holding space - Agile Learning Tools for intentional culture creation - Embracing and fostering the choice and autonomy of all people

COST

$2,450 USD* (not including traveling, food, housing or kids' camp).
$1,225 USD for co-parents
Kid's Camp (during The Shift): $295

*For every 5 full tuition registrations we open 1 "pay what you can" spot. Please indicate on the application form if you wish to be placed on the waitlist for the "pay what you can" spot.

April 26th - May 3rd

WHEN
April 26th - May 3rd (rest day on the 30th): 10am – 4pm

WHERE
Hosted at ALC Mosaic, Charlotte (NC)

Reserve my space now!

What do particpants say?

"I’m so grateful for the beautiful human connections and opportunities to evolve as a result of my experience at The Shift. It's challenging to find the words to describe the deschooling experience The Shift immersed us in, but if I can summarize it in one word, I would say evolutionary. This experience not only pushes you to re-examine hard wired beliefs and social conditioning around schooling and being in relationship with young people, but the facilitators create a space that naturally allows you to show up as your full self without fearing judgement for exploring parts of you that intuitively feel right but could not be supported or even allowed to be revealed in schoolish settings. THIS experience is exactly what they want you and your learners to feel in your self-directed learning communities. It's also an experience I have NEVER felt in any educational conference, training, or workshop I've participated in over the last 20 years (except for Beyond Diversity 101). Our learning journey didn't start with the introduction of titles, degrees, and long winded stories about our "expertise". It started with a clear understanding that our imperfections and mistakes along the learning process will be equally valued and celebrated with the gifts and wisdom each of us bring to our learning community. We didn't sit and receive a lecture or were PowerPointed to death on deschooling & unschooling. We lived & practiced it in action in all of its messiness for an entire week together. This is the magic of The Shift!"

What do participants say?

"The Shift is a week full of gentle invitations to look deep (or not) into our beliefs, where do they come from and how are they serving us in our lives and interactions through open conversations, sharing, games and reflections. In case we find they don't serve us, we have the opportunity to learn, explore and practice tools that enable us to change our typical responses bases on those beliefs and any time we don't get it as we intended, we have the opportunity to speak up and celebrate it joyfully together.
I used to struggle with how to transmit to my male partner the value, connection and growth we could achieve within ourselves and our tribe. The Shift has, more than helped me, supported me in experiencing how to build a community based on trust, consent, listening, non-judgement and love is possible among diverse, unique beings.
I feel I have blossomed into a less reactive, frustrated, stressed and annoyed human to a more connected, authentic, joyful, energetic, patient and open being after this experienced.
These process of transformation has allowed me to engage with others in a compassionate way and listen, really listen through the use of the tools acquired.
The most important thing I take from this experience (which is difficult for me to pinpoint because there are so, so many useful skills I developed during this week!) is the ability to observe the pyramid model within me with understanding, being able to pause, apply one of the liberation and connection tools in the moment, knowing that if/when I f*ck up, I get to celebrate myself and try again every time!"

“The Shift was an opportunity for me to find myself, know myself and understand myself. It has personally helped me to confront my childhood traumas, and I have been able to accept and forgive myself. I feel more free and authentic. What has surprised me most is that I have been able to change. The Shift has been liberating and magical.”

”I feel so incredibly grateful for all of the things I've learned from you during The Shift and all the support I've gotten. It has been tremendously helpful.
I can see where I used to be, and where I am now, and it's such a different place.
The deschooling work is so radical and requires so much courage that if I hadn't had all that support, I wouldn't have been in a good place right now. But I am because of everything I've learned!
Thank you so much!”

I'm signing up now!

FACILITATORS

Becka Koritz (she/her)

Superpowers: A Master at connecting the dots and sharing bounds of knowledge in impactful and meaningful ways that are changing the very fabric of the world we live in: she’s a catalyst. Her unique commitment and determination to advocate for youth liberation while supporting parents and facilitators in evolving their conscious communication is a fountain of inspiration.

Becka is an experienced teacher with an extensive and unique path within alternative education: having grown up in Montessori, founded two Waldorf initiatives and Explora, Mexico’s first Agile Learning Center.

Becka dedicates most of her time training parents, teachers and facilitators, and creating content for SDE-parents. She has a neurodivergent teenage unschooler son.

Sari González (she/they)

Superpowers: Badass Communicator and great at both conflict resolution and setting firm yet loving boundaries. Sari is a true defender of kids’ freedom, and always finds ways of advocating for their autonomy and independence. She has an amazing gift in creating intentional & conscious cultures.

Having directed and facilitated two Agile Learning Communities (Cottonwood in NYC and Explora in Puerto Escondido, Mexico), Sari is passionate about social justice, community building, conscious parenting & equitable relationships, and works towards creating impactful and long lasting social change. She is an experienced parent coach and trainer sought out and appreciated for her clear and practical focus. She's the mom of an 8 year old neurodivergent unschooler son.

FAQ's

- What does the training look like?
During The Shift, the group looks at many systems, not just schools, so that we can see how we have each internalized them and begin to reprogram our thinking and communication. We practice tools to help us move into independence, interdependence, and equitable relationships within the community we create among participants and facilitators. This ends up looking like lots of gameplay, discussions, roleplay, skillshares, roundtables, group dynamics, and really anything the group dreams up!

- Can my kid attend The Shift Training with me?
The Shift training is for parents/ adults only as the content of the training is directed towards adults. For those needing support with childcare during the training we offer Kids' Camp option with trusted care facilitators at a nearby space during the training.

- How does the sliding scale work?
Equity, which is built upon both inclusion and fairness, is a concept close to our hearts. To help support equity and in an effort to balance accessibility with the financial sustainability of the program, we are offering a sliding scale payment plan. In assessing your place on the sliding scale we first need to know where you reside and where your economy is based (Global North or Global South). Global North economies include the US, Canada, Europe, etc. Global South Economies include Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, Pacific Islands, and the developing countries in Asia, including the Middle East. Once you recognize where your global economy lies you can see the sliding scale rates in the charts above and see what rate best suits your financial position. There is space on the registration form to share your proposal for your participation based on the sliding scale. Remember, by being generous you are supporting other families that may need more support and increasing access to this opportunity and sustainability for our program. We trust you!

- What is included in the costs? Will there be food? Housing?
The sliding scale rates include: participation in The Shift, Radical Learning First Aid Communication Kit, additional curated resources, lots of sharpie markers and sticky notes, new friends and a safe and inspiring place for your deschooling and self-directed learning process. The sliding scale options do not include: airfare, housing, food or excursions or Kids' Camp.

- What airport should I fly into?

- Do I need a car to get around?

- Will you provide tips and local info to help us enjoy our visit/stay?
You bet! Once you register we will send you a guide book with local tips and info including suggestions on airlines. housing suggestions, important medical/ emergency info, food/ grocery/ shopping/ laundry/ options, etc.