Underlying Philosophy:
Mission, Values and Beliefs

The OC Vision

A world where all young people develop the foundation for a self-directed life of purpose and fulfillment.

The OC Mission

To create an environment (The Open Connections Village) where our vision can be realized on a modest scale
To encourage parents and other educators to support a more open and natural approach to education
To work with others who share our core beliefs in order to tip the balance from the traditional (school) model of compulsory instruction over to a more organic, learner-directed approach based on self-direction and the creative process.

Values

We believe that people are born with the desire to experiment, discover, understand, create and play. By extending the toddler's normal process of joyful exploration and experiential learning, we all can bring additional energy and purpose to these natural impulses in the United States and around the world.

Our values include the basic tenet of Open Education, summarized by John Holt: “[Real] learning is not the product of teaching; it is the product of the activity of the learner.” The Chinese ancients said much the same thing in another way:

I hear and I forget;
I see and I remember;
I do and I understand.

To this perspective, we at OC add our own twists:

Flexible Thinking – the ability to make new connections and create novel solutions
Collaboration – the ability to work together in a way that demonstrates that “none of us is as smart as all of us”
Learning in the Context of Purposeful Activity (vs. make-work) – the re-integration of academic knowledge with the world of Real Work
Conceptual Development – the process of figuring things out rather than memorizing and
regurgitating
Self-motivation – the goal of creating the life that we want

This combination of values guides the Open Connections Process.

Underlying Philosophy: Mission, Values and Beliefs

The OC Vision

The OC Mission

Values

Underlying Philosophy:
Mission, Values and Beliefs