Please describe your family constellation and what programs they are involved in at OC:
Dennis, Becky, Kenny (22), Lee (11) ,and Jett (8). Lee attends Group II on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Jett attends Group I on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
How did you get involved with Open Connections?
When exploring the idea of homeschooling for Lee and Jett, we kept feeling like something was missing that would allow us to feel confident in our decision to keep our boys at home and steer away from the traditional school route that we took with Kenny. Two friends recommended Open Connections, which turned out to be that missing piece. From our first visit we felt like we had the support we had been looking for. In those first couple of years we second guessed ourselves a lot, we still do sometimes, but we take comfort knowing that there are other people looking out for Lee and Jett and helping them thrive in their educational journey.
What is your family’s approach to learning? Real Work? Play? Self-direction/self-motivation?
We strive for self-direction in our day-to-day lives, but honestly, it can be very difficult sometimes. As much as we, as parents, want to wait for our youth to invite learning experiences, sometimes it feels like we could be waiting forever. In those times we lean more on a structured curriculum to check off some of the math and language arts boxes until something sparks a curiosity and we can move more toward that topic. We value work and play as a part of our regular rhythm. Perhaps most important is the desire that our young people to be rooted in their connection to family and home. When we are connected our minds and hearts are more open to new experiences and to one another's current interests. In the best of times our home and family life works in harmony with our learning.
What led you in this direction?
When Lee was 2½ years old, Jett was born. Jett had multiple health concerns at birth including major congenital heart and lung defects. Over the next two years we spent a lot of time in the hospital, at the doctors offices, and having in-home therapies to keep Jett well. The time to enroll Lee in Kindergarten was coming quickly and at that time we couldn’t foresee Jett ever being able to attend school. We began looking at homeschooling as an alternative to school knowing that Jett would probably not be following that same path. The more we researched and discussed, the more opportunities popped up. We would randomly meet another homeschooling family or we’d find some great resource we were excited about. It felt like the universe was pointing us in this direction. We began homeschooling and Lee enrolled in OC when he was five years old. As Jett grew in age, his body grew stronger and two years later Jett started attending OC as well.
What are some of the key benefits to this educational approach for your family?
It is truly such a tremendous privilege to be able to spend so much time together as a family. Homeschooling gives us the freedom to learn what we wish, when we wish, and to find learning opportunities in so many ordinary moments. It also allows us the freedom for those extraordinary experiences, like our month-long cross-country RV trip, that wouldn’t have been possible within the constraints of traditional school. Having the support and community of OC allows us to enjoy that freedom, with the support of an entire community of like minded people. It allows our young people to have experiences that we alone could not offer them. They have dear friends at OC and this community means so much to them.
What concerns or challenges have you experienced along the way? How have you addressed them? Do you have any concerns as you look ahead?
We have definitely struggled finding a daily rhythm that works for everyone in our family. Early on we had a more structured approach to learning on our non-OC days, but that quickly left us feeling burnt out and less connected. We knew that we did not want to be constantly switching back and forth between parent/child and teacher/student relationships so we regrouped and made some changes. We soon realized that these changes would be happen regularly, and that was okay. It took some adjusting for us as parents to let go of some of the control and let things progress naturally, but we are much better at that now, five years in. I anticipate there always being some challenges, but none that we can’t navigate together. We’ll probably never feel totally confident that we’re doing the right thing all of the time, but we just try to trust each other and lean on our friends and community in times of uncertainty.
What resources—people, books, curricula, places or organizations (museums, art centers, scouting, 4-H, businesses, etc.)—have you found helpful? How have they contributed to your youth’s development?
Our family has made some positive connections in our local community through organized sports. Lee and Jett are both interested in music. Lee takes weekly piano lessons and performs in recitals twice a year. We frequently visit our local library, and Lee and Jett both have book subscription boxes that they look forward to each month. We’ve explored a few full curricula, and some that are subject specific. For now we’re using a Wilson reading program for Jett along with Blossom and Root for LA and multiple sources for math including Math U See and Time4Learning. Lee uses Blossom and Root for LA and Math U See and T4L for math.
How do your young people spend their time when they’re not at Open Connections?
They usually sleep in! We often cook breakfast together and do some reading in the morning followed by some one-on-one math while the other youth plays with legos, draws, plays outside, or reads independently. Dad comes home for lunch which is often followed by snuggle time on the couch before he goes back to work. In the afternoons there is typically some kind of creative activity going on. Jett loves to draw, paint, and create games for our family to play later. Lee likes to rest in the afternoon and play video games like Minecraft, build with Legos, play piano, or watch true crime and paranormal shows on TV. I do a lot of baking leading up to cooking dinner and I usually have at least one helper in the kitchen. On the weekends and some weeknights one or both boys participate in basketball, baseball, and soccer during various seasons. Lee also enjoys participating in theater.
From your young people’s perspectives, what are the main benefits of this type of education?
“I like the freedom of choosing what I’m going to do. I like that I get to spend time with people of different ages and that we spend a lot of time outside.” -Lee
“Being able to play outside, and play with my friends at OC ❤️” -Jett
From your young people’s perspective(s): what does a life of purpose and fulfillment look like?
“Getting to do things that I like everyday and getting to learn about things that interest me” -Lee
“Getting to be with my friends and my family” -Jett
How have the 3 broad life skill realms (interpersonal, intrapersonal, and impersonal) that have been nurtured in your youth at OC been reflected in life outside of OC?
Lee and Jett are both confident, thoughtful, and mostly intentional as they navigate their day to day lives. They are learning to listen to themselves and others, to honor their own feelings, and to respect others. They are building healthy and fulfilling friendships at OC and outside of OC. Recently Lee has displayed great personal responsibility by persevering through some tough challenges to meet his goals without a push from anyone else.
What would you tell other families about how to get the most out of their OC experience?
Get involved when you can. I have felt so much more connected to the community since I started helping in the office this year. Being on campus regularly has made me feel so much more in the loop of what is going on in my young people's lives. Take time to keep up with the program-specific websites. Often our young people are doing so much more than what they share with us at the end of the day and the websites are great for filling in the gaps!
How would you describe OC to friends and family?
Imagine if your young people couldn’t wait to go to “school”, if there was no penalty for being late or taking the day off, if they were truly engaged throughout their day because they were working on or learning something of their choosing. Imagine if the other families at their school shared some of the same core values as your family and your young people felt respected and listened to. This is what we have at OC.
Dennis, Becky, Kenny (22), Lee (11) ,and Jett (8). Lee attends Group II on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Jett attends Group I on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
How did you get involved with Open Connections?
When exploring the idea of homeschooling for Lee and Jett, we kept feeling like something was missing that would allow us to feel confident in our decision to keep our boys at home and steer away from the traditional school route that we took with Kenny. Two friends recommended Open Connections, which turned out to be that missing piece. From our first visit we felt like we had the support we had been looking for. In those first couple of years we second guessed ourselves a lot, we still do sometimes, but we take comfort knowing that there are other people looking out for Lee and Jett and helping them thrive in their educational journey.
What is your family’s approach to learning? Real Work? Play? Self-direction/self-motivation?
We strive for self-direction in our day-to-day lives, but honestly, it can be very difficult sometimes. As much as we, as parents, want to wait for our youth to invite learning experiences, sometimes it feels like we could be waiting forever. In those times we lean more on a structured curriculum to check off some of the math and language arts boxes until something sparks a curiosity and we can move more toward that topic. We value work and play as a part of our regular rhythm. Perhaps most important is the desire that our young people to be rooted in their connection to family and home. When we are connected our minds and hearts are more open to new experiences and to one another's current interests. In the best of times our home and family life works in harmony with our learning.
What led you in this direction?
When Lee was 2½ years old, Jett was born. Jett had multiple health concerns at birth including major congenital heart and lung defects. Over the next two years we spent a lot of time in the hospital, at the doctors offices, and having in-home therapies to keep Jett well. The time to enroll Lee in Kindergarten was coming quickly and at that time we couldn’t foresee Jett ever being able to attend school. We began looking at homeschooling as an alternative to school knowing that Jett would probably not be following that same path. The more we researched and discussed, the more opportunities popped up. We would randomly meet another homeschooling family or we’d find some great resource we were excited about. It felt like the universe was pointing us in this direction. We began homeschooling and Lee enrolled in OC when he was five years old. As Jett grew in age, his body grew stronger and two years later Jett started attending OC as well.
What are some of the key benefits to this educational approach for your family?
It is truly such a tremendous privilege to be able to spend so much time together as a family. Homeschooling gives us the freedom to learn what we wish, when we wish, and to find learning opportunities in so many ordinary moments. It also allows us the freedom for those extraordinary experiences, like our month-long cross-country RV trip, that wouldn’t have been possible within the constraints of traditional school. Having the support and community of OC allows us to enjoy that freedom, with the support of an entire community of like minded people. It allows our young people to have experiences that we alone could not offer them. They have dear friends at OC and this community means so much to them.
What concerns or challenges have you experienced along the way? How have you addressed them? Do you have any concerns as you look ahead?
We have definitely struggled finding a daily rhythm that works for everyone in our family. Early on we had a more structured approach to learning on our non-OC days, but that quickly left us feeling burnt out and less connected. We knew that we did not want to be constantly switching back and forth between parent/child and teacher/student relationships so we regrouped and made some changes. We soon realized that these changes would be happen regularly, and that was okay. It took some adjusting for us as parents to let go of some of the control and let things progress naturally, but we are much better at that now, five years in. I anticipate there always being some challenges, but none that we can’t navigate together. We’ll probably never feel totally confident that we’re doing the right thing all of the time, but we just try to trust each other and lean on our friends and community in times of uncertainty.
What resources—people, books, curricula, places or organizations (museums, art centers, scouting, 4-H, businesses, etc.)—have you found helpful? How have they contributed to your youth’s development?
Our family has made some positive connections in our local community through organized sports. Lee and Jett are both interested in music. Lee takes weekly piano lessons and performs in recitals twice a year. We frequently visit our local library, and Lee and Jett both have book subscription boxes that they look forward to each month. We’ve explored a few full curricula, and some that are subject specific. For now we’re using a Wilson reading program for Jett along with Blossom and Root for LA and multiple sources for math including Math U See and Time4Learning. Lee uses Blossom and Root for LA and Math U See and T4L for math.
How do your young people spend their time when they’re not at Open Connections?
They usually sleep in! We often cook breakfast together and do some reading in the morning followed by some one-on-one math while the other youth plays with legos, draws, plays outside, or reads independently. Dad comes home for lunch which is often followed by snuggle time on the couch before he goes back to work. In the afternoons there is typically some kind of creative activity going on. Jett loves to draw, paint, and create games for our family to play later. Lee likes to rest in the afternoon and play video games like Minecraft, build with Legos, play piano, or watch true crime and paranormal shows on TV. I do a lot of baking leading up to cooking dinner and I usually have at least one helper in the kitchen. On the weekends and some weeknights one or both boys participate in basketball, baseball, and soccer during various seasons. Lee also enjoys participating in theater.
From your young people’s perspectives, what are the main benefits of this type of education?
“I like the freedom of choosing what I’m going to do. I like that I get to spend time with people of different ages and that we spend a lot of time outside.” -Lee
“Being able to play outside, and play with my friends at OC ❤️” -Jett
From your young people’s perspective(s): what does a life of purpose and fulfillment look like?
“Getting to do things that I like everyday and getting to learn about things that interest me” -Lee
“Getting to be with my friends and my family” -Jett
How have the 3 broad life skill realms (interpersonal, intrapersonal, and impersonal) that have been nurtured in your youth at OC been reflected in life outside of OC?
Lee and Jett are both confident, thoughtful, and mostly intentional as they navigate their day to day lives. They are learning to listen to themselves and others, to honor their own feelings, and to respect others. They are building healthy and fulfilling friendships at OC and outside of OC. Recently Lee has displayed great personal responsibility by persevering through some tough challenges to meet his goals without a push from anyone else.
What would you tell other families about how to get the most out of their OC experience?
Get involved when you can. I have felt so much more connected to the community since I started helping in the office this year. Being on campus regularly has made me feel so much more in the loop of what is going on in my young people's lives. Take time to keep up with the program-specific websites. Often our young people are doing so much more than what they share with us at the end of the day and the websites are great for filling in the gaps!
How would you describe OC to friends and family?
Imagine if your young people couldn’t wait to go to “school”, if there was no penalty for being late or taking the day off, if they were truly engaged throughout their day because they were working on or learning something of their choosing. Imagine if the other families at their school shared some of the same core values as your family and your young people felt respected and listened to. This is what we have at OC.
