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Rick SleutarisDirector, Facilitator
Rick is OC's Director. He joined the team in 2004. A wearer of many hats, Rick works to infuse our mission into every aspect of the organization, supports the staff, facilitates in the Choice program, spearheads many OC community events, oversees the financial side of OC, and does his best to keep the plants in the Gathering Space alive. Rick received his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from Penn State and a masters in Business Administration from the University of Delaware.
Rick’s path towards learner-centered education began with his own wish to create a more meaningful life for himself. His first full-time job at W.L. Gore and Associates, a progressive, entreprenurial company and the maker of Gore-Tex® products, inspired him to take more ownership over his life. Experiences as a Peace Corps volunteer in North Macedonia, at several mission-driven non-profit organizations including the American Red Cross, and the birth of his first child made him realize that a meaningful life, for him, includes assisting others in creating a meaningful life for themselves. This led him to Open Connections where he joined a community of individuals "living" at the intersection of learner-centered education and parenting. It's a wonderful, anxious, fulfilling, challenging place to live. Rick enjoys gardening, live music, reading, rock climbing with his son, and is currently learning to play the handpan. Rick and his wife, Jane, enjoy long walks, deep conversations, and spending time with their two children, Ella and Locke, and their dog, Bean. Both of their children have attended/attend OC. |
