186. Discovering Passions and Pursuing Interests: The Joy of Self-Directed Learning at Clonlara School with April Huard

In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we're exploring the innovative world of self-directed learning with April Huard, the Executive Director of Clonlara School, a K-12 institution that empowers students to take charge of their own education. Starting as a small homeschooling collective, Clonlara School has expanded to multiple campuses across the United States with a mission to transform education on a global scale.

April shares insights on the self-directed learning model, which allows students to choose their projects and follow their interests while being supported by facilitators who guide them through the learning process. She also addresses the challenges they face, such as misconceptions about self-directed learning and scaling their model to include more students.

One of the core values of Clonlara School is joy, and April talks about the immense joy she finds in her work, witnessing students discovering their passions and families expressing gratitude for the transformations they've seen in their children. The school requires senior students to complete a capstone project, showcasing their diverse interests and talents. Join us in this inspiring conversation to learn more about the importance of giving students the time, space, and freedom to follow their interests and pursue what is important to them.

To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.org

We unbox:

• How Clonlara offers multiple ways for participating in its education system
• The “full circle learning” approach to education
• Giving kids ownership of their education
• Training educators to empower kids

Resources:

• Learn more at clonlara.org

Produced by Nova Media