A new alternative school being launched in Chatham-Kent is looking to spark a love of learning.
Meghan Dunlop and Elizabeth Downey have teamed up to form Freedom Collective, a K-8 school that lets students guide their own learning.
Dunlop say their style of teaching focuses on the individual needs of each child.
“There are some children who just don’t feel like they fit in to the box that the tradition school system might like them to,” she says. “So we’re looking to provide a space to really find who they are, explore their creativity, explore their passions, and really fuel that life-long love of learning.”
Downey says it allows students to follow the curriculum at their own pace.
“When a student is ready to learn multiplication, for example, they make that a priority,” Downey explains. “Let’s say the student loves dinosaurs. We can infuse that multiplication goal through his or her love of dinosaurs to the point where it makes sense for that student. It’s not just memorizing, it actually is something that’s almost ingrained in their DNA.”
The school, which will be located in a rural setting, will also include a large outdoor component and will be based on a mix of Montessori education, “unschooling” and home-schooling, as well as traditional education.
Freedom Collective is holding an open house at Body Language in downtown Chatham Saturday, February 29th from 1-3pm.