Retreat Highlights from a First Time Radiant Family

Daisy McCarty and her family were new to the Radiant Retreat last year.  They were one of the “early birds” to register this year so I asked her to share a little about their experience as “newbies” last year and why they wanted to return.

Many thanks to Daisy for taking the time to share in such detail!


Notes on Radiant Living from the McCarty Clan

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My family was excited to attend the Radiant Living & Learning Retreat last year in lovely Cleburne, Texas. We knew it would be a wonderful chance to reconnect with unschoolers/life learners we had met at other events and meet new people—especially those in the North Texas area. We were right!

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My Favorite Moments 

Watching the kids collaborate on creating the surprisingly amiable Hunger Games battles that spanned the entire weekend made me smile. As someone who was eclectically homeschooled and self-taught throughout my own childhood, I remember with fondness the long days spent creating new games and playing for hours without interruption. It was fantastic to see another generation being gifted with the same opportunities.

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My Husband’s Favorite Moments

WkshpCircle2The talks and discussions were a highlight of the weekend for my husband, Ken. He talked all the way home about the sessions he had attended. Other parents offered helpful insights into some of the challenges we were facing and we were able to implement these solutions successfully at home. As someone who was still new to the concept of whole life learning, being around like-minded people and mentors was reassuring for Ken.


Our Daughter’s Favorite Moments 

KidsInDirt2Little Jasmine (then 2 years old) had a wonderful time playing and exploring with children of all ages. She especially loved staying up in the evening to make friends with a little brown and white toad that was hopping around outside the bunkhouse. Eating delicious smoothies made with healthy, natural ingredients gave her a fresh appreciation for the potential of dates and chocolate blended to perfection.

 


Why We’re Attending AgainMcCartyFamily

Our trip in 2014 left us energized rather than feeling like we “needed a vacation from our vacation.” Over the weekend, we were able to slow down, catch up with friends, and simply revel in the presence of people who are all different from one another but dedicated to creating a more liberated and harmonious world.

Thanks for creating this space for us, Christina! We look forward to seeing everyone again in November.

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ALL the Details

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2015 Retreat is ON!!!

Registration for the Fall Retreat is almost ready!

[update – it’s READY – click here to REGISTER]

We are so excited for our community to gather again November 5th – 9th!  This year we are making some changes to the schedule with the goals of:

  • RadRetreatMaximizing the support attendees receive during the Retreat
  • Helping new folks assimilate into the group more easily and
  • Enabling ALL of our Radiant Community to get the most out of the workshops, activities AND just being together!

As we finalize registration details, we wanted to go ahead and announce prices so everyone can plan their finances accordingly.   In order to make the Retreat happen, we’ve had to raise some of the prices a smidge.  But don’t worry!  There are still plenty of opportunities available to reduce the fees for your family.

Since it’s its inception in 2013, we have tried to keep the Radiant Retreat affordable for as many families as possible.  So the prices started out very low compared to other conferences. We want you to know that we have wrestled with the numbers to keep it as affordable as possible, but due to everything that is involved in putting on the Retreat, we feel that the prices this year are still very fair for everyone.  The organizers make a considerable investment of time, energy, expertise and money to plan and execute the Retreat, and the prices must support that.

We also want to highlight the fact that this event takes a considerable amount of COMMUNITIY EFFORT to make it happen because we don’t have a hotel staff taking care of us and the facilities like many other conferences.  We have to take care of it ALL – and that’s what’s so great about the Radiant Community – the way members step up to help where help is needed!

In 2013, when I was planning our stay at Cleburne State Park, the Rangers said that because our group would be over 50% kids, the park would be littered with trash by the end of the weekend and they were sure that “something would get torn up” because middle school aged kids were included.  I assured them that our group would not be typical in that manner and they just laughed.  Sure enough, the “Radiant Tribe” was very respectful of the grounds and facilities and we proved those Rangers wrong!

The Radiant Tribe IS remarkable and EVERYONE’S contributions make the Retreat GREAT!

So here are the prices so you can plug them into your budget.  If it turns out that you need “Tuition Assistance” you can apply for Radiant Staff jobs here in exchange for Registration Credits to reduce your fees.

{f1} 2015 Registration Prices

Early Bird (until June 30)Regular Price (until Oct 31)Late Registration – Space PermittingAt the Door
First 4 Household Members$50 each$60 each$70 each$80 each
Household Members #5 – 8 (including grandparents)$25 each$30 each$35 each$40 each
Kids 3 and under who will NOT attend Kid Village ChildcareFreeFreeFreeFree
Single Day Pass (per person) $25 each

 

LodgingNightly Price
Private Campsites – Screened Shelter, Tent, RV – (up to 8 people)$25-$35per SITE
Group Campsite – Tent Only$9per TENT
Bunkhouse – Heat & AC – Bathrooms Adjoining$10per PERSON

Click here to learn more about the different Lodging Options.
Click here for MORE lodging options for NON-CAMPERS.

Please contact the Radiant Team if you have questions about the Retreat, and keep an eye out for registration in the next few days so you can take advantage of the Early Bird prices!

Heaps of Love,
Christina and your Radiant Team
TDM-LicenseeBadge-Vertical4$50off Retreat withDM

Young Adult Unschoolers Q&A, Mini-Fig Swap, Bikes, Swords & Mp3’s

sq logoRADIANTKIDSWe’re so excited to announce the Young Adult Unschoolers’ Panel.  We have 5 unique individuals who will answer your questions and share their experience growing up Unschooled!  (Well 4 were Unschooled and one was a “very relaxed Homeschooler using many Unschooling principles”)

Click here to read their Bios and see what other contributions they will be making at the Retreat!

We also want to make sure all the kids know about some things they might want to bring to the Retreat:

  • Lego Mini-Figs – we’re having a SWAP!   Bring your tired, old Mini-Figs and take home some fresh, new ones!
  • Bikes – It’s a great way to get around camp, plus it’s just super fun to ride with friends – on the roads or on the camp’s bike trails.  We will also have an organized Bike Race around the Cedar Grove Camping Loop!
  • Nerf Swords or Duct Tape Swords“Hunger Games” is a favorite camping activity among our Home Ed community and we will be organizing a couple of rounds Thursday & Friday.  After that it’s up to the kids to “round up” a game.  Click here for the rules.  There will also be an opportunity to make your own foam sword at the Arts & Crafts Table on Thursday and Friday.
  • Mp3’s for Dancing – Bring your favorites to play at the Halloween Dance Party.  The DJ with start things off, but requests will be difficult since we don’t have internet access.  We’ll be happy to play songs from your device though!  Our sound system can connect with most bluetooth devices as well as Apple and Android products.
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Digging Deeper into Unschooling with Sue Patterson

sq logo WORKSHOPIf you have begun living a life of freedom in learning, but are having a hard time balancing the “Self-Directed” aspects of Unschooling with your parental instinct to offer guidance to your children, this session might be for you:

Balancing Parental Guidance and Self-Directed Learning

Unschoolers let their children choose when, how and what they learn, what role does parental guidance play? Sometimes parents feel that offering ideas and suggestions will prevent their child from unfolding naturally. It all depends on all the intentions, emotions, and stories wrapped up in those ideas and suggestions. Children need their parents’ experience and knowledge to grow and thrive – how we share it makes all the difference! Sue will share her experience in this area and help parents explore the boundaries of guidance vs. self-directed learning.

For those of you that are finding it hard to let go of curriculum or “schooly” materials for learning, you might like:

Curriculum as a Crutch

Buy this, and your kids will be smarter! Use this, you’ll be more organized! Get this series and you will unleash their inner genius!

Or something like that. Ahh… the lure of curriculum.

Marketing has targeted our community for some time now. Advertisers realize that while we are an independent lot, we still harbor a lot of fears. And isn’t that how marketing works best? Identify the fear or the lack, and then convince people that they need the product to fill their void. It’s as if they’re handing us crutches and telling us to lean on them – when in fact, we have no weakness, no lack of opportunity. The whole world awaits our children and these crutches they offer will simply hold them back.

Pre-planned materials often inhibit learning, keeping the child from all the benefits of discovery and exploration. It keeps parents from continuing to engage and facilitate new interesting opportunities out in the world. Don’t look wistfully at those crutches – embrace freedom!

Come talk with Sue and we can discuss awesome ways kids can learn from whatever interests them!

And for all the questions you don’t get answered during the Retreat, Sue and other parents of grown Unschoolers will make up the panel for:

Veteran Unschoolers’ Q & A

Bring your questions, concerns, fears and doubts to these parents who have the benefit of time and perspective.  Come hear about their journeys as they Unschooled their children who have now left the Unschooling Nest!

Sue has so many great topics prepared for this year’s Radiant Living & Learning Retreat!  Click here and here to read more about who she is and what she has in store for us!

 

Follow these links to learn more about the Retreat and to Register.

 

LOVE YOUR RADIANT LIFE!

Curious about Self-Directed Learning? Sue Patterson can help!

Sue is a veteran Home Educator with 3 grown kids.  All of her children were Unschooled, and Sue is a wealth of information on many aspects of alternative education.

From transitioning away from the curriculum mindset and into a learning partnership with your kids, to Unschooling through the teen years and supporting young adults as they transition into college or work, Sue’s perspective is invaluable.

If you are struggling with an aspect of Home Eduction or Partnership Parenting, Sue’s wisdom and experience can help reassure and guide you through the moments of doubt.

If you are simply curious about what Unschooling family life is like, she can share a comprehensive look based on her own experience and what she’s learned from her extensive network of Home Ed families.

Here are some of the sessions Sue will be leading at the Retreat.  We will hit the ground running on Friday morning with workshop sessions and circle discussions, so getting there Thursday to set up your bunks, tents and campers will ensure you don’t miss any of the action!

Learning All the Time: Unschooling 101
Friday Morning (Oct. 24)

Life Learning, Whole Life Learning, Self-Directed Learning, Organic Learning, Natural Learning, Interest-Led Learning.  There are so many different names for this type of alternative education and almost as many definitions.

Come discover the core principles behind this method of education.
Gain clarity on what Unschooling IS and is NOT.
Is there a “right” or “wrong” way to Unschool?  Is it still Unschooling if we require a few math or phonics worksheets here and there?    What is “Strewing?”  What is “Deschooling?”  What is “Radical Unschooling?” What are the benefits and drawbacks to Unschooling?  How can we be sure our kids will turn out OK educationally and otherwise?  What if I give my children freedom and all they do is play video games all day?  What if my child HAS to or WANTS to return to school in the future?  How do I comply with Homeschooling laws as an Unschooler? Can I do it as a single parent, or when both parents must be earners?
We’ll tackle these questions and help newbies, spouses, grandparents and in-laws understand this complex and rich form of education and help you discover tools to move forward with Unschooling in confidence.
To read more from Sue on this topic click here.

When Your Unschooler Chooses School

After being radically unschooled her whole life, Sue’s youngest daughter decided she wanted to go to the local public high school. While Sue supported her daughter’s choice, they “did high school” on their own terms. After a year and half, Sue’s daughter had enough and returned to the freedom of unschooling.

We will explore the ways that Unschoolers use mainstream schools, alternative schools and “schooly” classes and lessons to achieve their goals.  Can this still be considered “Unschooling?”  How can we support our children when they choose methods of education and institutions that we as parents are ideologically opposed to – or just feel are not the best “place” for our kids?  How can we allow our children to be exposed to the negative aspects of school that we have tried to shield them from all their lives?  Can a school truly be a place of Unschooling freedom?

Unschooling Teens

Are you worried about unschooling your teen? Are you afraid that your choices may close doors instead of opening them? Sue’s three grown unschoolers took completely different paths through the teenage years. Come hear how they navigated these years and rest assured that it does NOT have to be as scary as society makes it sound! Sue also wrote a book, Homeschooled Teens that will be available in October. She interviewed 75 teens and young adults who homeschooled/unschooled as teenagers. She will share their responses to her questions about what life was like for them: finding friends, learning opportunities, hobbies, sports, work, travel, advantages they feel they have now, advice for worried parents, and more!!

Uncover your Highest Values and Life Purpose with Donna Vail

DonnaVailWelcome Donna Vail to our Radiant Tribe!

Donna is the mother of six and has been educating her children at home for almost 20 years.  She empowers families to find and follow their Life Purpose through her writing, speaking, workshops and private coaching.  Donna helps families who are moving from school to home education, as well as those who are moving from a school-at-home approach to one that is led by the Highest Values and Life Purpose of each family member.  Join Donna at the Radiant Living & Learning Retreat for her 2 part workshop:

Unveiling Life Purpose for You and Your Children

Unschooling is an experience to be shared as a family, but it can be greatly enhanced when parents have the vision to facilitate children to their individual greatness.  One of the most stressful areas in unschooling is the inability to understand how your child is communicating their life purpose so you can accurately provide for their needs and not distract them from their purposeful path.  Many parents struggle with knowing their own life purpose and how to manage it productively.  This can make it impossible to facilitate the life purposes of the rest of the family.

The key ingredient is knowing how to identify your highest values and priorities, and those of your children.  Once you know these highest values, you can begin applying them directly to your everyday life.  Raising your children, providing an inspiring learning environment, doing your own work to provide for the family and relate to others is enriched when you identify with your highest values. This process can make the difference between living a meaningful life or one of quiet desperation. Let’s face it, freedom is never free. It comes with great responsibility and if we’re not tuned in or we’re unsure, we become enslaved by our indecisiveness.

In this workshop Donna will take you through the process of determining your highest values, discovering the key to family dynamics and how your perceptions shape your life.  We will also learn how to determine your children’s highest values and how to customize their learning experience into every day purposeful living and learning.

You will walk away from this workshop not only listening better, but also going through the process to have a clearer breakdown of what’s most important in your and your children’s lives.

  • Discover why you do what you do
  • Let go of pushing
  • Hear what your children are really telling you

You will be empowered with new self-understanding and inspiration to love more, live more and learn more.

This workshop is designed for parents but Part One is also appropriate for teens that are interested in using Donna’s process to discover their Highest Values and Priorities.

Part One:
Values Determination Process for Parents and Teens,
Prioritizing

Lunch Break

Part Two:
Values Determination Process for Children’s Values,
Family Dynamics and Customized Learning
(Pre-req: Must have attended Session One)


To learn more about Donna and her process visit www.AnInspiredEducation.com

Connect with Donna at: www.facebook.com/DonnaVailInternational


Links for
More info on the Radiant Living & Learning Retreat
or
Registration

Early Bird discounts are available through August 15.


What does “Radiant Living” even mean???

By 2007 life events had led me to a point where I could no longer ignore the fact that I was put on this earth to
1. learn how to confidently hear and follow my “Inner Voice of Wisdom” and
2. help others do the same.

Often I just call it “The Voice” but it goes by many names: Intuition, Instinct, Gut Feelings, Higher Self, Inner Knowing, Emotional Guidance and more.  No matter what we call it or what we believe it to be, we’ve all “heard” it at one time or another – or THOUGHT we heard it and wondered.

Sometimes we listen and sometimes we don’t.

At pivotal moments in my life, this Voice has “come through” very loud and clear as it echoed in my head.  Other times it has taken a more subtle form: gentle nudges, strong feelings, hunches, feeling “guided” to take a certain action and other hard to describe phenomena .  But however my Inner Wisdom ultimately communicates with me, it always rings true in my heart and I have learned after 41 years of “experimentation” that it’s in my best interest to listen.

We are born tuned into The Voice, but the voices of our family, teachers and other “authorities” often steer us away from listening.  Sometimes this is done subtly and sometimes with strong coercion, threats or punishment.  By the time we are grown, most of us have learned to successfully ignore or drown out our Inner Voice of Wisdom with the external voices that hold power in our lives, our communities and in our culture in general.

What does all this have to do with Alternative Education or Partnership Parenting?

For me, choosing to approach education and parenting in this way is:

  1. a result of hearing (and finally following) my Inner Voice of Wisdom
    and
  2. a means by which I can continually practice listening – and recalibrating my actions and choices to line up with my Inner Wisdom

Almost every external voice I’ve ever heard has said things like:

  • “Children are too young and inexperienced to know what they want.  They CAN’T know what’s good for them.”
  • “Learning is difficult and can only happen when children are FORCED to sit and attend to ‘unpreferred’ activities.”
  • “There are certain things EVERY child MUST know and they must learn it in the time frame and order in which ‘educational professionals’ prescribe.”
  • “We must DEMAND respect from children (without reciprocating that respect).  We should not be our children’s ‘friends’ and if we don’t discipline, punish and force our children to do certain things, they will never learn respect, responsibility or be motivated to do anything productive with their time.”

My Inner Voice of Wisdom has NEVER agreed with these ideas on education and parenting that seem to be dominant in western culture at large.  The moment I made the decision to Unschool and try parenting without using punishment, the most profound sense of Peace came over me.  I’ve learned over the years that this sense of Peace is a strong indication that my actions are coming into alignment with my Inner Wisdom that has never steered me wrong.

Of course doubts and questions have arisen as our family has made our way toward Unschooling and Partnership Parenting, but these have just been opportunities for me to practice quieting those external voices and tune into myself and my children to find the answer that is right for our family.  And when things are still unclear I seek out experienced people on this path whose voices resonate with my my own Inner Wisdom.

Trusting children is a primary component to Unschooling and Partnership Parenting.  In my experience, learning to hear, trust and follow my OWN Inner Wisdom is ESSENTIAL to learning to trust my children.  How can we ever trust THEIR Inner Wisdom if we are unwilling or unable to trust our own?

So for me, Unschooling and working toward parenting in a non-coercive way can only be accomplished if I am CONTINUALLY tuning into my Inner Voice and recalibrating my actions to line up with that Voice.

Why RADIANT Living & Learning?

I’ve found that people who live from the inside out – meaning their motivations, choices and actions come from an authority within – these people GLOW.  Their lights shine more brightly in the world.  They RADIATE beauty and confidence and love and acceptance.  We are drawn to these people because we want to be like them – maybe not precisely imitating the details of their lives – but we want to live our lives with the confidence and authenticity they do.  There is a light in each of us that is trying to shine just as brightly.

We cannot live & learn “radiantly” when we are following someone else’s agenda.  That just dims our LIGHTS or blocks them out entirely.  When we are following our Inner Wisdom, pursuing our passions and fulfilling our life purpose, we SHINE.

At Radiant Living & Learning Events you will hear from Radiant Community Members who are creating the lives they desire by following their own inner voice.

If something you read on this website resonates with YOUR Inner Voice of Wisdom or makes you pause to reconsider the way you’ve always done things, the Radiant Living Community is sure to provide more inspiration and encouragement to confidently create the life you desire for yourself and your family.

We hope you will join us ONLINE or IN PERSON soon!

Heaps of Love,

 

 

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