Archive · A project we founded

Pai Home Care and Learning

These days many people ask, if we founded a school based on wellbeing — what would it be like? But we don't have to ask this question. We dreamed it, we created it, and and we still believe in the magic of what we created — a consent based, sociocratic, mixed age, self-directed learning community. We will never forget the families who made this space what it was, the land itself that provided so much of the provocation for learning, and the lessons we learned about what it means to truly learn and be human, together.

Below is an archive of our website at the time of our closure.

Our Unschooling Community — Learning is not the product of teaching. Learning is the product of the activity of the learners. — John Holt

Children and facilitators gathered in a circle on the blue-tiled floor of the unschooling community room

What We Are

We Are Not A School, But We Are A Community

Consent Based

We are a learning community where children learn based on consent. We value the theory of self-determination and believe in fully supporting the three main areas of the theory: autonomy, competence, and belonging. Adults and children alike offer workshops, lessons, and activities based on need, want, and curiosity. It's up to each learner to decide what they want to or don't want to engage in.

Who is Our Unschooling Community For?

Homeschoolers | Unschoolers | Worldschoolers

Unconventional Families

Our community is not a school, therefore, we welcome families who are committed to unconventionally educating their children. We are happy to have our community included in your child's educational plan and are happy to collaborate and be responsive to the needs of your child.

Neurodivergent Children & Families

We value neurodiversity and we have experience working with many neurodivergent children and families. Our unique way of viewing behavior and our understanding of nervous system integration and sensory processing allow us to provide safe and informed care and support to the families in our community.

Residents & Travellers

We welcome those who plan to stay in Pai long term as well as those who are passing by on their world schooling journeys. We love the buzz in the air when we meet new friends, no matter how long they stay, however, for a good experience within our community we believe a minimum of 2 weeks is essential.

Archive · The space we built

See Our Space

A glimpse into the everyday life in our community — rooted in nature, creative expression, and autonomy.

Children sharing a meal together on a mat outdoors, and a group gathered at the edge of a pond

Children in a circle on the blue-tiled floor, gathered under a shaded porch, and a curious cow visiting the yard

Two children reading on the couch, a group playing a board game on the floor, and children building with wooden tracks and blocks

Children sewing at a turquoise table, the library shelves filled with books, and a story being read aloud on the floor

Children prepping food together, stirring a pan on the stovetop, and exploring bottles in the kitchen

Sand and water play outdoors, a mud kitchen scattered with bougainvillea petals, and children washing dishes at the sink

Children with hula hoops on a dirt path, a child sheltering under a banana leaf, and muddy play by a small pool

A child using a power drill on wood, a child with a hammer and a tray of tools, and children carrying a long pipe across the yard

A child sawing wood on a woven mat, a guided sawing lesson outdoors, and a child measuring a wooden board with a ruler

Children gathered around a small brush fire outdoors, a child playing at a bamboo mud kitchen, and two children painting a bamboo structure

Focused on Wellbeing and Creative Expression

Our community is focused on the well-being of every child. As we co-create the meaning of the world around us, we know that there are moments of conflict and confusion. We take pride in knowing that each child and family in our space is cared for in holistic and neurodiversity-affirming ways. We value and provide creative ways to explore who you are and how to communicate your needs through individual mentoring, group explorations, and family support.

Children gathered around a table covered in dark paint, yarn, and pink flowers during a collaborative art project

An older child holding a toddler's hand as they wade together in a shallow sunlit stream

Mixed-Age

We offer a mixed-age learning community for children from 1 year old to 15 years old. There are no classes or cohorts. Conventional systems segregate children by age, however, we believe the best learning happens when we're in an authentic community with one another. Peer scaffolding allows each child to find what they need to learn the newest skills they want to acquire. Irregardless of age and with a focus on needs, there are times in the day/week when we responsively gather based on in the moment social-emotional learning needs, language needs, or skill development needs.

Non-Violent, Co-Regulatory, and Sociocratic

We believe all emotions are valid and important for a healthy integration of life experiences. And we believe that everyone has a right to be psychologically and physically safe. Because of these beliefs, we use the approach of Non-Violent Communication as an anchor for facilitating conflict resolution which allows us to hold space for all emotions— including uncomfortable ones— while also helping young people find resolution and repair within the community. We anchor our non-judgment in the idea that all behavior is communication and that adults in our space act as co-regulators for the young people in our care. Additionally, we use protocols from Sociocracy as an intentional way to share power and collaboratively make decisions.

Four laminated cards illustrating the Non-Violent Communication and sociocratic process: Understanding (Listening, Clarifying), Brainstorming (Ideation), Decision Making (Consent), and Objections (Welcome)

Two children playing at a muddy pool bordered by red bricks

"A person's freedom of learning is part of his freedom of thought even more basic than his freedom of speech. If we take away from someone his right to decide what he will be curious about, we destroy his freedom of thought. We say, in effect, you must think not about what interests and concerns you, but about what interests and concerns us."

— John Holt

Community Partnerships

We are proud and thankful that our first community partnership was with the non-profit, social circus - Spoon Circus! Spoon Circus has a mission to make circus accessible for all while building confidence through play and joy! Spoon Circus joined our unschooling community once a week to offer circus skill-building and collaborated with our young people on many community performances. We attribute much of our community's success to our partnership with Spoon Circus. Thank you for bringing circus into our lives and honoring our self-determination and autonomy while connecting our community.

Check out the video below to learn more about Spoon Circus and to get a peek into their time with us and how we relate their programming to therapeutic play.

This community is no longer active. This page exists as a record of the practice we lived together.

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