Are You Ready for a Change?
New members are being accepted into all of our programs, throughout the year.
With two facilities in the North Country, Deep Root Center offers an alternative to school for young people ages 5-19. We are here to support you, as an individual, moving forward, in a unique direction, to follow your interests and goals, at a pace that is right for you. Our main goal is to encourage our student members to rediscover and embrace their natural playfulness, curiosity, and creativity; and, in the process, rekindle their love of learning and belief in themselves. DRC trusts that all young people are capable of self-regulation and that they will make good choices when offered the opportunity.
DRC is Not a School
At Deep Root Center (DRC), we believe that all young people deserve a safe educational environment where they feel like they are part of a community - and where they are free to explore all the possibilities. Learning can only happen when kids intuitively understand that they are secure, accepted, and trusted to make decisions, make mistakes, and explore all their interests to achieve their ever-evolving aspirations.
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Your kid isn't into school. But you know they would thrive in the right environment. We trust that each child will lead the way in working together to create that environment from scratch. All topics and formats are on the table. Everything is possible.
Young People Who Choose Deep Root Center:
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DRC Culture of Trust and Respect
Everyone is welcome and celebrated at Deep Root Center as a unique individual. Our policy of radical inclusivity gives us the freedom to accept, support, respect, and trust every young person on their learning journey.
Programs & Services
Collage by Kenzie Corse
In-Person Membership
Now with two locations in St Lawrence County - Deep Root Center-Canton and Deep Root Center-East, in North Lawrence, we serve children between ages 5-19. Every student member has full access to DRC facilities, programs (including the Seedlings program for ages 5-10), resources, tools and equipment, learning plan development, as well as a mentoring relationship with our caring supportive staff and community.
Seedlings
Deep Root Center provides a safe, non-coercive environment where each young child's innate love of learning, natural curiosity, and unique way of looking at the world is celebrated and nurtured and is what guides their specific learning plan.
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The Seedlings Program is designed for ages 5-10
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This service is for students who want to pursue homeschooling on their own and need help with NYS homeschool documentation (IHIP, Quarterly Reports, etc), resources, as well as building transcripts. The DRC Executive Director will schedule consultation appointments to help families navigate the process.
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The DRC-Canton Summer Program is designed to offer opportunities for hands-on exploration, creativity, and fun that children crave. DRC provides a space filled with resources and materials where kids are encouraged to explore their interests freely.
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The DRC-East Summer Programs at the North Lawrence facility are designed to offer hands-on opportunities for children 7+ (12+ for 2nd week) within three specific themes: Sustainability & Survival, Life Skills & Coping Mechanisms, & Art, Music & Creativity.
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Fees
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In-Person Membership Fees
Deep Root Center does not refuse any child based on their family financial situations; we promise to work with every child who wants to join us.
Full fee in Canton and North Lawrence, both four day a week programs, is $5490.00 a year per child or $610.00 a month, over 9 months. However, only some families pay full fee. Each family tells us what they can afford. An amount no lower than the minimum fee set at each of the Centers. Get in touch to learn more. |
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Meet our Staff:
Executive Director & Founder
Maria (pronouns: she/her) is a seasoned facilitator, mentor, and self-directed educational consultant with nineteen years of experience in alternative educational settings. Determined to provide a safe, non-coercive, self-directed learning option in Northern New York where young people can freely choose their own unique paths, Maria founded Deep Root Center in January 2014.
Maria firmly believes that learning is an individual pursuit - driven by curiosity, interests, and aspirations. And, within that, education is a collaboration, which includes a supportive community, mentor-ship, mutual respect, trust, deep conversations, questions, hands-on experimentation, and playfulness.
Born and raised in Northern New York, Maria left for twelve years. In that time, she earned a Fashion Design degree at Cazenovia College, worked as a nanny and then in retail (managing a cookware store) in the greater Boston area, moved to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, and married her husband, Mike, (also from the NoCo) in Denver. They returned home in 1995 to raise their two children. She went back to college when her kids were young and earned a Bachelor's degree in Anthropology from SUNY Potsdam in 2003. She also received her certification in mental health first aid in August of 2020.
A writer, Maria, creates a weekly blog post for Deep Root Center. She has also written two children's chapter books - one of which has been self-published.
Maria is also the lead staff person at DRC-Canton and is in North Lawrence on occasional Wednesdays to support the DRC- East staff.
Maria firmly believes that learning is an individual pursuit - driven by curiosity, interests, and aspirations. And, within that, education is a collaboration, which includes a supportive community, mentor-ship, mutual respect, trust, deep conversations, questions, hands-on experimentation, and playfulness.
Born and raised in Northern New York, Maria left for twelve years. In that time, she earned a Fashion Design degree at Cazenovia College, worked as a nanny and then in retail (managing a cookware store) in the greater Boston area, moved to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, and married her husband, Mike, (also from the NoCo) in Denver. They returned home in 1995 to raise their two children. She went back to college when her kids were young and earned a Bachelor's degree in Anthropology from SUNY Potsdam in 2003. She also received her certification in mental health first aid in August of 2020.
A writer, Maria, creates a weekly blog post for Deep Root Center. She has also written two children's chapter books - one of which has been self-published.
Maria is also the lead staff person at DRC-Canton and is in North Lawrence on occasional Wednesdays to support the DRC- East staff.
Canton Staff
Elian (pronouns: he/him) is originally from Iowa, and went to school in Delaware. He came up to Canton to go to college. School hasn’t turned out to be for him so while he was pursuing his degree in Early Childhood Education, he decided to leave and finish his teaching assistant certificate on his own.
In his free time, Elian likes to embroider, paint, and write creative non-fiction. He has also been playing guitar since he was 8. He volunteers sometimes at various places around Potsdam. He has Finn, his sidekick, who takes the form of a white, wiry-haired terrier with an overbite. Mabel, a standard size brindle poodle service dog joined their household in the Spring of 2022.
Like Steve Miller’s “The Joker,” Elian has a lot of jobs. He reviews off-brand Fruit Loops on Facebook, he’s a pet dad, a volunteer, a writer, an artist, a guitarist, an embroiderer, and he bakes mean gluten-free, sugar-free cookies. He now works at Deep Root, which he can add to his long list of things that excite him.
We are delighted that Elian will continue as staff at the Canton Center.
In his free time, Elian likes to embroider, paint, and write creative non-fiction. He has also been playing guitar since he was 8. He volunteers sometimes at various places around Potsdam. He has Finn, his sidekick, who takes the form of a white, wiry-haired terrier with an overbite. Mabel, a standard size brindle poodle service dog joined their household in the Spring of 2022.
Like Steve Miller’s “The Joker,” Elian has a lot of jobs. He reviews off-brand Fruit Loops on Facebook, he’s a pet dad, a volunteer, a writer, an artist, a guitarist, an embroiderer, and he bakes mean gluten-free, sugar-free cookies. He now works at Deep Root, which he can add to his long list of things that excite him.
We are delighted that Elian will continue as staff at the Canton Center.
DRC-East Lead Staff
Angie (pronouns: she/her) is a North Country native who has been working with youth in non-traditional settings for the past 25 years. She enjoys her tiny house in the foothills of the ADK Park, and her love of nature and photography have given her a fulfilling pastime during the pandemic. She is a Board Member of the Local Living Venture and the Academy of Excellence as well as an Auxiliary member for both the local AmVets and Fire Department.
A bit of a hippie at heart, she is heavily involved with the Doers Raising Doers community and teaching her children and grandchildren about the moon phases and her “pocket rocks”. Like most born and raised NoCo girls, she enjoys fishing, hiking, and camping. She is looking forward to getting to know the DRC community and helping it grow and thrive in the coming years.
A bit of a hippie at heart, she is heavily involved with the Doers Raising Doers community and teaching her children and grandchildren about the moon phases and her “pocket rocks”. Like most born and raised NoCo girls, she enjoys fishing, hiking, and camping. She is looking forward to getting to know the DRC community and helping it grow and thrive in the coming years.