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Yes, indeed, those moments - the ones when I feel discouraged, incompetent, and ineffective. As I have mentioned a few times, trust is one of the most important components of self-directed learning. I firmly believe every kid intuitively knows what they need and will seek it out on their own terms, and I will always support them to do just that. Nevertheless, there are times I forget to trust myself and this process. I was having one of those moments last weekend. Wallowing - would sum up this particular funk nicely. Then, out of the blue, a text arrived from a young adult who had been a member of DRC in our very early years. Her main point was to wish me a Happy Birthday - but in the process, she explained that she would not be in the positive place she is now if it had not been for DRC and wanted to thank me. She is doing really well in a career that she loves. As we continued the text conversation, she said that because of her experience at DRC, she was confident in leaving college after a year and taking on an unconventional job that fit her skills, talents, and interests beautifully. Now that I recall, the most fascinating part of this story is that she came in sporadically because she had a full plate of responsibilities at home - helping to care for younger foster siblings. When she did come in, she socialized with a few other teens and did tons of art. She was not at all interested in academics or formal mentoring sessions. I never felt like I offered her much. Looking back, I can say she needed us for one thing - to be that safe space where she felt completely comfortable following her interests and exploring the different versions of herself without judgment until she discovered her authentic self. Next time I feel myself sliding into a 'moment' - I hope to recall that each of these kids needs something different from us and trust that they will find it - because we support them in this diverse, open, welcoming environment to do just that. DRC True Story  This DRC-CANTON kiddo has refused to join any cooking or baking sessions. But she adores eating everything we bake - especially our made-from-scratch biscuits. I asked EH if she would help make biscuits for our traditional turkey meal because she loves them so much. I encouraged her by saying if she learned how she could make them whenever she wanted. She replied, "I don't know how to bake," and I said, "That is the point of the baking class." Then she mentioned that her Dad loves biscuits, too. I told her we could make some for him and put them aside. That is when she agreed to make them. They were pretty OK - for the first try. Later that day, she was shaping the salt play dough other kids had made and asked if she could make Christmas cookies someday. I think she will be joining our baking crew more frequently! DRC News
Both Centers celebrated Thanksgiving this past week. On Tuesday, DRC-Canton enjoyed a full traditional feast made by the cooking and baking crews. And on Wednesday the DRC-East Crew put together and ate very cool charcuterie boards, played games, and sang karaoke with Kris R. - their special guest.   Just in time for the Holidays - DRC has two merch stores - Bonfire and Printify where you can get all your DRC Swag. What a fun way to support DRC and do your Holiday Shopping.
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It is once again the time of year that I hold onto my other ideas for Blog topics to update all of you on our progress over the previous 12 months and then humbly ask you to help us stick around for another year. Honestly, this annual appeal feels like it has higher stakes - mainly because the big grants we wrote didn’t get funded. Nevertheless, I have faith that our dedication to the mission and the stories from the kids themselves will inspire folks to join us in keeping it alive for all our current families and those who will reach out for our help in the coming months and years. The narratives we hear from parents daily keep us motivated - like the Mom of one of the kids who home schools on their own and consults with me, who called on Friday to say she wasn’t sure what to tell me to write in his quarterly report. Then she proceeded to say this 16-year-old kid (who had been nearly impossible to live with and was on track to be put on PINS by his social worker) has been volunteering to do things around the house, including decorating and organizing tasks for his extended family, is super pleasant to be around (according to her a major attitude adjustment), and he is working non-stop on an ATV to get it running. Additionally, his interest in RC cars has been renewed, and he is getting those operational again. All of this in the four weeks since he left school. Needless to say, I had plenty to write in his report. Even though this kiddo does not come to Deep Root Center - he has my full support to follow his interests and explore the possibilities. That, right there, is our why! Thank you for reading our Fall Funding Appeal, and supporting us in whatever way you can. Together we make a difference - one kid at a time!   DRC-Canton kiddos enjoying the Grasse River spring run-off by throwing "pooh sticks" from their favorite outdoor adventure place - the SUNY Canton foot-bridge. Wow, another year just sped by, and Deep Root Center (DRC) is set to celebrate our tenth anniversary in January. My annual message each of those years has not changed much - we are still here (now with two locations), and despite our austerity budget - the number of kids we serve continues to expand, the amount we provide in fee reductions has grown substantially (200K+ - this year), and DRC's reputation in the community for providing a safe, non-coercive environment where kids are trusted to freely follow their interests to be themselves has only solidified. Nonetheless, in the not-for-profit world, DRC doesn't quite fit the typical fund-able mold. We are committed to staying small and flexible, and we are passionately fierce in our dedication to our mission. We are focused solely on supporting the amazingly brave kids who refuse to fit into societal expectations and would otherwise fall through the cracks. Additionally, we don't speak "entrepreneurial" - the language of capitalism. We consider these traits our strengths. However, those who gate-keep the grants and funding for not-for-profits often see it differently. With that being said, we are deeply grateful for the local businesses and individuals who recognize our value to the community, donated items to our silent auction, contributed to annual appeals or monthly, and sponsored our kiddos this year. Our mission might not be sexy or provide overloads of cuteness, and the language we use doesn't bring to mind a business; however, as evidenced by these quotes from DRC families, we are changing lives every single day. And for us, that is the only thing that matters.
Your financial contributions will go a long way in helping us continue our one mission. You can donate one-time or monthly or even purchase an item from our Amazon wishlist. If you know of someone who is excited about outside-the-box ideas and supporting kids, please spread the word: the Deep Root Center board is also seeking sponsorships from individuals, businesses, and organizations - stores committed to doing a roundup campaign or restaurants or bars willing to have a DRC Day and donate a percentage of a day’s sales. We are grateful for you sharing our message. Thank you!  Some of our DRC-East Kiddos in action.  A few DRC-Canton kids doing their thing. 
Deep Root Center Mission:
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. Staff: Maria Corse - Executive Director. & Founder, Christopher Raymo - DRC-Canton Staff, Karen Gagne - DRC-East Lead Staff & Mentor Board of Directors: Virginia Galligan, Tiffanie Jacob, Susan Foster, & Candace Cowser One of the things I hear most frequently is "I am not (do not know how to be) self-directed" (or "my kid is not self-directed"). I am finally learning to stop brushing this concern off with a breezy "not yet" or something similarly nonchalant. Another DRC teen told me, "I can't do this - I am not self-directed," a few weeks ago and followed up with the statement - "I am going back to school." This sentence never fails to surprise me, stops me dead in my tracks, and then breaks my heart into tiny pieces - every damn time. And only once I am safely alone, can I cry and scream with frustration into the void. You see, I know how thoroughly miserable they were in school - which is why they sought us out in the first place. However, at the moment, I was taken aback, ineffectual (wishy-washy) at best - expressing concern for them but not addressing the underlying reason fueling their desire to leave. We live in a competitive culture that coaxes (coaches) productivity and the ability to fit in ("be normal"). We get there by training (coercing) people to perform to our exacting expectations (curriculum) - with no exemptions or excuses. Sticks and carrots are our chief motivators. This is infused into every aspect of our lives. Most of us have come to expect external motivation and honestly don't know what our personal intrinsic drive looks or feels like. When someone comes along and says, "You are now in charge of making decisions for yourself - you get to follow your heart and your interests. I trust you and will not tell you what to do." After a short period of "detox," there are guaranteed to be moments of complete and utter panic. "What!" "Hold on!" "I can't do this!" "I am not doing enough!" "No one told me it would be this hard!" And that, right there, is the exact instant we could lose them. If I could somehow wave a magic wand and go back to every conversation that started with someone telling me, "I don't know how to be self-directed." I would take them deadly seriously and say something akin to this: Yes, self-direction is scary and challenging, especially when you have never had the opportunity to let your natural learning instincts have free range. But once you get past the pressure to be productive and do school-like stuff - that truly holds no interest or necessity - you will discover a desire and comfort within that newly found freedom to seek out the information pertinent to you as an individual. That moment, right there, is where self-direction (motivation) is reborn. It takes time and patience within those frustrated, anxiety-ridden moments - but eventually, if you give yourself the gift of space (and grace), you will find your way to allow your curiosity to lead you to freely explore thoughts and ideas, get creative and messy, make mistakes, and discover the authentic you. Yes, that, right there, is exactly what I will say next time someone confides that they are scared that they aren't doing enough and that they will somehow fail life. That - and I will probably (most definitely) offer them a hug, too. I'll leave you with something to consider - this just occurred to me - I have never heard a 4, 5, or 6-year-old say they don't know how to be self-directed. No, indeed - they are fiercely themselves and unafraid to imagine all the possibilities and jump right in. Hell! They can even travel to the moon - in a painted cardboard box if they want to (true story). DRC News Just in time for the Holidays - DRC has two merch stores - Bonfire and Printify where you can get all your DRC Swag. What a fun way to support DRC and do your Holiday Shopping.
Our short week - in photos...   Free play (without adult direction or influence) in a multi-age environment is the one clue that will always give away a self-directed learning space. There are plenty of progressive schools that tout "multi-age" classrooms that include two to three, generally elementary, grade levels. (Here is a reminder of the difference between progressive and self-directed education from Peter Gray.) Yes, they are technically, but without an age span of at least 4 - 6 years - they, on the whole, miss the developmental and educational benefits of a multi-age environment. Our fiercely independent young children learn important concepts from the tweens & teens, and then, on the flip side - the older kids learn patience, kindness, responsibility, curiosity, and how to be silly - with abandon and joy. The life lessons within those shared experiences and respectful relationships will likely last a lifetime. And when you introduce the modality of free play - it is beautiful to behold. We intentionally replace the word "work" with "play" in every context. We model playing with words, food, numbers, paint, social concepts, science experiments, music and instruments, problem-solving, and all our creative pursuits. We engage every single one of our senses, ask questions, experiment, get messy, and make mistakes that we then learn how to fix. In this way, we reintroduce learning as something fun and exciting to kids who previously considered it a drudgery and something to dread. Self-directed learning is indeed a paradigm shift of gigantic proportions - where a passerby may see (and hear) loud, boisterous, untethered, chaotic, and noneducational activity - I experience the unfiltered and joyful essence of happy kids taking on free exploration and natural learning opportunities while gaining massive amounts of knowledge that is pertinent to them in an environment where each individual is celebrated for who they are. DRC News We've had a week to decompress from our Halloween Jamboree adventures. Thanks again to everyone who made it a huge success. And thank you to everyone who participated in our October 50/50 Raffle. The winning ticket was drawn by VG, our birthday kiddo, on Halloween. The winner came to the Center on Thursday to pick up the check for 727.50! She very graciously donated a portion of it back to us. This was our second 50/50 Raffle this year and both had considerable winnings. keep an eye out for our next raffle. Our fundraising efforts are just beginning - stay-tuned for our annual funding appeal letter and other opportunities to support Deep Root Center. As always, you can donate one-time or monthly, or sponsor a DRC Kid.
Both Centers will be closed this coming Thursday & Friday for Veteran's Day and a well deserved Staff Day of R&R. Enjoy these photos from the past week.   |
