"I'm Bored"

Every single day, without fail, one particular kid proclaims, "I'm bored!" And everyday I tell him, "That's good! It means your brain is taking the downtime it needs to get creative." He knows the response he will get every time, yet he continues to say it. He also understands I won't give him a list of suggested activities. For him, this statement of boredom seems to have become a ritual of sorts.


Boredom and downtime are essential. Full stop—period. Our creativity, ingenuity, and imagination are directly linked to our need for rest and quiet. That is when all of those amazing ideas burst to the forefront. The only way to capture them is to embrace those moments of boredom.

Being productive isn't always advantageous. We humans often use busyness to avoid judgment about laziness from others or ourselves.

At DRC, we provide ample time and space for daydreaming, as well as opportunities for free play because we know they are all essential for personal growth, curiosity, and discovery. Yes, we actively encourage those moments of boredom because we know that within every single "I'm bored" lies some live sparks of creative energy. We do not dictate what kids should do. Instead, we offer opportunities, support, encouragement, and resources while stepping back to follow their lead. We watch children effectively problem-solve and manage interpersonal relationships, when faced with obstacles, every single day.

When kids understand they are trusted with their own thoughts, ideas, and skills those instants of ingenuity arise more frequently, and, most importantly, they gain the confidence to trust themselves.

Explore the Possibilities isn't just a tagline, it is our motto and lived experience. 

DRC News

It was an absolute pleasure to meet Dr. Tooley, from England, the author of The Beautiful Tree: A Personal Journey Into How the World's Poorest People Are Educating Themselves. He is working with VELA, an organization that supports alternative education, to gather stories for another book,The Beautiful Tree: in America and stopped in to interview me.. DRC received a $10,000 grant from VELA in 2022.

Even though DRC was closed for the last day of Spring Break on Monday, and he didn't get to meet any of our kiddos, we had a great conversation about self-directed education as it pertains to our philosophy and students. Additionally, we discussed how DRC fits into our wider community and the role we play to help young people in the NoCo move forward beyond the confines of the existing educational paradigm.

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This was a short but busy week for the Canton Crew. Thursday, photographer and DRC Board President Tiffanie Jacob, came to take our annual photos for our memory book. We switched things up and went to Heritage Park for some interesting backgrounds.

Then on Friday, we took a field trip to the Cornell Cooperative Extension Farm and had a blast playing with baby animals. Thanks to Carmen for showing us around!

The DRC Pop-ups Peeps had fun at Nicandri on Wednesday afternoon. Then on Thursday, they bought some strange soda and did taste tests, then participated in a sticker-making activity at the Massena Library.