The Benefits of Flexibility

Thanks again to Janine for sharing her passion for crafting beaded spiders with our crew on Friday.

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Flexibility has always been a defining trait of DRC — perhaps our most valuable one. We are small enough to adapt quickly and open enough to encourage every voice to challenge assumptions, explore all the possibilities, and chart an entirely new course when the situation demands it, from the organizational level all the way down to each student member. 

This innate ability has served us well and, as we look ahead, it will remain the engine of our growth. In the coming year, I want to deepen our already vibrant community and intergenerational connections — bringing in more businesses, organizations, and individuals who share our vision.

To that end, I am seeking eight to ten people from our wider community who are eager to share their skills, talents, and passions with our students at least twice a month. Their involvement will enrich hands-on learning and forge meaningful relationships that last well beyond the classroom. Please get in touch if you would be excited about exploring this opportunity. 

The revised archival piece below — drawn from our second year — speaks directly to both of these strengths. It illustrates not only our flexibility but our enduring commitment to community engagement. The original can be accessed via the provided link.

Pivot, Turn, Stretch, Bend ...
3/29/2015
When I put together our Top Ten list, flexibility came in at number five — but only because that is the order it occurred to me. Given the chance to rearrange it, I would move it much higher. It may be the most important thing we do.

At DRC, we believe almost anything can be education. More than that, we believe every student who walks through our doors deserves a path that fits them — not the other way around. When a child tells me what they want to learn, my job is simply to connect them to the person or experience that will make it possible. Their curiosity does the rest.

The past few weeks have given me some wonderful examples.

One of our email subscribers got in touch after reading a recent post. Her eight-year-old daughter had a passion for making things — she wanted to learn to sew and to knit. It turned out my first college degree was in Fashion Design, so sewing was easy to say yes to. Within the hour, I had also reached a friend who was glad to offer knitting lessons the following week. Since then, this little maker has sewn a bag, a skirt complete with a fancy train, and a vest with a cape — all on her own sewing machine. She has had her first knitting and crochet lesson, shaped a clay sculpture, and dictated a story to go with it. We are putting the finishing touches on that story now, typing it up and turning it into a real book. A dress from one of my old patterns is next.

A student who joined us about a month ago is twelve, nearly thirteen, and she already knows she wants to be a neurosurgeon. She dove straight into anatomy, starting with the bones of the human skeleton — using our brand new half-size model, generously donated by Nature's Storehouse — and is now working her way through the carpal and tarsal bones by name. She is also taking an online biology course through SUNY Canton. In one of our early conversations, she mentioned she wanted to learn Arabic. Three hours later, after a few calls to the Modern Language Department at SLU, she had a tutor. Three lessons in, she is well on her way.

Then there is our thirteen-year-old, who came to me one afternoon and said, plainly, that she was done with online math. I asked what she wanted to learn instead. Every day math, she said. What followed was one of the best classes we have had all year. She and the future neurosurgeon pulled out a household budget sheet, researched their dream careers, looked up the cost of a one-bedroom apartment in Canton, and worked through what life might actually look like. It was fascinating to watch them think. This student's dream — the one she has carried for years — is to open a bakery. Cupcakes are her specialty. We talked about culinary school and apprenticeships, about what it means to run a business, about the kind of grit it takes to build something from nothing. I am absolutely rooting for her. Canton needs a great bakery.

What makes all of this possible is that DRC has no fixed agenda and no defined curriculum. We are not limited to what our staff can teach because we have always considered the broader community our extended faculty. Every student builds their own program, sets their own goals, and shapes an education that is entirely and perfectly their own. When interests change — and they do — we change with them. We sit down with each student every week to listen, brainstorm, and support whatever direction they want to move in next.

These three kids — eight, twelve, and thirteen — are living their dreams today. They may grow into something entirely different from what they imagine now, and that is perfectly fine. What matters is that they are engaged, purposeful, and learning how to learn. They are in the driver's seat, and DRC is proud to be along for the ride.

DRC News

Weekly Wrap-up

We are back from Spring Break. 

Monday was a chill, rainy day with a small group that slowly eased back into our regular routine. And we forgot to capture photos.

The DRC Crew had a hopping Tuesday. In Kitchen Sink Science, they used purple cabbage juice to determine whether ten different liquids are acids or bases. Then, they used PH strips to back up their findings. Our cooks made BBQ pork and potatoes for lunch. T made an elaborate Lego creation at home and brought it in to show everyone.

Thursday was another busy day with plenty of creativity. 

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Friday brought these two core values together — community engagement and inter-generational opportunity — in the best way. A huge thank you to Janine Dolley for leading our kids through a beaded spider craft, complete with "adoption certificates" so every spider went home with a name and a “gotcha" date. This visit was funded by the Badenhausen Grant through the Northern NY Community Foundation.  Later in the day, some kiddos then taught our SLU CBL volunteers how to make spiders.

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The DRC Little Free Library is out of order for a bit. We need to dig a hole and set the post in cement for a long-term solution to the instability issue. Stay tuned for progress reports and its reopening. 

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DRC has open enrollment for the 26/27 academic year. If your child is seeking a flexible, hands-on learning environment where they are free to explore their interests and work toward their goals, get in touch today.