deeprootcenter
  • Home
    • Contact
    • Testimonials
    • Guiding Principles
  • About Us
    • Consultations
    • Summer Program
    • DRC Calendar
    • Resources >
      • Liberated Learners Network
  • Get Involved
    • Unconditional Love Fundraising Campaign
    • Donate
    • Sponsor a DRC Kid
    • Thank you
  • Blog

Explore the Possibilities with Us

Donate

Urgent Care

3/1/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Deep Root Center has become the educational equivalent to an urgent care facility in St. Lawrence County. We have helped seven kids leave school, in the past few months. Similar to any other crisis situation, when a parent has a child who is exhibiting alarming symptoms such as: resistance to attending school, severe unhappiness with school, physical illness related to attending school, personality changes, or depression they are desperate for help; many families have discovered that Deep Root Center offers prompt, professional, and compassionate assistance to their child's urgent needs.

Throughout the country the incidence of social anxiety among young people has risen dramatically. These growing numbers are reflected locally by the sheer number of phone calls and emails DRC receives each week requesting information and/or assistance.

Many articles on the Internet blame the symptoms of teen anxiety on the use of social media and technology as a crutch or reason to avoid social interactions. I believe, however, this flourishing phenomenon is actually a direct result of intense and unfriendly classroom environments, high stakes testing, opportunities for cyber bullying, old-fashioned school yard bullying, increased pressure from society, sexualization of girl's clothing choices, extreme competition, and media expectations.

Anxiety and stress, for most kids, really is a matter of extreme emergency. They, as a last resort, refuse to attend school because they have often done everything they can think of to express their despair within the system. This of course brings a legal element into play. Strict New York State laws dictate mandatory, compulsory school attendance for children ages 6-16. Schools call parents, threatening intervention by Social Services if the absences continue, everyday the child is not in school. These daily phone calls frequently feel like harassment to the families.

Deep Root Center provides a respite from this bombardment. If they choose to homeschool, with or without becoming a member of Deep Root Center, we work directly with them to complete the two initial documents required by New York State to officially leave school.

Each family first follows a simple template to write and submit a letter of intent to homeschool to their school superintendent. I then meet with the student (and family) to ascertain their particular interests. This is when I ask those questions that usually get a deer in the headlights response (see, I have to vs. I want to). Kids eventually start presenting ideas after some gentle prodding and encouragement. This process sometimes can take a couple of hours or even a few days. They simply can't believe that they are truly in charge of their education.

All of this information is transformed into an IHIP (Individualized Home Instruction Plan); the second mandatory written document that lists all of the required subjects. This essentially becomes each students learning plan. And, I always make a point of explaining to each youth, it is a guideline, an organic, living, breathing document that can be changed.

These, however, are only the first steps toward healing. Kids are then offered the chance to decompress, choose their educational path, and take charge of their own learning. This is where the “care” part of “urgent care” comes in to play. Our honest desire to help is communicated through our willingness to listen closely to everything a child says. Our empathetic response helps to build a profound and meaningful relationship with each young person and their family.

A student has to feel safe and understood, and then they have to take time to de-school. This means they actually need to take some time off from organized, scheduled learning. It is during this period that they will begin to gain self-awareness, self confidence, and actually discover what they are truly passionate about. This phase can't be hurried along, just like anything else related to life, it will resolve in its own sweet time. You can learn more about this process in Grace Llewelyn's classic, The Teenage Liberation Handbook. DRC has a copy you can borrow.


Parents often call me in a panic when their kids enter this stage because it looks like their child isn't “doing” anything. I offer reassurance that is perfectly natural and they aren't actually “doing nothing.” Their brains are working overtime to process this new way of looking at the world. It usually occurs to them within a of couple days, that being in charge of your education brings awesome amounts of freedom, along with a ton of responsibility. When your life has been centered around going to school and being told what and what not to do for three, five, or eight years, that is a scary realization.

This phase ends eventually and students come out the other side thrilled by the world of possibilities. They want to be engaged in life-long learning opportunities. They want to participate as a contributing member of their community. They are excited to take advantage of classes and internships. All of this is possible because they have been offered the option to choose their own path, as well as the support to discover their interests and passions.

Our job, on one level sounds very simple – listen, and respond with professional, thoughtful assistance. What we do at DRC every single day, is actually fairly complex; we hold the knowledge and power to change lives for the better.









0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Don't miss a post!

    Sign-up here to get the DRC Blog delivered to your inbox.

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013

Picture
© 2023 Whole Learners, Inc. 501(c)3
Deep Root Center
48 Riverside Drive, Canton, NY 13617

​315*244*3034/maria@deeprootcenter.org
  • Home
    • Contact
    • Testimonials
    • Guiding Principles
  • About Us
    • Consultations
    • Summer Program
    • DRC Calendar
    • Resources >
      • Liberated Learners Network
  • Get Involved
    • Unconditional Love Fundraising Campaign
    • Donate
    • Sponsor a DRC Kid
    • Thank you
  • Blog