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Saint Anselm College
Manchester, New Hampshire
AERO Conference
June 27-29th, 2025
Why We Need Freedom & Democracy in Education Now!
The Longest Running
Alternative Education Conference
Making Learner-Directed, Learner-Centered Education Available to All
In a rapidly evolving world, the quest for freedom and democracy in education is not just a philosophical debate—it is an urgent necessity. This conference seeks to explore the pivotal role that democratic principles and individual freedoms play in shaping an educational landscape that prepares students to thrive in a complex society.
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Recordings for all Events are posted in the links below.
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Friday
Click To Each View Recordings
Integrated Student Panel
Students from various alternatives will share their experience
Welcome & Overview
Main Room
They Played Their Hand, and We Have to Say, “We’re Not Going Back
COVID revealed a surprising amount of resourcefulness from traditional schools. What do their actions tell us about creating equity in traditional education?
Crystal Byrd Farmer is the founder of Gastonia Freedom School, an Agile Learning Center. An engineer turned educator, she speaks and writes about ways communities can be more welcoming to people of all kinds of backgrounds. She also serves as a board member with the Foundation for Intentional Communities and website editor for Black & Poly. Crystal is passionate about encouraging people to change their perspectives on diversity, relationships, and the world. - www.crystalbyrdfarmer.com
Crystal Byrd Farmer is the founder of Gastonia Freedom School, an Agile Learning Center. An engineer turned educator, she speaks and writes about ways communities can be more welcoming to people of all kinds of backgrounds. She also serves as a board member with the Foundation for Intentional Communities and website editor for Black & Poly. Crystal is passionate about encouraging people to change their perspectives on diversity, relationships, and the world. - www.crystalbyrdfarmer.com
Learning: It's All About Relationships
James Ford is the Family and Community Support Coordinator for the Lewiston Public Schools. He is the former Restorative Practice Coordinator at Lewiston High School. He is a Black male who can trace his lineage to the middle and an owner of land in Georgia where his ancestors were slaves. He has lived in Maine for 40 years and has dealt with many layers of Affirmative Action, discrimination, racism, segregation and implicit bias. He has been doing work on race, or the subject of race all of my life. He loves the Lewiston High School; its diversity and its willingness to shift behaviors to work with the current student population. He sees his role as helping to facilitate that shift…finding ways to bring the school closer to the community. “Let’s open our doors to our parents, businesses and our neighbors.”
Elementary Educator, Parent, Artist, and a kid at heart, Heather Kostell is an advocate for children’s rights and joyful learning. Being labeled by her deficits at an early age, Heather endured years of wounds at the hands of the school system. These negative experiences were the catalyst that pushed her to become a teacher. While teaching, she made it her mission to create a space where children were valued for their strengths, passions, and natural talents. Currently, Heather is exploring self-directed learning with her husband and two children and using her art to express her beliefs in education.
Peter Rawitsch got his calling to become an early childhood educator at the age of 15 when he read the book Summerhill by A.S. Neill. He brought his enthusiasm for the Arts into his 1st grade classroom for 38 years in upstate New York. His goal was to teach a little more like Mr. Rogers and a little less like Sesame Street. He remembers when 1st grade had a block corner. Today he is a public school activist who speaks (and occasionally sings) at School Board meetings in Wilmington, North Carolina about safety, equity, and developmentally appropriate practices.
Aixa B. Rodriguez (born in Bronx, NY) is a Puerto Rican educator and education activist. Rodriguez has been a teacher of English Language Learners in the NYCDOE since 2005. She is the founder of Bronx Educators United for Justice, which hosts community events on a variety of intersectional topics related to public education. A graduate of Fordham University with a BS in Psychology and Latin American studies, she followed a stint in Japan teaching English as Foreign Language, by obtaining a Masters of Science in TESOL. She has served on the steering committee for MORE the Movement of Rank and File Educators for 2019-2020. Since realizing how education reform initiatives are preying on young idealist teachers and experimenting on public school students for profit, she has taken on activism and advocacy as part of her role as a public educator. Her issues include the abuse of standardized testing to usher in privatization of public schools, charter school co-locations, scarcity of services used to deny rights and services to ELLs and students with disabilities, push out of veteran teachers of color, whole child education and quality rich and culturally representative, responsive and respectful curricula."
Elementary Educator, Parent, Artist, and a kid at heart, Heather Kostell is an advocate for children’s rights and joyful learning. Being labeled by her deficits at an early age, Heather endured years of wounds at the hands of the school system. These negative experiences were the catalyst that pushed her to become a teacher. While teaching, she made it her mission to create a space where children were valued for their strengths, passions, and natural talents. Currently, Heather is exploring self-directed learning with her husband and two children and using her art to express her beliefs in education.
Peter Rawitsch got his calling to become an early childhood educator at the age of 15 when he read the book Summerhill by A.S. Neill. He brought his enthusiasm for the Arts into his 1st grade classroom for 38 years in upstate New York. His goal was to teach a little more like Mr. Rogers and a little less like Sesame Street. He remembers when 1st grade had a block corner. Today he is a public school activist who speaks (and occasionally sings) at School Board meetings in Wilmington, North Carolina about safety, equity, and developmentally appropriate practices.
Aixa B. Rodriguez (born in Bronx, NY) is a Puerto Rican educator and education activist. Rodriguez has been a teacher of English Language Learners in the NYCDOE since 2005. She is the founder of Bronx Educators United for Justice, which hosts community events on a variety of intersectional topics related to public education. A graduate of Fordham University with a BS in Psychology and Latin American studies, she followed a stint in Japan teaching English as Foreign Language, by obtaining a Masters of Science in TESOL. She has served on the steering committee for MORE the Movement of Rank and File Educators for 2019-2020. Since realizing how education reform initiatives are preying on young idealist teachers and experimenting on public school students for profit, she has taken on activism and advocacy as part of her role as a public educator. Her issues include the abuse of standardized testing to usher in privatization of public schools, charter school co-locations, scarcity of services used to deny rights and services to ELLs and students with disabilities, push out of veteran teachers of color, whole child education and quality rich and culturally representative, responsive and respectful curricula."
Life during a Pandemic
Life during a Pandemic at Liberated Learners Centers - A panel of teens and staff from Liberated Learners centers (https://liberatedlearners.net/members/member-programs/) will share about their experiences during the pandemic: leaving school, figuring out what they want in life, day-to-day life at their center, and the move to online everything. Moderated question and answer to follow.
Ken Danford is a board member of Liberated Learners and Executive Director at North Star: Self-Directed Learning for Teens. He will moderate a panel of teens and staff from LL centers.
Ken Danford is a board member of Liberated Learners and Executive Director at North Star: Self-Directed Learning for Teens. He will moderate a panel of teens and staff from LL centers.
Co-creating new paradigms
Co-creating new paradigms of conscious living and learning eco-communities towards wellness and a sustainable future: The Maui Aloha Project - The Maui Aloha Project (MAP) is a living model of Aloha for future generations to live and learn sustainably in peaceful co-creation with Earth and each other. In this workshop we will envision decolonized paradigms of inclusive social design that address existing systemic scholastic and societal inequities. By honoring all cultural and indigenous wisdoms, and utilizing advanced green technologies, we can shift toward a new humanity principled on wellness. Freedom of expression and thriving are valued, and transformation is explored through education, the healing arts, and the stewardship of the land.
As a social entrepreneur, Stephanie has conducted research in the area of thriving, multiliteracies and special education/neurodivergent learners. She is in her final year of Doctoral Studies at The University of Toronto/Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), Toronto, Canada. Her work explores Parents’ Narrative Accounts of Their Experiences with Their Children’s Language Based Learning Differences. She has three wonderful young adult children and has 30 years’ experience working with diverse populations in traditional and alternative environments. Stephanie has extensive background in Leisure Studies, camp, outdoor immersion and holistic education. Stephanie is a founder of The Maui Aloha Project, an ecovillage initiative pursuing living and learning possibilities in Hawaii. Stephanie enjoys picnics, canoeing, music, dance, archery, painting and practices Chi Kong Yoga Energetics.
As a social entrepreneur, Stephanie has conducted research in the area of thriving, multiliteracies and special education/neurodivergent learners. She is in her final year of Doctoral Studies at The University of Toronto/Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), Toronto, Canada. Her work explores Parents’ Narrative Accounts of Their Experiences with Their Children’s Language Based Learning Differences. She has three wonderful young adult children and has 30 years’ experience working with diverse populations in traditional and alternative environments. Stephanie has extensive background in Leisure Studies, camp, outdoor immersion and holistic education. Stephanie is a founder of The Maui Aloha Project, an ecovillage initiative pursuing living and learning possibilities in Hawaii. Stephanie enjoys picnics, canoeing, music, dance, archery, painting and practices Chi Kong Yoga Energetics.
Unschooling: Exploring Learning Beyond the Classroom
If there was ever a time to reimagine conceptions of learning and schooling, it is now. Unschooling: Exploring Learning Beyond the Classroom explores the past, present, and future of unschooling – a type of homeschooling where children and teens learn through life, led by their own intrinsic motivations, strengths, and interests. Unschooling can also happen in public, private, and charter schools if we are willing to rethink our notions of what education and learning really is. Let’s talk about educational innovation, seen through the lens of the unschooling movement!
Gina Riley, Ph.D. is an educational psychologist, Clinical Professor, and Program Leader of the Adolescent Special Education Program at CUNY – Hunter College. Dr. Riley has over fifteen years experience working with teens diagnosed with learning disabilities and emotional/behavioral disorders. She is also a seasoned academic, with years of teaching, research, and supervisory experience within the fields of special education, psychology, school psychology, and mental health counseling. In addition, Dr. Riley has extensive experience in online education and distance learning at the college/university level. She is known internationally for her work in the fields of homeschooling, unschooling, and self-directed learning. Her first book, Unchooling: Exploring Learning Beyond the Classroom (Palgrave Macmillan) came out in July of 2020.
Gina Riley, Ph.D. is an educational psychologist, Clinical Professor, and Program Leader of the Adolescent Special Education Program at CUNY – Hunter College. Dr. Riley has over fifteen years experience working with teens diagnosed with learning disabilities and emotional/behavioral disorders. She is also a seasoned academic, with years of teaching, research, and supervisory experience within the fields of special education, psychology, school psychology, and mental health counseling. In addition, Dr. Riley has extensive experience in online education and distance learning at the college/university level. She is known internationally for her work in the fields of homeschooling, unschooling, and self-directed learning. Her first book, Unchooling: Exploring Learning Beyond the Classroom (Palgrave Macmillan) came out in July of 2020.
Black Girls Talk: Creating Safe Spaces for BIPOC Youth
Black Girls Talk is a youth organization designed to create a safe space for the Black female students, staff, and faculty at Bard High School Early College Queens. The organization builds sisterhood amongst its participants through their small group discussions and bonding activities. Black Girls Talk aims to have discussions that are not held in the classroom such as Black women in STEM, representation in the media, and other topics that relate to being a young Black woman in today’s society. In this workshop, we will share more about Black Girls Talk’s mission and the importance of creating safe spaces for BIPOC youth.
Ymorah Blakeney is currently a junior at Bard High School Early College Queens. In 2018 she founded Black Girls Talk, a youth organization designed to create a safe space for the Black female students, staff, and faculty at her school. She was prompted to start the organization because of her experience with race and gender within schools. Ymorah is passionate about law, civil rights, and social justice. She has lobbied at the New York State Capitol and interned at the New York Civil Liberties Union. Ymorah looks forward to expanding Black Girls Talk, launching her hair care line this year, and continuing to use her voice for social change.
Gabriella Codrington is a senior at Bard Queens and the co-leader of Black Girls Talk. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY where she currently resides. Her hobbies include coding, reading, cooking, and training her dog. She is currently a writer for her school's newspaper and an ambassador for her school. She aspires to become a software engineer and create her own app.
Karimah Shabazz is a fierce and passionate leader who is an advocate for social justice and transformative social change. Karimah currently works at Bard High School Early College Queens (BHSECQ) as the Director of Bard Diverse Network of Action (DNA). In her role, she oversees the Bard DNA Fellows Program which is designed to prepare students, who have been historically underrepresented in higher education, for excellence in both academics and community advocacy through identity and leadership development. At BHSECQ, Karimah also serves as the Advisor to Black Girls Talk and as the Co-Director of the Black Lives Matter Task Force.
Karimah was born in Queens, New York and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2010, Karimah was awarded the full-tuition Posse Scholarship, affording her the opportunity to attend Bard College. At Bard, she majored in Sociology, with a concentration in Africana Studies. While there, she co-founded the TLS project Building Up Hudson and served as a Peer Mentor in the Bard Educational Opportunity Programs Office, a Peer Counselor in Reslife and as the Chair of the Multicultural Diversity Committee in Bard Student Government. In 2018, Karimah graduated from Michigan State University with her Master’s degree in Student Affairs Administration, with a certificate in Teaching and Learning in Postsecondary Education. She is currently pursuing her Juris Doctor degree at CUNY School of Law as a part-time evening student.
Ymorah Blakeney is currently a junior at Bard High School Early College Queens. In 2018 she founded Black Girls Talk, a youth organization designed to create a safe space for the Black female students, staff, and faculty at her school. She was prompted to start the organization because of her experience with race and gender within schools. Ymorah is passionate about law, civil rights, and social justice. She has lobbied at the New York State Capitol and interned at the New York Civil Liberties Union. Ymorah looks forward to expanding Black Girls Talk, launching her hair care line this year, and continuing to use her voice for social change.
Gabriella Codrington is a senior at Bard Queens and the co-leader of Black Girls Talk. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY where she currently resides. Her hobbies include coding, reading, cooking, and training her dog. She is currently a writer for her school's newspaper and an ambassador for her school. She aspires to become a software engineer and create her own app.
Karimah Shabazz is a fierce and passionate leader who is an advocate for social justice and transformative social change. Karimah currently works at Bard High School Early College Queens (BHSECQ) as the Director of Bard Diverse Network of Action (DNA). In her role, she oversees the Bard DNA Fellows Program which is designed to prepare students, who have been historically underrepresented in higher education, for excellence in both academics and community advocacy through identity and leadership development. At BHSECQ, Karimah also serves as the Advisor to Black Girls Talk and as the Co-Director of the Black Lives Matter Task Force.
Karimah was born in Queens, New York and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2010, Karimah was awarded the full-tuition Posse Scholarship, affording her the opportunity to attend Bard College. At Bard, she majored in Sociology, with a concentration in Africana Studies. While there, she co-founded the TLS project Building Up Hudson and served as a Peer Mentor in the Bard Educational Opportunity Programs Office, a Peer Counselor in Reslife and as the Chair of the Multicultural Diversity Committee in Bard Student Government. In 2018, Karimah graduated from Michigan State University with her Master’s degree in Student Affairs Administration, with a certificate in Teaching and Learning in Postsecondary Education. She is currently pursuing her Juris Doctor degree at CUNY School of Law as a part-time evening student.
6 Life Lessons from us at Sri Aria Junior College to you
A one hour jam packed with 6 life lessons from us youths to you on our journey and growth in achieving our dreams and goals in life.
Lesson 1: Let us cherish time spent together as a family despite COVID (Haniez,18)
Lesson 2: Why do we, youths need our own working space as a learning space (Farish, 14)
Lesson 3: What is missing in conventional schools: an interview by youths for adults (Haqeem, 15)
Lesson 4: How do we learn and improving through art: a jouney (Syakirin, 13)
Lesson 5: Follow our dreams: a journey through music (Adrea,14)
Lesson 6: Always have strength and perseverance in achieveing your goals and ambition: financial independence (Faris, 15)"
Haniez (18), Farish (14), Haqeem (15), Syakirin (13), Adrea (14), Faris (15)
Lesson 1: Let us cherish time spent together as a family despite COVID (Haniez,18)
Lesson 2: Why do we, youths need our own working space as a learning space (Farish, 14)
Lesson 3: What is missing in conventional schools: an interview by youths for adults (Haqeem, 15)
Lesson 4: How do we learn and improving through art: a jouney (Syakirin, 13)
Lesson 5: Follow our dreams: a journey through music (Adrea,14)
Lesson 6: Always have strength and perseverance in achieveing your goals and ambition: financial independence (Faris, 15)"
Haniez (18), Farish (14), Haqeem (15), Syakirin (13), Adrea (14), Faris (15)
Partnership with your child: A radical solution for a new world
Lainie and Sarah support parents to partner with their children by presenting a framework through which to design a family culture and move from rules to values based living. By providing tools that help parents work through their triggers and identify fears, we show participants how they can choose connection over control and reject conflict and suffering in preference for peace and joy. A relationship based in relationship and connection opens us up to healing pasts hurts, working through our trauma and truly living in freedom with our children. Trusting our children and ourselves to explore a life of adventurous learning!
Sarah Beale is a worldschooling, unschooling mum to four wildlings who are almost completely in charge of their own lives. She is the co-founder of The Partnership Parenting Movement and has a vision to support parents seeking a life beyond the classroom and supports families through group and 1:1 coaching.
Lainie Liberti is the co-founder of the Worldschooling movement and lives a partnership life with her now grown son, with whom she continues to collaborate. Lainie has long been an advocate of self directed learning and has been active in the worldschooling, alternative and unschooling community for many years. She has founded several enterprises to support families in their connection to eachother and the world, such as Project World School, We Are Worldschoolers, Transformative Mentoring for Teens and now The Partnership Parenting Movement.
Sarah Beale is a worldschooling, unschooling mum to four wildlings who are almost completely in charge of their own lives. She is the co-founder of The Partnership Parenting Movement and has a vision to support parents seeking a life beyond the classroom and supports families through group and 1:1 coaching.
Lainie Liberti is the co-founder of the Worldschooling movement and lives a partnership life with her now grown son, with whom she continues to collaborate. Lainie has long been an advocate of self directed learning and has been active in the worldschooling, alternative and unschooling community for many years. She has founded several enterprises to support families in their connection to eachother and the world, such as Project World School, We Are Worldschoolers, Transformative Mentoring for Teens and now The Partnership Parenting Movement.
The New Renaissance & The Next Age of Humanity
What makes us human & how are we different than computers & AI?
Join Anthony LIVE from the tech capital of the world, San Francisco, CA, as he breaks down the stark diverging paths between the mainstream technocratic transhumanism efforts versus the grassroots movement towards autonomous, self-directed alternatives towards human empowerment. What does this mean for our children & how does this affect what education is going to look like in the future? Will the next age of humanity be us becoming robots or will it become the age of the artist where creativity will take over?
Anthony is on a mission to help the world connect; physically, emotionally and energetically both with themselves and others. His training and educational background began in 2001 with his fascination with the human body, specifically neurology & kinesiology. This is where he discovered that movement is the fundamental basis of life. Coincidentally, this led him into a very fruitful dance career, which took him to over 25 countries around the world teaching, performing and competing. Anthony built multiple dance schools in different cities across the US and in 2011 decided to become a doctor. For the past 10 years Anthony has studied nuerology based chiropractic with a focus on cognitive neural development. In July 2016, at the depth of his program, Anthony became aware of a fundamental problem within our educational model and developed a paralleled passion. Anthony is a student doctor & senior clinician witha focus on pre-natal, peri-natal and pediatric care while simultaneously following his passion of decentralizing education globally by returning the power of learning to the home and connecting families and children together through a fully autonomous open sourced educational global ecosystem - For more info please visit: www.WorldSchool.org
Join Anthony LIVE from the tech capital of the world, San Francisco, CA, as he breaks down the stark diverging paths between the mainstream technocratic transhumanism efforts versus the grassroots movement towards autonomous, self-directed alternatives towards human empowerment. What does this mean for our children & how does this affect what education is going to look like in the future? Will the next age of humanity be us becoming robots or will it become the age of the artist where creativity will take over?
Anthony is on a mission to help the world connect; physically, emotionally and energetically both with themselves and others. His training and educational background began in 2001 with his fascination with the human body, specifically neurology & kinesiology. This is where he discovered that movement is the fundamental basis of life. Coincidentally, this led him into a very fruitful dance career, which took him to over 25 countries around the world teaching, performing and competing. Anthony built multiple dance schools in different cities across the US and in 2011 decided to become a doctor. For the past 10 years Anthony has studied nuerology based chiropractic with a focus on cognitive neural development. In July 2016, at the depth of his program, Anthony became aware of a fundamental problem within our educational model and developed a paralleled passion. Anthony is a student doctor & senior clinician witha focus on pre-natal, peri-natal and pediatric care while simultaneously following his passion of decentralizing education globally by returning the power of learning to the home and connecting families and children together through a fully autonomous open sourced educational global ecosystem - For more info please visit: www.WorldSchool.org
What Do We Mean by "Structure" in Education?
Some people start off playing the piano 'by ear' while others learn music theory and use sheet music - both are valid ways to learn, and they are not mutually exclusive. Do some learners or learning tasks need "More Structure" ? This presentation considers some original thoughts on how we structure our own learning when we are free to self-direct, proposing a model to help us understand how different types of learning and 'learning structures' fit together.
Je'anna Clements walked out of a conventional Masters degree in Philosophy of Education when she realised that no existing course could meet her learning needs. For over a decade she self-directed her studies in Self-Directed Education, applying her learning in practice by experimenting with several startups, culminating in co-founding Riverstone Village (RsV), a Sudbury-inspired facility in South Africa, in 2017, after joining the AERO School Starters group. In addition to being staff at RsV she now writes about the theory and practice of SDE and supports adults in gaining their confidence to facilitate SDE effectively.
Je'anna Clements walked out of a conventional Masters degree in Philosophy of Education when she realised that no existing course could meet her learning needs. For over a decade she self-directed her studies in Self-Directed Education, applying her learning in practice by experimenting with several startups, culminating in co-founding Riverstone Village (RsV), a Sudbury-inspired facility in South Africa, in 2017, after joining the AERO School Starters group. In addition to being staff at RsV she now writes about the theory and practice of SDE and supports adults in gaining their confidence to facilitate SDE effectively.
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