

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.
June 23-25, 2023
Schedule
Virtual & In-Person
Virtual Schedule
**All Times - Eastern Daylight Time**
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Friday 6/23
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9 am - 9:30 am - Opening & Welcome for Virtual Sessions (all are welcome)
9:30 am - 11:00 am - Keynote - David Caballero & Luz Olid
11:05 am - 11:30 am - Mini -Talk - Sharon Makinde - The Nigerian Education System; Addressing the roles of the government
11:35 am - 11:55 am - Break
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm - Workshops
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Megan Pardon - Bridging the gap between who you are now and who you could someday be
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Dr. Mara Linaberger & Candace Neil - Grow Your Marketing Savvy!
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Monica Cochran, M.Ed. & Jill Pearson-Keltner, M.Ed. - Building Agency Through Strength-Based Education
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Jan Quiett - Holding Space for Potentials
1:00 pm - 4:30 pm - Break, Networking, Possible Livestream of In-Person
Session, Pop-Up Sessions
4:35 pm - 5:00 pm - Mini - Talk - Rita Saraswat - Re-Defining Education
5:05 pm - 6:05 pm - Keynote - Deb O’Rourke - We won’t back down: Surviving fifty years in the public system
6:05 pm - 8:30 pm - Break, Networking, Possible Livestream of In-Person
Session, Pop-Up Sessions
Saturday 6/24
9:00 am - 9:55 am - Keynote - Vishal Talreja - Empowering Children to Thrive: Insights from Dream a Dream
10:00 am - 10:25 am - Mini -Talk - Mursalina Amin - Education & Leadership for Afghan Girls
10:30 am - 12:15 pm - Break, Networking, Possible Livestream of
In-Person Session, Pop-Up Sessions
12:15 pm - 1:30 pm - Workshops
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Judy Arnall - Unschooling Math: They will learn calculus when they need to learn calculus.
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Lisa Marie Tucker - Flourishing in the Holistic Classroom: A Spiral Model for Teaching and Learning
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Ashley Nielsen - Self-Design/Individualized Learning at the Graduate Level
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Lainie Liberti - Supporting Teens Mental Health
1:30 pm - 4:30 pm - Break, Networking, Possible Livestream of In-Person
Session, Pop-Up Sessions
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4:35 pm - 6:00 pm - Keynote - Adam Fletcher - Youth Fighting the Democracy Deficit Disorder
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6:05 pm - 6:30 pm - Mini - Talk - Still Being Confirmed
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm - Break, Networking, Possible Livestream of In-Person
Session, Pop-Up Sessions
Sunday 6/25
9:00 am - 9:25 am - Mini-Talk - Darcy Brown - The art of teaching yourself
anything
9:30 am - 9:55 am - Mini-Talk - Klara Stenqvist - Techniques for a Radical
Mind Shift for Teens & Adults
11:45 am - 1:00 pm - Workshops
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Adriana Vasile - Neuroscientific resources for Education
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Lamar Zala Gran - Activism is a long journey of struggles, fight, tolerance, risk and reminding the world that women shouldn’t be forgotten.
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Michael Maser- Insight-Out: The nature of learning
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Isabel de Urishe - Become a life-designer: How to design your life and enjoy the process
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm - Break, Networking, Possible Livestream of In-Person
Session, Pop-Up Sessions
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm - Closing & Evaluation
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In - Person Schedule
**All Times - Eastern Daylight Time**
​
Friday 6/23
​
9:00 am - 1:00 pm - Check In, Registration, Virtual Sessions, Networking,
Lunch, Vendors
1:00 pm - 1:30 pm - Opening & Welcome - All are welcome
1:35 pm - 2:50 pm - Workshops
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Leo J. Fahey - Toward an Intentional Mental Health Therapeutic Democratic Education
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Elmarie Hyman - Homeschool & Hybrid School Co-ops and Resource Centers as Part of the Education Revolution
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Jackie Scully - Dignity in Education for ALL!-Teachers and Students are the Leaders in Education Reform
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Pono -
3:00 pm - 4:30 pm - Keynote - Kerry McDonald - How Everyday Entrepreneurs Are Transforming Education With Bottom-Up Solutions
4:30 pm - 7:00 pm - Virtual Sessions, Break, Dinner, Networking,
Popup Sessions, Vendors
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm - Keynote - Katerina Botvinnik
8:30 pm - 10:00 pm - Networking
Saturday 6/24
9:00 am - 10:25 am - Check In, Registration, Virtual Sessions, Networking,
Breakfast, Pop - Up Sessions, Vendors.
10:30 am - 11:45 am - Workshops
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Don Berg - Salvaging Standardization: How to Mass Produce the Right Stuff:
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Gina Riley, Ph.D. - Unschooling Students with Disabilities
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Claire Evans - Reimagining Global Education for the Good of Humanity
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Alysha Hearn - Personalized Learning: How Online Learning Can Support Individualized Education
11:45 am - 12:30 pm - Check In, Registration, Virtual Sessions, Networking,
Lunch, Pop - Up Sessions, Vendors.
​
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm - Panel - VELA EDUCATION FUND
1:45 pm - 3:00 pm - Workshops
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Kaity Broadbent - Creating Neuro-supportive Learning Environments and Relationships
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Carl Rust - Unschooling School - How to take control of your education
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Wendy Raver - Homeschooling High School NYC Style: One Example
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Pono -
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3:15 pm - 4:30 pm - Keynote - Ken Danford - Education Savings Account: Revolutionary Funding for the Revolution!
4:30 pm - 7:00 pm - Check In, Registration, Virtual Sessions, Networking,
Lunch, Pop-Up Sessions, Vendors.
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm - Keynote - Peter Gray - The Education Revolution is Occurring Now and Here Are Ways to Speed It Up
8:30 pm - 10:00 pm - Networking
Sunday 6/25
9:00 am - 10:15 am - Virtual Sessions, Networking,
Breakfast, Pop-Up Sessions, Vendors.
10:30 am - 11:45 am - Workshops
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Steve Hornstein - Lessons from 50 years work in Democratizing Schools
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Monica Brase and Students -Students Educating the Educators: Student-Led Teacher Professional Development
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Jerry Mintz - How To Start an Educational Alternative
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Peter Gray - Practical Ways to Speed Up the Education Revolution
11:45 am - 1:00 pm - Break, Lunch, Networking, Virtual Sessions
Pop-Up Sessions, Vendors
1:00 pm - 2:15 pm - Workshops
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Julian Vitaglione - An Improvised Life - How i taught myself Everything
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Teen Presenters - Having a Voice in Our Community: A Youth Participatory Action Research Approach to Engage Teens in Community
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Kellie Rolstad - "That's Not Fair!" A Child's Guide to Self-Directed Social Justice Education
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Peter Berg - The Education Revolution & Youth Mental Health:
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm - Closing & Evaluation - all are welcome