AERO
Conference
June 21 - 23, 2024
Livestreaming School Visits
Wayfinding Academy
Time: 9am-12pm
Location: 8010 N Charleston Ave, Portland, OR 97203
Website: www.wayfindingacademy.org
Description:
Wayfinding Academy was founded on the frustrating realization that our culture of higher education is backwards.
First you pick a 4-year college, then you pick a major from a list, then you figure out what you’re going to do, and then you try it out.
WE WANT TO TURN THE SYSTEM FRONTWARDS
That’s because we believe education is our chance to make the world better. What you do with your life matters to more than just you, and when we each live life on purpose, we all thrive.
Yes, this sounds idealistic. But it’s real. Strategically located in beautiful Portland, Oregon, we’ve been authorized by Oregon’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission to grant Associate’s Degrees in Self & Society. We are committed to stretching the norms of education from within the system.
Venn Academy
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Time: 9am-12pm
Location: 4525 SE Stark St, Portland, OR 97215
Website: www.vennacademypdx.org
Description:
THREE MAIN QUALITIES CAME UP OVER AND OVER DURING CONVERSATIONS WITH PARENTS:
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RELATIONSHIP-BASED EDUCATION
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PERSONALIZED INSTRUCTION
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AND EMPOWERED LEARNING.
THESE ARE THE THREE MAIN TENETS WE HOLD AT THE CORE OF VENN ACADEMY.
We have a school! Man, that was fast…
As I look at our kiddos, and listen to the laughing and learning that is going on, it’s hard to believe we opened just six weeks after our previous school closed! It feels like we’ve been here for many years. It has been an amazing journey to get to this place, full of serendipitous moments, and many people sharing our vision to help make Venn Academy a reality.
When our prior school closed unexpectedly on July 14th, we were all in a state of shock, wondering where to go next. Parents were looking for a place that offered the care for their children based on respect, equality, and individual time with an amazing educator that they had at their previous school, and could not find one. Several parents approached Ian and I to see if we would be interested in continuing to work with their kids for the next school year, and it quickly became clear there was enough interest to continue the classroom work we had going, to create something more than tutoring.
It is this drive from parents who are looking for a classroom experience they could not find anywhere else that started us on the short but adventurous journey that has led us here. It has been, and continues to be, a collective effort. Our parent community has shared their talents and skills by providing and connecting us with legal and accounting services, design experience, taking on an art class, physical labor to move into and set up the school, and help with day-to- day operations of the school. Thank you to all who are taking this journey with us.
We could not ask for a better partner than Unity of Portland. They share our love of children and relationship-based approach to education, and we are looking for ways to partner with them on a deeper level than just sharing space.
As we grow from 12 students to 30 and beyond, we will keep the same foundation of building trust-based relationships with your children, and you. Being transparent, open to questions and concerns, and working as partners is our goal. Thank you for your interest in Venn Academy!
Village Free School
Time: Wednesday Afternoon
Location: On Site at the Holiday Inn Portland Airport
Website: www.villagefreeschool.org
The Village Free School is a non-profit, independent school serving people ages 5-18 located in Portland, Oregon. Established in 2004, VFS was inspired by the question: what if schools were different?
Based on a foundation of Care, Freedom, and Democracy, VFS practices self-directed education to support kids in becoming autonomous, creative, and thoughtful citizens able to make change and collaborate with others.
Our mission is to empower kids to become independent, creative, and conscientious citizens capable of thinking for themselves and collaborating with others to create a better world.
Our school honors freedom, promotes responsibility, and nurtures the well-being of each student and the community. Students are supported and challenged to find meaning in their lives, adapt to the world as it is, and create the world in which they want to live.
We are committed to restorative justice, honesty, self-direction, and promoting and practicing values of life, liberty, and happiness.
Village Home
