Hey, it’s Grace. I am a member of Embark and I’m going to give you a little bit of a view. I went to public school up until ninth grade and then switched to a private school for a bit. So I got a view on private and public school. Public school was never a great fit for me and private school could have worked, but I didn’t love it; actually I was kinda miserable.

Up until recently I didn’t even know that learning could be fun because it was always a set curriculum that you HAD to do. Now that I’m at Embark I have realized that learning can be different. Recently, my advisor asked me if I had learned anything, and if so, what. I started thinking, and I said yes. But I didn’t have any facts to pull out as proof. I had been taught learning was reciting facts.

I realize now that learning can be sitting in a class, joining a discussion and appreciating everyone’s opinions. Learning can also be observing or just having an experience.

I think I am still in “deschooling” mode. It is taking me some time to adjust to how different it is to have the freedom to do what I want to do. Right now I am doing the music for a local show, so I need to practice a lot. I talked with my advisor about whether that was “school” or not, and we decided that it was important to me, and that I have the freedom to choose what I want to work on. I have freedom, but it’s still directed; directed by my interests.

I feel like I am in a secret club. We are a community not many people know about. We are all doing something important.