Corrina is excited to introduce your kiddos to fun, hands-on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities as our new HomeLearners Network (HLN) guide! Our guides love creating inclusive online learning experiences so your kid can learn freely, at their own comfort level and pace, and with tons of encouragement. We can't wait to learn a thing or two [...]
For SelfDesign, being accessible means creating learning and work environments that allow everyone to participate fully without barriers. We aim to become more accessible. This approach is key to who we are as a community. As we increase access to SelfDesign, we’re working with accessibility expert Stephen O’Keefe. Stephen’s extensive expertise helped shape our Accessibility Plan 2023–2026, a living blueprint [...]
SelfDesign educator Darcy Kaltio tells a story of how nurturing and supportive the SelfDesign approach to learning is. In about 2006, a child and mother visited the Wondertree Learning Centre in Vancouver, where Darcy was working, to see if it would be a good fit for them. Wondertree is SelfDesign’s predecessor. From 1983 to 2009, the Wondertree Learning Centre brought [...]
Learning American Sign Language (ASL) is a powerful tool for kids because it offers immediate and lifelong benefits! It opens doors to communication with a broader community, helps kids develop empathy and social awareness, and supports linguistic and visual learning! HomeLearners Network (HLN) Guide and ASL aficionado Jenna grew up hard of hearing. “I've been hard of hearing probably since [...]
Katherine’s Virtual High story Katherine Muncaster joined Virtual High in 1993, one of the first 35 learners to enroll with the revolutionary new learning program for teens that Brent Cameron and Michael Maser created in an old Vancouver mansion. She was one of approximately one dozen learners involved in Virtual High’s VillageQuest project. The aim of VillageQuest was to design [...]
Procurement supports learners, families and the SelfDesign organization SelfDesign® Learning Foundation’s Director of Procurement brings deep and broad experience in the field to the role. As an accredited and certified supply chain management and procurement specialist, Paul Mackisoc has managed the sourcing, purchasing, warehousing, shipping and supply of stock for various companies across Canada, including a gourmet coffee supply company [...]
When SelfDesign® Learning Community merged with the International School of the Kootenays in 2009 and began offering grades 10 to 12 to young people across B.C., educator Diane Walters came to SelfDesign as part of the package. The well-known Nelson-based ceramicist had taught at and designed curriculum for the international school before the merger. Having that established collection of courses [...]
The summer holiday is the perfect time for fun, relaxation and a break from routine. It’s also prime time for exploration and discovery, and new learning opportunities! Rather than letting education take a backseat, summer provides a unique opportunity to engage in various activities that develop and maintain essential skills and foster lifelong learning. There are many ways to keep [...]
When our learners find that they’re having difficulties keeping up with or managing their learning, SelfDesign is there to help. Every learner enrolled with SelfDesign® Learning Community can be referred by their learning consultant for support, if needed, from our in-house occupational therapist and speech–language therapist. “Any of our learners with a referral can have up to three sessions with [...]
Mindfulness and meditation are often thought of as practices for adults. With hectic lives full of busy schedules and stressful challenges, it's no wonder so many people use these tools to keep them grounded. But did you know that mindfulness and meditation also benefit kids? Kids are learning to exist in a complex world, and incorporating mindfulness and meditation into [...]
