Listen to the Best of AERO Conference 2013 - Plus: The Latest News & Resources

What Works! - 10th Annual AERO Conference | Bookstore | Become a Member!

June 4, 2013

Dear Readers,

This week we excited to announce the availability of a special audio package of talks and workshops from AERO conference that is now available. Additionally, we have a report on a recent visit by the School Around Us, a link to the final chapter in the Mission Hill video series, and a reminder of our special arrangement to attend IDEC 2013. We also have news and resource items from around the world of educational alternatives. We hope you enjoy the content.

Listen to the Best of AERO Conference!

As I said in the earlier report on the AERO conference, people have raved about this year's keynotes and workshops. This response has led us to gather our best audio from our keynote addresses and selected workshops.

For just 24 hours, we are offering access to MP3s of our entire audio selection for only $10! After the 24 hour period has lapsed, the package will be offered for the full $20 price. After ordering this package, you will be sent the link to access the collection within 24 hours. If we acquire any additional audio, anyone who orders this package will be given access to the new files. Attendees, please let us know if you have others so we can add them!

Purchase the audio package

for only $10 (50% off) here.

What's Included?

Alfie Kohn's Keynote (Excerpt), Author The Homework Myth & Unconditional Parenting
North Star's Keynote (Complete), Students and Co-Founder of Innovative Homeschool Resource Center
Nikhil Goyal's Keynote (Complete), 17-Year-Old author of One Size Does Not Fit All
Dr. Peter Gray's Keynote (Complete), Author of Free to Learn
Dr. Elina Lampert-Shepel's Keynote (Complete), Vygotskian Scholar & Professor of Education
Workshop: Education Uncensored: The Personalization of Education (Complete), With Leading Homeschool Educator and Mentor, Laurie Block Spigel
Workshop: Differences in Competence, Autonomy, and Relatedness Between Home-Educated and Traditionally Educated Young Adults (Complete), With Educational Psycologist Dr. Gina Riley
School Starters Workshop (Complete) with AERO Director and Author, Jerry Mintz and Author of How to Grow a School, Chris Mercogliano (Complete)
Workshop: Community Conversations: Building community among parents, staff, and administrators through participatory conversational processes (Complete) with Wendy Cole & Alissa Schwartz

Freedom to Teach: The Final Chapter of A Year at Mission Hill

What can the larger world of education take away from one school's experiences?

Watch the final chapter of the "Year at Mission Hill" series on our website here.

School Around Us visits AERO

The School Around Us, a democratic, holistic school in Maine, has been around for more that four decades! The school goes through 8th grade. A while back the older group decided that they wanted to end the year with a field trip to New York City. Unfortunately they were on a limited budget and couldn't find a place for the group of 13 to stay in the New York City area. Well, you guessed it, AERO to the rescue! Since we had already had a few days to recover from the AERO conference. Fully repaired from Hurricane Sandy, we hosted the group in what we now call the "AERO Space."

The group of 8 students, 11-14, and 5 adults, had ambitious plans. They didn't do everything but managed to go to the Emipre State building, see a broadway play, go to Central Park, and see a live studio broadcast of the NBC Nightly News because one of the producers was a relative of someone on the school. On Long Island the group also went to Jones Beach.

It was a lot of fun having the group visit. In fact we also had a visit from the Polish family which is starting a new democratic school in Warsaw. They were in our school starter program and came to the AERO conference. Those interested in the School Starter Program should start inquiring now for the Fall course.

The first photo is of AERO after Sandy hit us. The second is how it looks now!

Join AERO at IDEC 2013 this August 4-8 in Boulder, Colorado

AERO Members & Readers Receive a Discount to Attend IDEC: Read Below for More Information

AERO has been intimately involved in the International Democratic Education Conference (IDEC) throughout its twenty-one year history. Director Jerry Mintz participated in the very first conference in Hadera, Israel back in 1993 and has been instrumental in its development since that time. In 2003, AERO hosted IDEC in Troy, NY which had over 600 participants from 25 countries around the world. Inspired by the conversations and workshops taking place that year, we created the first ever AERO conference which was hosted the next year in 2004 and after ten years is still running strong! This year's IDEC, while not organized by AERO, involves many familiar faces. Our former conference director (and current new media coordinator), Isaac Graves is on the core organizing committee, while many AERO member schools, organizations, and individuals will be participating. Jerry Mintz will be offering multiple workshops and AERO will bring its famous alternative education bookstore to the event! It is through our close relationship that we cordially invite you to join us this August, 4-8 in Boulder, Colorado.

We have arranged special registration options for AERO members and readers:

AERO Members will receive a 10% discount on registration fees. Just write "AERO" on the registration form where it asks how you heard about the conference.
AERO Readers (all nonmembers) who register for IDEC will receive a complimentary six-month membership to AERO. Just write "AERO" on the registration form where it asks how you heard about the conference.

Find out more about IDEC 2013, speakers, and their program at: www.IDEC2013.org

AERO hosts the IDEC listserve, which has served as the primary form of communication and networking for the IDEC community for over a decade.To join this discussion listserve, write to jerryaero@aol.com with your request to join.

IDEC wants to make sure everyone who wants to attend IDEC can. They offer group rates and financial aid to those in need. Just write them at idec2013@gmail.com to find out more.

We hope to see you there! This will be the best option to meet your fellow AERO members and alternative educators before next year!