Alternative education doesn’t need to be costly or complicated, according to a new program for 8 to 16 year olds being launched this spring in Owen Sound. The program is called a Flying Squad, and they’re popping up in cities all across North America with great success.
"I’m so excited to bring a Flying Squad to Owen Sound," says Kel Smith, who is facilitating the program. “Seeing these programs flourish in bigger cities, I know that the intersection of self-directed education and youth rights can create a powerful tool for empowering young people. With low costs and little barrier to entry, a Flying Squad is a great grassroots approach to get kids learning outside of the classroom. Much like Forest School for younger kids, Flying Squads is like ‘city school’ for older kids.”
Unlike school field trips, the Flying Squads do not have a predetermined destination but instead practise the crucial skills of deciding together where to go and how to spend their time. Each day starts in a public space (typically a library or park) and then sets out into the world to explore common interests as a collective, experimenting on how to build community and deciding how to voice group concerns on the social justice issue of being youth in a city built for adults. The group is facilitated by an adult who helps organize and manage details, but has an equal say in all decisions about how the group spends their day.
Flying Squads focus on learning through playfulness but also address the topics of social justice and youth rights. They use the power of play to examine the serious issues of how society impacts young people as well as how youth can impact society. By experimenting with and testing the world through playing, the young people involved learn a bit about themselves while exploring their city with a group of other young adolescents.
The Owen Sound Flying Squad will hold its first session on Wednesday May 4th, 2022 from 1 to 4pm. If you’re interested in participating, you can contact Kel Smith by email at [email protected]
About Flying Squads
Flying Squads provide young people with time to practice making their own decisions in a nurturing community of human connections through which they can develop relationships and work on self-confidence with genuine feedback from peers and society. https://www.flyingsquads.org/
About Kel Smith
Kel Smith is a community organizer, designer, and facilitator focused on creating opportunities for community members to connect. An unschooling mother of two, Kel has been exploring the world of self-directed education in both theory and practice, committed to creating and supporting places where children can play and thrive while practicing community care. Following a career spanning tech startups and non-profit work, Kel is now focused on connecting more folks with alternative education options through writing, advocacy, and community building. https://www.kelsmith.ca/
