International Democratic Education Conference (IDEC) - 2026

IDEC Meeting

Sunday

10:00 am - 11:30 am

IDEC meeting, What's next, etc.

Democratic Education in the Context of War

Saturday

10:30 am - 11:30 am

We will share our experience of sustaining a democratic community in the context of war and present key insights into what helped the school endure and enabled the team to launch more than 10 other socially important projects. Similar approaches can be applied in other, perhaps less extreme but still challenging, circumstances. We will invite the community to share their own cases of overcoming difficult external challenges and will respond to questions.

Kateryna Botvinnik is an educator and co-founder of a democratic school in Vinnytsia, Ukraine. She is also a co-founder of the NGO Vilnosvita, a facilitator of self-directed education festivals (with over 1,500 participants), and the organizer of IDEC-EUDEC 2019 in Ukraine. Tetiana Yermakova is a student at the democratic school One Crazy School, a youth leader, and a facilitator of Vilnosvita events.

Self-Directed Education as Activism

Saturday

10:30 am - 11:30 am

This will be a forum to discuss whether democratic education is a political action. Does being a facilitator, participant, or family member involved with SDE also make us into political activists? If so, what is the political utopia we seek? If not, what is the point of SDE?

Nandini Deo

Nandini Deo is Associate Professor of International Politics whose research spans democratic education, secularism, gender, and civil society, with a primary regional focus on South Asia. She received her MA, MPhil, and PhD from Yale University and her AB from Bryn Mawr College. Professor Deo is the author of Corporate Social Responsibility and Civil Society in India (2024) and Mobilizing Gender and Religion in India (2016), the co-author of The Politics of Collective Advocacy (2011) with Duncan McDuie Ra, and the editor of Postsecular Feminisms in Transnational Context (2018).She spent 2023–24 as a Fulbright-Nehru Scholar at SNDT Women’s University in Mumbai. In 2017, she served as co-PI on a research project funded by the Netherlands WOTRO to examine civil society partnerships and to establish the Civil Society Researchers Collective. Professor Deo teaches courses on comparative politics, scope and methods, South Asian politics, youth activism, religion and politics, and gender and politics.

Exploring the implementation of democratic education in conventional schools

Friday

10:45 am - 11:45 am

The goal is to collectively explore the possibilities and challenges of implementing dem edu in conventional learning environments. Participants are encouraged to bring up their experiences and concerns, as together we look for ways to advance on democratising learning.

Charlie Moreno-Romero

Pedagogue, anthropologist and researcher. Interested in democratic education, SDT, SDL, Circle practice, educational commoning.

Why Our Rules (Don’t) Work

Friday

10:45 am - 11:45 am

In this session, we’ll share our experiences at Slobodná škola – how rules are created and how to keep following them, what rules have helped, what hasn’t worked, and the lessons we’ve learned along the way. We want to hear from you: your successes, challenges, and ideas. Through conversation and reflection, participants will leave with new perspectives on creating rules that support trust, collaboration, and shared responsibility in their own communities.

Lenka Mazakova

Lenka Mazakova is a co-founder of the Slobodna skola. She specializes in designing and implementing inclusive educational practices for students with diverse needs and behavioral challenges in democratic school environment. She develops strategies to ensure accessibility and inclusivity in self-directed education, creates teaching resources, and supports families in nurturing learning environments. Experienced in teacher training, curriculum innovation, and evidence-based pedagogy, she contributes to monitoring and evaluating educational practices and refining them for greater impact. She actively participates in designing and conducting training sessions and conferences, bringing practical expertise and a collaborative approach to fostering inclusive, student-centered learning.

Democratic education and the global crises. Democratic education could change everything

Sunday

11:35 am - 12:35 pm

but chances may be low. - I will propose some issues that could be addressed. But we have to get real - the world - and especially the educational establishment globally - is not geared to changing. How do we deal with this? Are we prepare to take what looks like big risks? But not to act is the biggest risk.

Ian Cunningham

Self Managed Learning Alliance supports democratic learning communities in the UK. Ian ran the largest and longest running learning community for 24 years before setting up the Alliance. His day job is as a dancer.

Challenges and Opportunities of Adolescence in Democratic Schools

Sunday

11:35 am - 12:35 pm

This session looks at how democratic schools talk with families. We will explore how to explain that students make their own decisions, handle parents’ expectations and efforts to undesirably interfere, build trust, and involve families in learning without taking control from the student. We will also cover sharing learning challenges, safety and risk, cultural differences, and conflicts in the school community. Through examples and discussion, participants will get practical ideas for clear, honest, and respectful communication that supports both students and families while keeping democratic school values.

Katarína Vassová

Katarina Vassova leads a team of pedagogical staff at a democratic school and supervises the methodological approach of self-directed education. She also ensures alignment with Slovak school legislation, supporting both innovative practices and compliance. Katarina has experience in facilitating student-centered learning, fostering participatory decision-making, and mentoring teachers in democratic and inclusive education practices. Her work bridges theory and practice, enabling students to engage in meaningful, interest-driven learning while meeting national educational standards.

Democracy in Action: How a Public School Operationalizes Liberation Through Structure, Pedagogy, and Shared Power

Saturday

11:35 am - 1:05 pm

This conversation presents H-B Woodlawn, a 50-year public democratic school outside Washington, D.C., as a case study in Democratic Education for Action and Liberation. The session will examine how daily practices such as freedom of movement, first-name culture, student-led hiring committees, and shared governance through Town Meeting redistribute power and cultivate trust. Participants will explore how democratic structures across the school enable student-centered pedagogy and reciprocal teacher student symmetry. The session invites reflection across contexts while offering concrete examples of how democratic values are enacted through structures, language, and everyday school life.

Jennifer Goen

Jennifer Goen is a high school English teacher and Instructional Lead Teacher at the H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program, a democratic public school in Arlington, Virginia. She is committed to student-centered learning and to upholding the school’s pillars of self-governance, self-directed learning, caring community, and equity. In her leadership role, she coaches teachers in SDL and designs professional learning. At the district level, Jennifer facilitates a K–12 cohort for National Board Certified Teachers and leads learning on technology, media literacy, and student-centered pedagogy. She is an ambassador for the Teacher-Powered Schools Network and a doctoral student at Marymount University studying AI and self-directed learning.

Break

Friday

11:45 am - 12:00 pm

Break

Democratic Education Then & Now

Saturday

11:45 am - 1:15 pm

This session will focus on the history of democratic education and where we are now.

Jerry Mintz

Jerry Mintz has been a leading voice in the alternative school movement since establishing AERO in 1989. In addition to his seventeen years as a public and independent alternative school principal and teacher, he has also helped found more than one hundred public and private alternative schools and organizations. He has lectured and consulted in more than twenty-five countries around the world. In 1989, he founded the Alternative Education Resource Organization and since then has served as it’s Director. Jerry was also a founding member of the International Democratic Education Conference in 2013

The Four Is - an Exercise about the Dimensions of Discrimination

Saturday

11:45 am - 1:15 pm

The exercise and the reflection about its outcome open the eyes to the dimensions of discrimination and its normalization. Participants will understand the system behind the different forms of discrimination and how it affects our thinking, feeling, and (not) acting in the context of power relations. We will start with a full group exercise being followed by smaller groups in break out rooms and a final reflection round with all participants in the end. It is recommended to attend the session called "Concept of Protecting Against Discrimination" afterwards, also run be Dorothea.

Dorothea Schütze

Dorothea is head of the Institute for the Development of Democracy (I.D.E) in Germany and always connects her work and activities with anti-discrimination and a critical look at power relations. Her professional focus is organizational development of educational institutions, mainly public schools. She facilitates Democratic School Development processes with staff, students, parents, and all other people involved as personnel, partners or administrators of school. Dorothea is member of the IDEC Inclusion and Diversity Committee. She lives in an intentional community with 18 adults and 14 children near Berlin and volunteers to develop democracy in her neighborhood. www.ide-berlin.org

Using Circles for Collaborative Learning

Friday

12:00 pm - 1:30 pm

During this hands-on session, participants will learn about Restorative Practices in Education by experiencing a process known as Circle. Structural elements of Circle – such as the talking piece, personal check-in round, and decision making by consensus – are designed to give everyone an equal voice and agency over the process. After co-creating a set of Community Agreements, we will brainstorm ways that Circles can be used to cultivate inclusive, engaging, and democratic learning spaces.

Roy Karp

Roy Karp is an experienced educator, writer, and advocate for small “d” democracy. As Director of the Alternative Diploma Program, he built a community based high school that successfully engaged students facing significant barriers to their education. Roy has trained hundreds of students and educators in Restorative Practices (RP) and has used them to create inclusive and democratic classrooms where students and teachers work collaboratively toward common goals. He currently leads Tidal Water Consulting (https://tidal-water.com), which provides training and coaching to implement RP in schools, non-profits, and mission driven social enterprises.

The Unseen Chains: Mental Colonization in Education

Friday

12:00 pm - 1:30 pm

The short film “The Unseen Chains: Mental Colonization in Education” explores how education has been used to erase local identities and re-educate generations on the dominant cultures. Through a deep, critical lens, the film denounces the invisible chains imposed by an educational system that limits creativity and individuality. The session includes film screening and participatory dialogue to move from awareness to action.

Luz Olid Díaz and David Caballero Pradas

Luz Olid and David Caballero are the founders of Evolving Education, whose mission is to research and democratize how the most progressive learning spaces around the planet are transforming education. In their journey, they became aware of the deep need to re-root education to allow life to flourish.

Break

Sunday

12:35 pm - 1:00 pm

Break

From Pilot to Policy: Scaling Experimental Democratic School to Legal Framework

Sunday

1:00 pm - 2:30 pm

This session explores how experimental democratic schools can influence formal education systems. We focus on creating conflict-resolution procedures, participatory governance models, and methods for experimentally testing innovative practices. Participants will learn strategies for scaling successful approaches while navigating legal requirements, ensuring that student autonomy, democratic principles, and evidence-based innovations are preserved within broader educational policies.

Juraj Mazak

Juraj Mazak is an expert in democratic and self-directed education, focusing on systemic change in education. He supports the development of school structures, policies, and practices that foster student autonomy, participatory decision-making, and inclusive learning. Juraj has experience in mentoring educators, guiding curriculum innovation, and aligning democratic practices with local educational regulations. His work helps schools to create frameworks where students can take responsibility for their learning, engage meaningfully in school life, and develop skills for lifelong learning.

Finding Agency in a Traditional School System

Sunday

1:00 pm - 2:30 pm

In this session, Christopher will share his journey on how he came to develop a portfolio-based, collaborative assessment model with students and offer resources that can help anyone start. Involving students in the development of classroom assessment and giving them agency over their learning can provide the tools the next generation needs to change the world. Working with students under the restrictions of a traditional system, we have created an “ungrading” model using portfolios that shelters students from the negative impact of graded assessments with a focus on self-assessment, growth, and encouraging students to chart their own paths through learning.

Christopher Sarkonak

Christopher is currently a high school physics teacher with 17 years of experience in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada and is working towards his Ph.D. in Education. He was the first Canadian selected for direct entry to CERN’s International High School Teacher Programme and works with the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in developing resources that focus on physics pedagogy. Christopher is passionate about student-centred education, having founded a STEM for Girls Week that has extended to a STEM Club that offers outreach to K-8 schools in the city, and worked with students to develop an assessment model that supports all learners.

Open Networking time, meet with groups, etc

Saturday

1:15 pm - 3:05 pm

Time to network, meet with groups, etc.

Open Networking Time. Meet with Groups, Activities, Etc

Friday

1:30 pm - 3:00 pm

Time for networking, meeting in groups, fun activities

Prevention Through Belonging: Creating the Conditions for Democratic Education

Sunday

2:35 pm - 3:35 pm

Belonging is often viewed as an outcome of democratic education, but what if it is one of the conditions that makes democratic education possible? This interactive session invites participants to explore the Prevention Through Belonging framework through reflection, dialogue, and collaborative problem-solving. Together, we will examine how the conditions of being safe, seen, connected, empowered, and purposeful influence learner agency and participation. Participants will explore a practical Belonging Audit, learn from one another's experiences across diverse educational settings, and leave with ideas they can immediately adapt to strengthen democratic learning communities.

David Brown

David Brown is the Founding Principal of PROUD Academy in Connecticut and founder of Anchor Point Ventures, where he partners with schools and organizations to strengthen belonging, learner agency, and democratic learning. His work draws on experience as a public school principal, science educator, and school designer, with a focus on creating learning environments where young people are known, trusted, and empowered to contribute. Through his work with educators and youth, he developed the Prevention Through Belonging framework to help schools intentionally create the conditions that support meaningful participation, shared responsibility, and thriving communities.

Documenting Self-Directed Learning: Making the Invisible Visible

Sunday

2:35: pm - 3:35 pm

How do we capture the academics and skills embedded in a child's self-directed interests—and communicate them to the outside world? Too often, learners and families retrofit years of authentic experience into traditional transcripts after the fact. This session explores both the practice of documentation in learner-centered environments and Prism, a tool designed to streamline this process through ongoing observation and reflection. Beyond the practical, we'll discuss how better documentation can strengthen individual confidence in choosing self-directed paths and build broader understanding of its efficacy.

Tomis Parker

I've spent my entire career in the alternative education world. I started as a teaching assistant in a Montessori classroom, then worked as a facilitator at a startup free school, organized summer camps for homeschoolers, and eventually co-founded the Agile Learning Centers model—a grassroots network of self-directed learning communities that has spread internationally. For years, I have served as Operations Director at ALC Mosaic, a (large) microschool in Charlotte, NC, where I experienced firsthand the documentation challenges that plagued programs like ours.

In Spanish -Jóvenes diseñando espacios para jóvenes: Democracia, Juego y Aprendizaje Descolonizador

Friday

3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

En esta sesión realizaremos un ejercicio horizontal y dinámico entre participantes y presentadores para dialogar sobre juventudes que diseñan espacios para juventudes. Reflexionaremos sobre el rol de jóvenes y jóvenes adultos como facilitadores y protagonistas en la propuesta, planificación y diseño de espacios de aprendizaje formales e informales. Nos centraremos en la pregunta: ¿qué hace que un espacio sea verdaderamente centrado en la juventud, democrático y descolonizador? Exploraremos participación significativa, corresponsabilidad, cocreación, autonomía, aprendizaje colaborativo, el juego como herramienta de aprendizaje y prácticas que cuestionen estructuras tradicionales de poder y conocimiento. Al finalizar, los participantes habrán reflexionado sobre cómo construir espacios inclusivos, participativos y transformadores para las juventudes.

Jun Eliahh Díaz González

Tallerista con prácticas orientadas desde el aprendizaje experiencial, el juego y la educación popular. Ha acompañado procesos empresariales y de formación con jóvenes emprendedores desde Nuestra Escuela en Caguas. Activista por los derechos humanos, organizador comunitarie y miembro de la comunidad de Nuestra Escuela desde 2019 como parte del personal. Desde 2020 facilita procesos con niñeces, juventudes y personas adultas, brindando acompañamientos centrados en los derechos humanos, el derecho al juego y los asuntos LGBT+. Diseña espacios participativos donde el juego y el cuerpo se reconocen como primer territorio de aprendizaje, promoviendo experiencias educativas pertinentes y transformadoras. / Workshop facilitator with practices grounded in experiential learning, play, and popular education. He has supported entrepreneurial and training processes with young entrepreneurs through Nuestra Escuela. A human rights activist, community organizer, and member of the Nuestra Escuela community since 2019 as part of the staff. Since 2020, he has facilitated processes with children, youth, and adults, providing support centered on human rights, the right to play, and LGBTQ+ issues. He designs participatory spaces where play and the body are recognized as the first territory of learning, fostering meaningful and transformative educational experiences.

"Famli: Deepening Democracy at Home:

Friday

3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Famli, developed by Zahra Lightway, M.Ed., is a family practice of consent-based democracy designed to help children and adults share voice, claim agency, responsibility, and decision-making through three circle practices: Heart Circle for connection, Spark Circle for learning and ideas, and Wisdom Circle for family agreements. Through these simple structures, families cultivate connection and harmony while developing emotional intelligence, communication skills, collaborative problem-solving, and a deep sense of shared responsibility. In this interactive workshop, participants will experience a Famli circle and use signal cards and feelings cards to create space for equal voice, respectful listening, and family harmony. After the experience, we’ll reflect on what participants noticed and explore how these practices can support democratic culture in families, classrooms, and learning communities

Zahra Lightway

Zahra Lightway, M.Ed., is the co-founder of Light Way Learning and creator of Famli, a family practice of consent-based democracy. She has studied and practiced sociocracy since the 1990s, training in the United States, New Zealand, and Australia with organizations including The Sociocracy Consulting Group and Sociocracy for All. Zahra has taught collaborative governance in intentional communities in Australia and Europe and presented at the Global Ecovillage Network European Gathering in Sweden. She also ran democratic learning programs for children in Texas, including a democratic micro school and three years of home-based Saturday programs and a summer camp.

Unschooling To University: How Children Learn Without Direct Instruction and Massive Funding

Saturday

3:05 pm - 4:35 pm

In this session, participants will define what self-directed education is, and identify the 3 components necessary for a successful SDE program, that do not require much funding. Thus, democratic education is accessible to everyone. Common concerns, research, and differences between homeschooling and unschooling methodology will be discussed.

Judy Arnall

BA, CCFE, DTM is a certified brain and child development specialist and master of non-punitive parenting and education practices. She created Unschooling Canada Association and is the bestselling author of 5 print books including Unschooling To University. She has unschooled 5 adult children and attended 4 university convocations so far. https://www.judyarnall.com or at https://www.unschoolingtouniversity.com

Indigenising Pedagogy & Curriculum at our Democratic School

Saturday

3:05 pm - 4:35 pm

Because Democratic education is purposed to support authentic self and learning rather than to perpetuate the political and economic status quo, there are many connections to be made with indigenous educational paradigms. Making these connections enables learning communities to enrich their own localised curricula and learning context. This focus also gives us the opportunity to intentionally decolonise our pedagogy. We tend to assume that this is not a necessary consideration for democratic educators by virtue of our pedagogy, but I have found that it is! In this talk, I share how I undertook this process with my democratic school in Aotearoa New Zealand, and what I learned, including how I came to realise that the school needed to make pedagogical and practical changes in order to be inclusive of our indigenous students and their families and more holistically enriching for everyone.

Eve Tonkin

Eve is a member of the IDEC Inclusion & Diversity Committee, which works to maintain and raise inclusion and diversity at IDECs, and a founding member of the Whakamanawa Learning Community, a charity that promotes and supports agentic and holistic pedagogy in New Zealand. She was the teaching principal of Timatanga Community School, a Democratic school in Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand, from 2012-2025. She also attended a Democratic high school in her youth and taught at Timatanga Community School from 2006-2011. She is currently writing and consulting about education in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Unschooling To University: How Children Learn Without Direct Instruction and Massive Funding

Saturday

3:05 pm - 4:35 pm

In this session, participants will define what self-directed education is, and identify the 3 components necessary for a successful SDE program, that do not require much funding. Thus, democratic education is accessible to everyone. Common concerns, research, and differences between homeschooling and unschooling methodology will be discussed.

Judy Arnall,

Judy Arnall - BA, CCFE, DTM is a certified brain and child development specialist and master of non-punitive parenting and education practices. She created Unschooling Canada Association and is the bestselling author of 5 print books including Unschooling To University. She has unschooled 5 adult children and attended 4 university convocations so far. https://www.judyarnall.com or at https://www.unschoolingtouniversity.com

Break

Sunday

3:35 pm - 4:05 pm

Break

Democratic School for Adults

Sunday

4:05 pm - 5:05 pm

Creating a Self-Sufficient Community Where People of All Ages Can Enjoy the Same Freedom We Give Our Kids - I will be sharing my vision for a self-sufficient community that is to people of all ages what a democratic school is to kids. Then I will open the floor for discussion. Participants can choose to stay connected after the conference and work on making this vision a reality, or simply treat the session as a thought experiment to share and discuss ideas, thoughts, and insights.

Amira Kessem

I'm an alumna of Hadera Democratic School in Israel, which I attended from age 4 to age 18. I currently live in upstate New York.

Engaging the Community in Budget Decisions

Sunday

4:05 pm - 5:05 pm

In this session, we will share the journey of participatory budgeting at Slobodná škola – how it started, evolved, and the lessons learned along the way. We’ll highlight both successes and failures, offering a realistic view of what works and what doesn’t. Participants will explore opportunities for students, teachers, and committees to be involved in shaping the school’s budget, fostering shared responsibility. This session combines storytelling, reflection, and peer discussion, leaving attendees with practical ideas to bring participatory budgeting into their own communities.

David Onda

David Onda - is a teacher and researcher in Slobodna skola. He has experience in qualitative and quantitative research approaches and mainly focuses on how community meetings and committees shape democratic culture. He is coordinator of financial committee

Do You KNOW MY NAME?

Friday

4:35 pm - 5:35 pm

Do you KNOW MY NAME - Education as Women’s Work?Women in Democratic Education & IDEC .Updated by Olivia Loria & Cecelia Bradley (2026) In recent years, in the world of the arts, there has been a project called Know My Name. This is a timely and much needed effort to reveal and raise the profile of artists who are women. We need something similar in democratic education

Olivia Loria & Cecelia Bradley

Olivia Loria is an international education consultant with 55 years experience working in private schools, public schools and with homeschoolers. She was the founder and director of Pinewood School (1981-1996). Pinewood School combined with Clonlara School in 1996. Her last position with Clonlara was the Spanish Office Liaison. She is an active participant in the International Democratic Education Conference (IDEC) and a member of the IDEC Committee on Inclusion and Diversity. She was an advisory board member, president, secretary, and board member of the National Coalition of Alternative Community Schools (NCACS) when it was an active group. Many new ideas, hopes and dreams were part of the educational and social upheaval of the late 60s when Cecelia began her adult journey in education. Currambena in Sydney was also beginning, and she eventually became part of that community as a staff member. After almost 30 years of learning and teaching with children, she and colleagues, initiated the creation of the Australasian Democratic Education Community. She was involved in establishing the Asia/Pacific Democratic Education Community and has attended several IDECs and APDECs over the years. She is part of the IDEC Inclusion and Diversity Committee.

In Spanish

Saturday

4:45 pm - 5:45 pm

¿Cómo generar redes entre diversos territorios para enriquecernos mutuamente? ¿Y cuáles podrían ser los aportes de Latinoamérica a la Educación Democrática? - La propuesta implica una breve introducción sobre el Colectivo Pluriversidad Latinoamericana. Luego generar una conversación a partir de las preguntas expuestas en el título.

Marcel Boesch, Patricia Meléndez, Jacquelin Gasco, Raquel Tomazini y Yoliet Lombida.

Todo sobre nosotros en www.pluriversidad.org

Democracy in Action: How Your Student’s Passion Is the Best Curriculum

Friday

4:45 pm - 5:45 pm

Democracy requires citizens who can think, not just students who can repeat. In this hands-on workshop, Personal Interest Projects (PIPs) will be described as a vital tool for liberation. You will learn about best practices to facilitate PIPs and try some activities that stimulate creativity and project design. We will explore how to integrate PIPs onto your school's reality. You will leave with some PIP tools, strategies for building radical trust with learners, and the confidence to let student curiosity drive the curriculum.

Liz Radday

Liz Radday is passionate about challenge based learning, student driven passion projects like Capstone and giving students voice and choice in the classroom. She spent sixteen years as a math and special education teacher in middle and high school and now conducts research on STEM education, writes curricula and provides professional learning for teachers on a variety of topics including Personal Interest Projects and AI in Education. Her book, Learning They’ll Love: Engage Students, Meet Standards, and Spark Creativity with Personal Interest Projects, was published in November 2025. She co-hosts the popular weekly podcast ChatEDU on AI in Education

In Spanish - ¿Cómo generar redes entre diversos territorios para enriquecernos mutuamente? ¿Y cuáles podrían ser los aportes de Latinoamérica a la Educación Democrática?

Saturday

4:50 pm - 5:50 pm

La propuesta implica una breve introducción sobre el Colectivo Pluriversidad Latinoamericana. Luego generar una conversación a partir de las preguntas expuestas en el título.

Marcel Boesch, Patricia Meléndez, Jacquelin Gasco, Raquel Tomazini y Yoliet Lombida

Todo sobre nosotros en www.pluriversidad.org

Reflections, Wrap Up, What's Next

Sunday

5:05 pm - 6:05 pm

Reflections, wrap up, staying connected.

Break, Networking, Activities

Friday

5:45 pm - 7:10 pm

Break

Saturday

5:50 pm - 6:20 pm

Break time

Let's Redefine PDA! (Pathological Demand Avoidance)

Saturday

6:20 pm - 7:20 pm

Move beyond the label of Pathological Demand Avoidance and discover the nervous system's role in the pervasive desire for autonomy. We will explore how honoring this intense need for agency naturally aligns with the foundations of democratic and self-directed education. By the end of this session, participants will leave with: - A fresh Polyvagal perspective on PDA that illustrates how establishing "felt safety" and prioritizing relationship is the vital first step for self-directed learning to naturally unfold. - A strength-based framework that bridges the PDA profile's deep need for autonomy with the core tenets of democratic education, honoring their unique, outside-of-the-box way of being. - Actionable insights for customizing consent-based environments that remove the traditional borders around learning, protect a young person's agency, and nurture the innate curiosity that drives authentic learning. - Collaborative practices to shift from directing to guiding, helping us let go of the traditional adult agenda so we can truly partner with young people and spark a lifelong love of learning on their own terms.

Monica Cochran

Monica Cochran passionately advocates for removing the borders around learning. Active in the movement since 1978, with decades of experience including leadership at Clonlara School and SelfDesign Global, she supports families and educators worldwide to reclaim educational agency. Through Learning Without Borders, Monica champions inclusive, personalized learning environments where all young people—especially neurodivergent learners—are respected as equals. Using strength-based, trauma-informed, and polyvagal approaches, she partners with educators and families to cultivate "felt safety," embrace unique neuro-cognitive strengths, and unleash the natural curiosity that drives authentic, lifelong learning.

Democracy in Action: How a Public School Operationalizes Liberation Through Structure, Pedagogy, and Shared Power

Saturday

6:20 pm - 7:20 pm

This conversation presents H-B Woodlawn, a 50-year public democratic school outside Washington, D.C., as a case study in Democratic Education for Action and Liberation. The session will examine how daily practices such as freedom of movement, first-name culture, student-led hiring committees, and shared governance through Town Meeting redistribute power and cultivate trust. Participants will explore how democratic structures across the school enable student-centered pedagogy and reciprocal teacher student symmetry. The session invites reflection across contexts while offering concrete examples of how democratic values are enacted through structures, language, and everyday school life.

Jennifer Goen

Jennifer Goen is a high school English teacher and Instructional Lead Teacher at the H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program, a democratic public school in Arlington, Virginia. She is committed to student-centered learning and to upholding the school’s pillars of self-governance, self-directed learning, caring community, and equity. In her leadership role, she coaches teachers in SDL and designs professional learning. At the district level, Jennifer facilitates a K–12 cohort for National Board Certified Teachers and leads learning on technology, media literacy, and student-centered pedagogy. She is an ambassador for the Teacher-Powered Schools Network and a doctoral student at Marymount University studying AI and self-directed learning.

From Democratic Schools to Democratic Lives

Friday

7:10 pm - 8:40 pm

Joann and Angela grew up in democratic education settings in Taiwan. In this session, they will share how their experiences shaped their views on education, relationships, and community. Drawing on their book and interviews with educators in different countries, they will reflect on relational democracy, inclusion, and contemporary democratic education across Eastern and Western contexts.

Angela Pi & Joann Shen

Angela - I’m an education researcher and facilitator based in Taiwan, working at the intersection of learning ecosystems, policy-to-practice translation, and coalition convening. I currently contribute to research on cross-sector collaborations in Taiwan’s community university ecosystem, translating field insights into practical briefs and learning notes for practitioners. I served as Program Director for IDEC 2024, supporting an international convening that required cross-time-zone coordination and facilitation structures balancing coherence with openness. Joann - I'm Joann Shen, an education scholar and catalyst passionate about transforming learning landscapes to cultivate resilience, autonomy, and community engagement. With over 10 years of experience in education, I specialize in democratic and alternative education models, aiming to foster inclusive, equitable learning ecosystems that empower students to shape their educational journeys. As a founder of the To Be Educational Catalyst, I lead initiatives that bridge traditional and innovative educational practices. My work spans research, consulting, and action-based collaborations, all focused on advancing Taiwan's educational systems through grassroots and systemic changes.

The Corses of Japanese Democratic School Graduates

Friday

7:10 pm - 8:40 pm

First Japanese democratic schools were founded in 1985. Since then, it has been the big theme for graduates and the students who think their future, how do they live after the graduation of the democratic schools. The situations changed since the bbeginning. In this session, these chages and present situation of Japan will be shared.

Kageki Asakura

Kageki Asakura has worked in both areas, the practices and the study of democratic education. Asakura has worked at the oldest free democratic school in Japan and founded the first Japanese democratic university, TDU/Tekisen Democratic University (it was Shure University). Asakura is Director there. Asakura is keen to network free democratic schools/ universities internationally. He has been an active member of International Democratic Education Conference for longer than two decades. He loves to help launching democratic universities in the world. Asakura studies and writes about democratic education, history of education and ethnography of youth. Asakura is also a pioneer scholar of “self-ology”, a study about the self. Asakura has been invited as a speaker to many international conferences, such as European Council's World Forum For Democracy(France), BEYOND UNIVERSITY: Critical, Conference for Emancipatory and Solidarist Endeavors (Turkey), International Democratic Education Conferences(Finland, Israel, India, Ukraine, USA, etc.), International Conference of Creative Education (Russia), National Conference of Alternative and Community Schools (USA), Korean Democratic Education Conference (Korea).

Reflections from first 2 Days - Networking, Pop up Discussions

Saturday

7:20 pm - 9:00 pm

A chance for impromptu reflection, continuing discussion, etc.

"The Unseen Chains: Mental Colonization in Education"

Saturday

8:00 am - 9:30 am

The short film “The Unseen Chains: Mental Colonization in Education” explores how education has been used to erase local identities and re-educate generations on the dominant cultures. Through a deep, critical lens, the film denounces the invisible chains imposed by an educational system that limits creativity and individuality. The session includes film screening and participatory dialogue to move from awareness to action.

Luz Olid Díaz and David Caballero Pradas

Luz Olid and David Caballero are the founders of Evolving Education, whose mission is to research and democratize how the most progressive learning spaces around the planet are transforming education. In their journey, they became aware of the deep need to re-root education to allow life to flourish.

Woldschooling Hub: Learning Without Borders

Saturday

8:00 am - 9:30 am

We will present the Worldschooling Hub in Eastern Slovakia, a new space for homeschoolers, communities and families to connect, share experiences, and explore self-directed learning opportunities. The session will introduce the hub’s activities, resources, and community initiatives, and invite participants to join, contribute, and engage. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of what the hub offers, ways to get involved, and inspiration to connect with other families and learners across the region, creating a supportive network for curiosity, creativity, and learning without borders.

Maryna Savchuk

Maryna Savchuk, is CEO of Volnobeh, an organization in rural Slovakia. Originally from Ukraine, she has extensive experience in youth leadership, refugee integration, and community-based education. She has dedicated herself to creating inclusive, community-based learning spaces. In Žakarovce, she is transforming a neglected building into a hub for worldschooling, environmental education, youth exploration. Maryna’s approach combines hands-on projects, cross-cultural insight, and participatory learning, empowering young people to discover, collaborate, and grow. Her work reflects a deep belief that education can connect communities, nurture curiosity, and foster sustainable, equitable futures.

Check In & Set Intention For The Day

Sunday

8:10 am - 8:30 am

Check In, Set Intentions

How mainstream education violates human rights law and what we can do about it

Sunday

8:30 am - 10:00 am

The session will provide evidence that conventional schooling violates international human rights law and make the case that adopting more democratic approaches to education is essential both for respecting the human rights of children as well as for a democratic way of life for society at large.

Sifaan Zavahir

Sifaan Zavahir is a co-founder of Kinder Republic, Sri Lanka's first and only Democratic School, and a Founding Member of the Rights-Centric Education Network, advocating for education practices that fully respect human rights, especially child rights.

In Spanish - A propósito del fin ultimo de la educación: ¿Qué clase de criaturas somos?

Sunday

8:30 am - 10:00 am

¿Cual seria el impacto de reconocernos como entidades espiritualmente animadas? My purpose is to share experiences which are a results of my long research and observations beyond current educational crisis and also beyond the ideological fighting in both: political and educational field. Hope attendant come away with essential and new questions about the sense of Education after the discussion on the enigmatic nature of humans

Manuel Vergara Echeverría

Filosofo Alternativo, investigador en areas de la filosofía, educación y política, PhD Ciencias de la Educación, Licenciado en Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales, Universidades de Chile y La Serena, Santiago escritor autor de las obras Aristeia: Hacia una nueva educación para la conciencia (2004). Epistemologia Espiritual (2019) . Fundador y asesor de diversas iniciativas educacionales, de ayuda social, altruistas o gremiales

Break

Friday

8:40 pm - 9:00 pm

Break

Opening & Welcome - welcome from AERO & the IDEC community, logistics, etc.

Friday

9:00 am - 9:20 am

Opening, connections & logistics

IDEC in Thailand: Liberating Learning& Living

Friday

9:00 pm - 10:30 pm

This session begins with a short film exploring why Democratic Education matters deeply in Thailand and the wider Southeast Asian region—where education has long been shaped by hierarchy, compliance, and separation from life. From there, I will introduce Binsi as a living experiment of liberating learning, living, and love, where education is not a system but a shared way of being. The session will also reflect on why Sustainability and Democratic Education must be intertwined—not as parallel ideals, but as inseparable practices for cultivating agency, care, and collective responsibility in a time of ecological and social uncertainty.

Nao Saowanee Sangkara

Nao Saowanee Sangkara is a filmmaker, educator, and founder of Binsi, an emerging movement that weaves together natural living, democratic education, art, and community into one integrated life-practice. Based in Northern Thailand, she leads a learning sanctuary and living-lab for natural building, child-led learning, and regenerative community life.Her work sits at the intersection of cinema, alternative education, personal narrative, and social transformation—bridging intimate storytelling with systemic change.

Myth about managing a Democratic School / Hub

Friday

9:00 pm - 10:30 pm

I want to hold a space to learn more about why people wants to start and join a D.E. school/ hub, how do they make it work, how do they make it sustained and what challenges they encounter so as to find out what is the core values hold to run and lead the running of a D.E. school/ hub. This is more on the side of managing a D.E. school / hub. And this will be a merely peer discussion session(s), of course I would share my experience in the beginning to explain why I want to start this.

Carmela Wong

A.E from Hong Kong. Worked in a local democratic primary school as coordinator and administrator. Currently exploring about self and what is needed for an A.E. school to sustain.

Myth about managing a Democratic School / Hub

Friday

9:00 pm - 10:30 pm

I want to hold a space to learn more about why people wants to start and join a D.E. school/ hub, how do they make it work, how do they make it sustained and what challenges they encounter so as to find out what is the core values hold to run and lead the running of a D.E. school/ hub. This is more on the side of managing a D.E. school / hub. And this will be a merely peer discussion session(s), of course I would share my experience in the beginning to explain why I want to start this.

Carmela Wong

A.E from Hong Kong. Worked in a local democratic primary school as coordinator and administrator. Currently exploring about self and what is needed for an A.E. school to sustain.

Check In, Set Intentions

Saturday

9:30 am - 10:25 am

Check In, set intetions for the rest day

Leadership for Educational Liberation: Bridging Peace Practices with Youth

Friday

9:30 am - 10:30 am

In 2023, two nonprofit organizations based in New Jersey implemented the second iteration of the “Leadership for Educational Liberation,” a paid virtual program with 19 primarily BBIPOC students across the state to learn strategies and cultivate dialogue about meaningful school integration. This presentation will provide an overview of the collaborative, participatory nature of the LEL program as a unique model to empower students from both urban and rural areas to learn, engage, and build relationships across space in the context of building more inclusive and equitable schools for all.

Jessica Laus

Is currently pursuing a PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Manitoba in Canada. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Wayne State University, a Master of Science from the London School of Economics, and she worked in the field of international diplomacy for well over five years. A practitioner and advocate of restorative justice and nonviolence, she is most proud of her work cultivating youth leadership through peace education in New Jersey and Winnipeg.

The Science of Learning for Educators

Friday

9:30 am - 10:30 am

The Science of Learning Academy was founded in 2025 by the presenter to promote evidence-based education and teaching methods around the world. As more and more evidence is supporting the democratic education principles, the idea of combining these two approaches could be a way to reach the wider public and also help transform the mainstream education systems.

Marko Koskinen

The organizer of IDEC@EUDEC 2016, is the founder of three alternative schools, one democratic, one online and one for street children in Pakistan implementing democratic education principles. In 2025 he founded the Science of Learning Academy with the intention of spreading the knowledge of learning around the world. He has written a comprehensive book series on the topic.