VickiJ

As American expats living in Shanghai, China, we are in the early stages of deciding where in the U.S. we would like our home base to be when we are able to be there.

Sometimes I read posts from people who seem to have great support systems in place, unschooling groups, resources, etc. and I wonder where they live. My son (13) will likely want to attend some classes at a community college starting in a year or more, so that's a consideration, too.

Please post if you feel like where you live is a great place to unschool. My dream is to have lots of choices for socializing, taking classes or doing workshops, being able to pick and choose from lots of avenues for fun.

Any suggestions?
Vicki in Shanghai

sharon

I posted my response on another group with your question, but I will post it here too.
I am grateful to be living in an area where there are, what I consider, a lot of radical unschoolers. At least 6 families that we get together with 1-3 times/week. Several others who are unschoolers, but not radical and some who are looking into it. I actively get the word out to homeschoolers in our area re: RU through local homeschooling yahoo groups. I submit posts re: upcoming conferences and info I think people might be interested in. Thru these groups
people will email me inquiring about unschooling and RU. I send them lots of info and sometimes they are on-board and sometimes they are not. I also started a homeschooling co-op in our area 6 years ago. We meet on a weekly basis with our unschooling friends and some other homeschoolers for activities, crafts,group outings, socializing and support. We have done everything from dissecting frogs to henna tatooing to talent shows to a visit at the local PBS station to
making wallets and purses out of duct tape to dying yarn and wool with Kool-Aid to maple sugaring to apple picking/strawberry picking/pumpkin picking to a train ride through the Adirondacks to a rock climbing gym. We live in Upstate NY between Albany and Saratoga.
Anyone want to visit or move here? ;)
Sharon

Jan Smith

Hi Vicki. I wish you the best of luck in your search for a new home.  I live in a small town in central Iowa.  No, my town of 300 does not have what you are looking for, unless you enjoy looking at cornfields as much as I do -lol ;) . However, Des Moines and the suburbs around it may have what your looking for. Good unchooling support, great community colleges and a state college (Iowa State University) within 20 minutes, in Ames.  Des Moines is not a large city if that is the lifestyle your looking for, yet there are alot of opportunities that my family and I enjoy. If you want more details because this is somewhere that you would actually like to consider feel free to contact me off list.

january

inthemoment35@...

Bun

Here is a fun site to check out - you take it like a quiz and it lists the best towns/cities for you in the USA. http://www.findyourspot.com/

Too bad it doesn't have a category for finding other unschoolers though!!

Laurie :)

ejemama

Hey Vicki,
I'm in Shanghai too! Will send you a PM.
Emily

Heather

Hi Vicki,

I live in the Tucson area & we really love it here. We've been here almost
10 yrs.
We have a nice unschool group -

http://www.soaringunschoolers.com/

Many of the unschoolers also belong to Sonoran Desert Homeschoolers, a
bigger, eclectic homeschool group that has lots of activities.
http://www.tucsonhomeschoolers.org/

Tucson is also home ot the University of Arizona and Pima Community College.

good luck on your search!

sincerely,
heather
mom to Quentin,14 & Sierra, 11


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