A Day with Sandra Dodd—18 Sept 2016, Long Ditton, Surrey

This notice was sent out by Julie and Janine on May 25, 2016:


Sandra Dodd will be speaking at a one day event on Sunday 18th September from 9.30am to 5.30pm, followed by free pizza, and more informal chat until 6.30pm. The venue is in Long Ditton (near Surbiton & Kingston Upon Thames). There is free car parking on site and in the surrounding streets, and it is a 20 minute walk (or a short bus or taxi ride) to the nearest train station at Surbiton.

A Day with Sandra Dodd is an event for experienced unschoolers. It is designed for radical unschoolers who are already committed to the approach and who are looking to deepen their understanding and improve their practice. It is not really aimed at people who are brand new to unschooling.

Sandra says that she is getting old and cranky, and coming all the way from New Mexico to answer beginners’ questions isn’t a good use of her time. So if you haven’t progressed beyond “What?! You let them have more than an hour a day on screens?!” then go to SandraDodd.com/help and catch up.

The day will be an opportunity to hear Sandra speak in-depth about some of the more advanced/sophisticated aspects of unschooling and how it feels when solid unschooling principles underpin everything you do, so that learning, peace and joy are your everyday reality. There will also be opportunities to chat and share ideas with other experienced unschoolers.

Tickets for the day are £22.50 for adults. We also have junior tickets which are £17.50 and are available for teens/children who are interested in listening to the talks.The event isn’t suitable for children younger than about ten as there won’t be any activities for them on site. Babes in arms are welcome although we ask you to step outside if your baby is making a noise and preventing others from hearing the talks.

If you think you would like to attend please email us to let us know how long you have been unschooling, the ages of your children and what you are hoping to get out of the day. This will allow us to make sure that the content is well targeted. Please email at this address juliedaniel.email@yahoo.com. You can also email us on this address if you have other questions.

Organising Team

Janine Davies and Julie Daniel (UK)
with support from
Rippy Dusseldorp (Netherlands), Marta Venturini (Portugal), James Daniel and Karl Morgan (UK)

Free to Be Unschooling

Free to Be Unschooling Conference
Phoenix, Arizona
September 29-October 2, 2016

This is their third conference, and the first time I've spoken.

I'm still thinking about another main presentation, but here's what I have planned as of mid-March:

Presentation 1:
Getting to Unschooling: Small changes bring big results

Presentation 2:
(still thinking)

Workshop 1:
Becoming Calm


Workshop 2:
Gratitude and Generosity

HSC Conference, San Francisco, 2016

"I’ve been lucky enough to attend a homeschooling conference at which Sandra often speaks, for 15 years now. I’ve been at this homeschooling thing long enough that I don’t feel I need much advice on it, but I always like to listen in on Sandra’s talks anyway, because she’s encouraging and entertaining–and despite how long I’ve been doing this, I always learn *something*! Just saw her earlier this month, and loved hearing her thoughts on being the parent of young adults…"

That review was posted in 2012, as a comment on a blogpost in India. (Here's a link.) The blog post was one of two interviews with me.

I love finding things like that unexpectedly!
I spoke in 2014, too. (Holly helped me.)

This year I get to be there again.

I've spoken for conferences HSC has sponsored in Anaheim, Sacramento, Santa Clara, Orange County (a symposium). This one will be in San Francisco. The first year I was invited to speak was 1996, and so this will be the twentieth anniversary of the first time I spoke in California.

In 2016 I will have two sessions, and be on a panel.

California, UK, Arizona

My only speaking plans for 2016 are all within about a two-month window.


Still some hazy bits, but
July 29-31 HSC conference, San Francisco

It starts on the 28th, but I'm going just Friday noonish to Sunday noonish, for two talks, and one panel.

Probably one afternoon around August 27 (give or take), small gathering, NOT big, NOT general, but just unschoolers, in Farsley, West Yorkshire. Too soon to know for sure.

Possibly one afternoon somewhere around Brighton, at the beginning of September (not known, but being considered).

September 18, Sunday afternoon, definitely, Long Ditton, Surrey (not for beginners)

September 29-October 2 Free to Be Unschooling Conference, Phoenix