Education Approach
- Overview
- Underlying Philosophy
- The OC Process
- Core Resources
- History of Our Approach
- Contact Us
Underlying Philosophy:
Mission, Values and Beliefs
The OC Vision
A world where all young people develop the foundation for a self-directed life of purpose and fulfillment.
The OC Mission
Our mission is to help young people and adults develop the tools needed to create the life they want, full of purpose and fulfillment. We do this in two ways:
- by providing an Open Education environment (the Open Connections Village) which fosters the guiding principles of Respect, Freedom, Responsibility and Natural Learning
and
- by working with others who share our principles and values in order to tip the balance from the traditional model of compulsory instruction over to a more organic, learner-directed approach based on self-motivation and the creative process
OC Principles
- Respect—for oneself, others and the environment
- Freedom—to learn and create
- Responsibility—supporting the foundation of a nurturing and positive social, physical and intellectual environment
- Natural Learning—the belief that all people have an innate desire to learn, grow, communicate, nurture and create
OC’s Values
- Process Consciousness—paying attention to the way we do or say something so that the effects serve our highest goals and intentions
- Creative Process—the way we move from the present to a desired future state, using various tools to build on current reality in order to achieve a chosen goal
- Conceptual Development—the process of understanding, achieved by figuring things out, rather than rote memorization of answers and techniques
- Collaboration—working with others synergistically, with the belief that none of us is as smart as all of us
- Real Work—work that is done for its own sake, rather than “busy work”
This combination of values guides the Open Connections Process.
"OC is very different from traditional schools in many ways…OC focuses not just [primarily] on mathematical/logical and linguistics intelligences, but on all of the nine multiple intelligences. [The staff] encourage us to understand, not to memorize…we have input into what goes on…we can be ourselves without conforming to what anyone else wants/expects of us…OC is a very encouraging and positive environment. We are not separated by “grade levels.” OC encourages flexible thinking and cooperation. Everyone here is open to new ideas and full of suggestions of their own."
- OC Teen