contributing writers

Ren Allen has been homeschooling since 1996 and an active supporter of unschooling both online and in her local community since 2000. She assists those newer to unschooling through an online discussion group and speaking publicly whenever possible. Passions include helping people explore their unique creativity through art classes, makeup artistry and creativity workshops. She also enjoys art, writing, travel, herbal medicine, gardening and eating truffles with a good cup of darjeeling. You can find Ren at ImaginationTribe or unschoolingbasics, at her website learninginfreedom.com or by emailing her at starsuncloud@comcast.net.

Laurie Chancey is the only child of Valerie Fitzenreiter and Wyatt Chancey.  She was unschooled from birth until college and is now a Ph.D. student in sociology at Louisiana State University.  Laurie has been an occasional willing participant in print, broadcast, and electronic media reports about her life.  Visit her website at www.chancey.info

In her past life Robyn Coburn has been Production Designer and Set Decorator for motion pictures, Set, Lighting and Costume Designer in theater, and teacher of technical theater to actors. Now she pursues an interest in writing professionally including screenplays, and contributes regularly to Unschooling Discussion. She enjoys reading, swimming, sewing, the kind of electronic games that involve puzzles instead of finger drills, classic cinema (ie old movies), various crafts, traveling and is a passionate adorer of James and Jayn Coburn (8).

Sandra Dodd lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico with her husband Keith. They have two children in Albuquerque who are beyond the "child" stage: Holly is 16, Marty is 18. Kirby, at 21, is living and working in Austin, Texas.

Ben Lovejoy has partnered with his wife, Kelly, to host and grow the Live and Learn Unschooling Conference since its inception in 2002, and can be found conversing with other unschooling dads on the SSUDS list. A private school, military college, and US Air Force alumni, Ben is not your typical unschooling parent. Despite appearances, he's been unschooling his boys, Cameron and Duncan, with his wife, Kelly, for six years. Ben's personal favorite bumper sticker on their car is "Question Authority." He loves music and film and when he's not cycling the roads of America, Ben is lieutenant colonel with the SC Air National Guard.

Meredith Novak describes herself as a "full time professional mom" although she also quilts, gardens, and spends far too much time on the computer. She and her family live in Dismal, TN (yes, really!) where they enjoy making art in many different ways.

Anne Ohman's first-born son introduced his family to this glorious unschooling path, and Anne honored and celebrated him by believing him and following him. And because of Jake's insistence on learning in his own way, in his own time, he and his brother, Sam, and his parents have since been joyfully growing and learning and Shining together on top of their rural mountain in New York State. Anne is also following her passions in her job as director of her own unique children's library program. More of her inspiration can be found at her Shine With Unschooling list, at scattered and unpredictable conference appearances, and in various other publications here and there, now and then.

Schuyler Waynforth lives joyfully in the wilds of East Anglia having returned to the backwaters from which her ancestors came in the early 1600's. She knows far more about the local fauna by rescuing the creatures from the cat's mouth and which end up in either the aquarium, the rabbit hutch, or the plant propagator at the insistence of either Simon or Linnaea, and occasionally who get buried down at the bottom of the garden. Linnaea does sing a lovely dirge. You can read more about this life at waynforth.blogspot.com, or, to contact Schuyler directly, s.waynforth@btinternet.com