Dr Brian Ray founded the Home Education Research institute in 1990 as a non-profit research organization and is the president. He is a leading international expert with regard to Homeschool research and renowned public speaker and  expert witness in courts. In this expansive talk, we discover how much has changed since Dr Ray dipped his toe into the Homeschooling world nearly thirty years ago, what are the main reasons families choose to Homeschool and the fundamental question of whether far off unknown bureaucrats should have the responsibility of bringing up children, or parents should do. So many great topics covered today!

Professor of Education, author, and founder of the Journal of Unschooling and Alternative Learning, Dr Carlo Ricci joins us as we discover how he uses nothing he studied in school in his role as a Professor of Education at Nippising University. We also discover how he raises his two daughters, who have had complete autonomy in all their decisions from birth, from their diet, learning direction and decision to attend public school. Dr Ricci is a caring member of the Homeschooling World and with his contribution of many great articles, books and journals on the subject, is a rock to lean on when understanding that kids are naturally curious and endlessly creative in engaging and learning from the world around them.

Lainie Liberti is what I am sure most kids dream of in a mother! Adventurous, inspiring and always curious, Lainie talks to us about her and her son’s decision to leave the US and travel the world. We get to see how their journey unfolded into developing Project World School, which inspires temporary learning communities around the world. With her Ted Talk and podcast, Lainie has prompted many families to look at life as more of an adventure and we are taught there is no goal or test at the end, and this thinking shows us how schooled we are!

In this beautiful talk, we get to know Pam Laricchia, a long-time unschooling mother from Ontario, Canada who hosts a weekly podcast “Exploring Unschooling”. The soothing tones of Pam`s insights take us back to her original fears about taking her kids out of school, to rapidly understanding and embracing the underlying philosophies of unschooling, and how it soon became apparent there is something even more fundamental that lies underneath the learning, and that`s our relationships with our children. Pam is a natural poet and reflects on how “learning isn`t about doing well at school, it`s about engaging with life.” She feels raising her kids at home has provided them with a lifelong love of learning, a deep level of self awareness and confidence in making choices.

In this great conversation, Kerry McDonald, a mother of four unschooled children, a writer for Natural Mother Magazine, Forbes, NPR and Education Next and a Board member at the Alliance for Self-Directed Education, tells us how she first encountered a Homeschooling family and was amazed at the contrast in the children compared to those attending public school in their confidence, articulation and curiosity. We discuss Kerry`s journey from Harvard University, where she obtained a Master's degree in education policy, to becoming a true self-directed learning advocate. We are also excited discuss her new book, "Unschooled" and how Homeschooling is misunderstood and actually cultivates more social interaction and also encourages kids to find and then follow their true calling in life.

World renowned American educational psychologist (and always recommended as a great place to start any journey into the science behind how kids learn) Dr Peter Gray, who currently occupies the position of research professor of psychology at Boston College, takes a break from his winter skiing and joins us today. Dr Gray offers great insight into the importance of play for any child encountering the world and wishing to make sense of it. We get to understand how the role play had such an important influence in our biological evolution. Dr Gray goes on to enlighten us how the traditional school model is actually playing a major part in a "creativity crisis" we see prevalent in the world today, with students leaving university having no capacity to think for themselves.

When a young, confident Pat Farenga entered the offices of the “father of unschooling”, the late great John Holt, he had no idea of how this man would shape and influence his life. In this great conversation, Pat tells us of his first encounters and later deep appreciation for John Holt´s real understanding of how children learn (and fail) through following their own innate curiosity to understand the world around them free from testing and peer pressures. Pat tells us how he always felt there must be something more than the monotonous public schooling he endured and how parental fears and a lack of patience to let their kids explore are the main reasons stopping us enjoying time with our kids. Great chat, great gentleman!

Three time presidential candidate, founder of The Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity, podcast host and overall legend in his relentless pursuit of peace and broadcasting the message of liberty, Dr Ron Paul joins us today. We reflect on his family upbringing, the benefits of Homeschooling, how the school system has changed over the years and how he feels the conversation of the future of education is the most important one effecting our freedoms. Dr Paul is an amazing speaker and we get a rare glimpse of how he feels his involvement in providing a Homeschooling Curriculum and his passion in promoting The Homeschooling Movement in general, will be his furthest reaching and greatest legacy in changing the intellectual climate.

Are you unhappy with your children's educational environment? Does the current school system serve today's needs for creative, self reliant young entrepreneurs? Are schools able to adapt to the ever increasing pace of change?

If you are tempted with the ideas of Homeschooling, Child Led Learning and the many other forms of Alternative Education popping up all around us, welcome!

Join me,‭ ‬your host Graeme,‭ ‬as I start this‭ ‬adventure‭ ‬with you,‭ ‬with a feisty‭ ‬toddler at my side who I want‭ ‬to‭ ‬see free from a classroom of obedient repetition,‭ ‬to live‭ ‬her‭ ‬life true to the fullest,‭ ‬write her own story and not be bound by anybody else‭!