Finding Purpose

In the corner of one of our maker’s spaces sat a collection of cardboard tubes, pieces of driftwood, and some discarded curtain rods with mismatched finials. “Can I use these for my cat tower?” asked one of the learners that had been working on a project for several days. The curtain rods hadn’t been used in some time nor did I see them being used in the foreseeable future. He seemed pleased when I told him he could have the rods for his creation. I casually mentioned that I thought he would enjoy going into a thrift shop to scavenge for interesting items to use for inventing and building. Surprisingly he told me, “I don’t really build when I am at home.” At morning meeting last week this same learner responded to an invitation to share by saying that his current learning  in building and engineering would have the greatest impact on his life as an adult. I had to wonder why this learner chose to not build at home yet creating and engineering occupied much of his time while at Spark ALC. I knew he could have access to materials and tools at his house. “Why don’t you build while you are at home?” and in reply he told me that he has more fun building with someone or for someone. The community at Spark ALC provides a purpose and need for this learners talent. He might be found building a zip line for a group of kids, creating elaborate plans for the tree house, or making something that one of his peers will find useful. In this moment, I felt reminded of the importance of community when choosing to unschool. A community can provide inspiration, collaboration, motivation, and even purpose when we need to know that our talents and interests matter to the world around us.