Below is the announcement made on the Florida Unschooling Conference Facebook page:
The Un in the Sun planning team is excited to announce the next speakers in our lineup for the conference in October - Kathy Brown and Justin Brown, a mom and son team from right here in the Tampa Bay area.
Kathy Brown spent a decade as a reporter and editor at The Tampa Tribune before resigning to become a full-time caregiver to her newborn son, Justin. That decision 18 years ago led her and her husband, Joe, to investigate alternative ways to parent and educate. After learning about unschooling and observing their son’s natural ability to learn on his own, they decided unschooling fit perfectly with their parenting style.
From the beginning, Justin has experienced the freedom to explore his own interests at his own pace; he has never been punished or forced to learn anything. Now, at 18, he says, “Unschooling has made me more of my own person so I could really decide who I am and the things that I like."
Justin's unique journey continues to be the joyful and rich experience that Kathy began writing about when Justin was 4 years old. As a parenting columnist for a local women's magazine, Kathy wrote of a world unlike the one in which she grew up … a new world where it’s possible to parent with non-punitive discipline, with trust and mutual respect, and with the welcomed acceptance of emotional release. (She is currently compiling her parenting columns, along with new commentary, into a book titled Parenting the Soul.)
Kathy and Justin are happy to share their journey in support of others who choose to parent and educate differently … who choose a new world full of opportunity and empowerment for both themselves and for their children.
We are looking forward to hearing from these two in October! Remember, the incredible rates for Super Early Bird Registration are only available through April 20. Register now to beat the rush!
