The World Is Our Classroom
Learn about how two parents used nature and travel to supplement their children's education.
Reservations
Not Required
Pricing
- Suggested Donation: $5.00
Location
Mather Auditorium
Cindy Ross’s story begins in the Rocky Mountain wilderness on a unique and extraordinary journey: two parents leading their young children 3,100 miles on the backs of llamas. This Canada-Mexico trek illustrated to Cindy and her husband what experiential education can do. Inspired by the experience, they went on to create a new way of supplementing their children’s education, focusing on two arenas for learning: the natural world and travel.
In this age of world connection, it is important to raise broad-minded and empathetic children who are knowledgeable about other cultures. To accomplish this goal, Cindy chose an unorthodox approach: she orchestrated learning opportunities for her children, Sierra and Bryce, in twelve countries. The family traveled the world, moving about on foot and bicycle, living simply and intimately. But just as important, and more accessible for many parents, were the opportunities for learning closer to home, as well as those provided by the natural world.
These adventures brought intangible gifts: values such as compassion, empathy, self-reliance and appreciation, among others that are not always fostered in a traditional curriculum but crucially important to raising children.
By sharing her story, along with honest insights from her children about the importance of their unusual education, Cindy aims to empower parents to believe they can be their children’s best and most important educators. It is for parents who are seeking inspiration, who love a good story, and who are looking for an unorthodox way to raise the happiest, healthiest, and brightest children they can.
Cindy Ross has written about raising children alternatively, via outdoor adventures and travel, for a variety of publications, including the Huffington Post, LA Times, Backpacker, Adventure Cyclist, etc. The author of six published books, she has lectured on the virtues of this education approach and its effects on children’s creative minds and their thirst for learning for twenty-five years. Cindy lives in New Ringgold, Pennsylvania.
