A Reflection on Our Gathering
May 12, 2025
Dear Community,
In light of the changes reshaping our educational, economic, and social landscapes, many of us have been quietly asking:
What’s Next?
On May 6th, following weeks of small group conversations, 15–20 of us gathered at City Beach to explore the future of learning, education, and how we prepare our children—and ourselves—to thrive in a world that feels increasingly out of tune. What emerged was a rich, honest, and thoughtful exchange. Across many voices and perspectives, one message rang clear:
Things could be better—and something powerful, new, and good is trying to emerge.
We heard real stories and shared challenges:
Families feeling the pull beyond conventional schools.
Parents navigating homeschooling, hybrid paths, and alternative models—often in isolation.
Alternative schools struggling to thrive amid economic and cultural headwinds.
Gaps in safety, structure, and coherence where institutions fail to support modern realities.
A longing for authentic community—not just for children, but for all of us.
A tension between freedom and structure, practicality and vision, ideals and realities.
A collective recognition that many of the systems built for a different era are no longer meeting the needs of this one.
Alongside the challenges, we heard clear signals of profound possibility and desire:
Families creating learning pods, micro-schools, unschools, and small communities.
Children flourishing when given the proper balance of space, structure, guidance, and purpose.
Properties, resources, skills, and relationships longing to be activated and integrated in new ways.
Platforms, prototypes, and pathways emerging to support the effort.
A shared willingness to experiment, adapt, and grow—together.
Beneath it all, there was a deep shared understanding:
We are not just talking about education. We’re talking about culture. About community. About a way of being, living and learning that is more whole, more human, more balanced, and more aligned with how we actually want to raise our children and live our lives.
This is not about replacing the beautiful work already happening locally—it’s about filling critical gaps and meeting needs while honoring, uplifting, integrating, and cohering what exists into something even stronger. Together.
Less institutionalization.
Less fragmentation.
Less isolation.
Less stress, scarcity, and tears.
More connection.
More rhythm.
More devotion and freedom, side by side.
More skills, stories, movement, music, and shared events.
More opportunities for our children to learn through play and doing, guided by inspiring people they trust.
More ways for parents and mentors to step into meaningful roles—without burning out.
More hands-on, project-based, spiritually grounded, intergenerationally enriched learning.
More guilds, guides, apprenticeships, initiations, accountability, and vocational learning integrated into the fabric of daily life.
More resources, structure, and support.
More adventure.
More purpose.
More meaning.
More fun.
More of the Way we long for our lives and world to be.
More of what we already know, deep down, is possible.
This was more than a brainstorming session. It was a point of convergence. A moment of alignment where diverse lives, dreams, and realities revealed a common quest:
What would it look like to actually co-create the lives and world we most desire—together?
With foundational puzzle pieces already in place and numerous families indicating strong desire to move forward together, we have enough critical mass to initiate a structured process to reimagine, redesign, and rebuild how we and our children live, learn, work, and grow in community. This is about much more than schooling—it’s about building a foundation for the kind of regenerative culture and flourishing future we know is possible. It’s also the surest way to prepare ourselves and our children to thrive through the profound storms and transitions ahead.
Here’s what’s next for those desiring to continue along this Path:
RSVP and weave back in. If you have ideas, resources, properties, skills, or relationships you’d like included in the emerging Community Vision & Map, send them our way via the RSVP link below.
Invite others. If you know kindred spirits who should be part of this, please share this invitational reflection with them.
Saturday, May 24 @ 3 PM – We’ll kick off a Community Design-Build Process.
May 26–31 @ Between The Rivers – Many of us will be present and hosting daily martial arts, visioning and alignment sessions.
Beginning June 7, we’ll meet every Saturday at 3 PM, potentially followed by a potluck and play at City Beach, to continue aligning and advancing our shared vision in community.
By the end of June, we aim to finalize a 90-Day Summer Quest to bring core elements online for the fall.
A quiet but powerful realization is emerging:
If we are to co-create a new model of learning and development for our families, we must first enroll ourselves.
Our first Quest is to co-create the community, economy, and ecosystem of lifelong learning that we wish had always existed—for ourselves, our children, and our future.
Something powerful is stirring. Let’s keep tending the flame.
CLICK HERE TO RSVP AND JOIN THE QUEST.
In Service of One and All,
~ J & The LIONSBERG Team