Mentoring

We believe we all have the potential to be mentors for each other. The most effective mentoring is multi-directional between groups of committed explorers. One of our intentions is that the Haven apprentices will become highly effective and compassionate mentors as a result of their experiences during their apprenticeships.


Who are the mentors?

Claudia L'Amoreaux (yes, that's her with the snorkel) is the founder of Haven and coordinating mentor for the apprentices. She is assisted by numerous guest mentors. Her collaborators-- Barbara Vogl, Tamara Dunaye, Wes Beach, and Zohara Mapes--will be participating throughout the sessions.

Claudia has 25 years of experience in edge-ucation (she invented the word). She was active in the free school movement of the '70s, teaching in a range of free schools and public "open classrooms." She was involved in the Growing Without Schooling movement from the beginning in the late '70s--she coordinated a network of unschoolers in Northern California and eventually founded the Whole Earth Learning Center (1986), a resource center for parents, children and educators. The WELC offered innovative explorations for young people, a resource library, and support groups for parents.

In 1992, Claudia designed and created the Journey Project with fellow mentors Jim Schliestett and Dan Mapes at Digital Media Studios in Santa Cruz, California. Teenagers apprenticed full time in a multi-media studio instead of attending high school. The project culminated in the design and implementation of a virtual reality studio by the apprentices at SIGGRAPH, a yearly computer graphics conference. Since then she has coached and supported numerous young people and their families--unschoolers, home schoolers, alternative school and public school students who are traveling a path of self-directed learning. She has a tremendous faith in the innate love of learning and a fierce dedication to freedom for young people to determine and direct how and what they want to learn. She recognized in the Internet the possibility of creating entirely new forms of global learning environments and has been working toward that vision since she first got online in 1985. Most recently she was Education and Global issues channel editor for Deja News. Before that she was Producer and Editorial Director of the Planetary Dialogues website. Planetary Dialogues was given a GII (Global Information Infrastructure) Education Award in March of '98 as one of the top 50 education sites on the web.

Claudia is a parent. Her daughter Zoe is now 21 and is a guest mentor and contributing graphics designer of Haven. They have worked together on a series of amazing projects ranging from designing a prototype web site in Rio de Janeiro for the Mebengokre Indians of northern Brazil to making a video on sustainable farming in Fiji for the Zeri Project to real-time video performance in the Cyberlab Ensemble with jazz musician Ornette Coleman.


Testimonials

"Claudia L'Amoreaux is a visionary whose work is at the forefront of education. She understands how to set up a field of discovery that unlocks the natural enthusiasm humans have for learning. Her Journey Project was a total success in demonstrating an optimum environment for inquiring minds."

Justine Willis Toms, Executive Director, New Dimensions


"Claudia L'Amoreaux is dissolving the boundaries and limitations of current educational systems. By redefining the path of apprenticeship as an edge-ucational model for the 21st century, she offers young people the power of doing and the strength found in community. She embraces the potential of the internet as a container for evolutionary mind, a catalyst for cultural understanding and a convivial tool for sustainability in the global ecosystem. I think she is one of the hippest edge-ucators walking the planet today. She's offering the opportunity of a lifetime for anyone ready for a serious adventure. "

Jody Baxter, father of two daughters, owner of Mandala Net Web Design with partner Cynthia Cunningham Baxter


"I have known Claudia L'Amoreaux for 18 years and highly recommend her as an edge-ucator 'extraordinaire.' Her creativity is exceptional. Through her personal insights and her ability to understand 'the future now,' she has mentored young people using the healing arts, such as music, theater, painting, video, together with state-of-the-art technologies. She counsels students of all ages to find their true potential in this global world today. She inspires me."

Margaret Levasseur, mentor in a rural California school and parent


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invent it ::::: global studies center ::::: apprenticeship in depth ::::: how to apply/fees ::::: FAQ


© 2000 Claudia L'Amoreaux