Introduction: Meet Education Unlimited (Part 1)

Click here to watch this entire series’ video playlist on YouTube.

Well, here we are again nearing the end of another year of home education. Since most Canadian home educators quickly take advantage of what little summer we get, most formal home education programs are done by the beginning of June.

By now, if you have not already been visited by your facilitator, you are anticipating their imminent arrival.

At this time of year, most home educators reflect on where they have been and evaluate the success of their choices, including the school and facilitator with which they are associated.

In light of the fact that many parents will likely be assessing or reassessing their options for registration or notification, I would like to offer you two things: encouragement to fully research any potential home education provider, including history, track record and true motivation for wanting to be involved in your home education journey; and to provide you with information respecting Education Unlimited for your consideration.

I want to introduce you to Education Unlimited by discussing three main points:

The first relates to “where we have come from.” This is important, as it not only explains our history, but also how it has determined who we are, what we are doing today and, ultimately, where we are leading you tomorrow.

Knowing that since your job as home educators is to prepare your children for their futures, it is critical that you align yourselves with leaders who have an eye to the future rather than people with a self-serving, short sighted focus on mammon.

Once we have established the parameters for how we have come to be who we are today, I would like to distinguish ourselves from the rest. After all, if we cannot clearly establish how we are different, we cannot claim to be offering a better, if not an alternate, service to parents.

After discussing where we came from and who we are, I will talk about how we are way ahead of the pack, so to speak, in using modern digital solutions to address government, school, and parental administration and resource requirements.

The first discussion about “Where are we coming from?” will have an historical focus, the second will be more philosophical, while our third topic in this series will be more of a practical nature.

So, let’s start with a history lesson.

Our job takes us to every part of the Province of Alberta. A few months ago, my wife and I found ourselves on a road we had not been on for some time.

There is an old homestead on that route that has attracted our attention every time we have gone past it. We find ourselves wondering what stories those old buildings would tell, if they could talk.

We usually “create” possible scenarios that are likely nowhere near the truth. We imagine things that likely involve a perfect family enjoying a blissful, carefree life of non-stop blessings, as if that were even possible!

I can imagine, however, that if we ever discovered the real story behind those buildings; the work, the heartaches, the successes and failures associated with them, our perception of them would radically change.

While we may not know the history of that old abandoned farmstead, we are most certainly familiar with our own homesteading “adventures.”

Nearly thirty-five years ago, my wife and I purchased a piece of property in the country. Although it was a nice location, it had absolutely no amenities, not even a road to speak of.

Like most young families just starting out, we had little money and big dreams. As we continued to work, scrimp, save and work some more, we eventually built the place we proudly call home today.

Now, if you were to visit our place, you would see a nice house in a nice setting with a nice view, but you would not see the hardships, the mess, all the ups, downs and redo’s, not to mention the enormous amount of work we had to live through in order to arrive at what we have today.

In fact, most people just do not consider that there is a long story leading to what is here today. They simply “assume” that it has always been the way it looks today.

Similarly, when people come to our web site, attend one of our functions or meet with our facilitators, how many will consider that there is likely a long story leading up to what we are today?

Just like the house we now live in does not tell of the days we lived in a tiny house trailer, using outdoor facilities in the mud, and those old roadside buildings are silent about their past, today’s Education Unlimited is not the same agency it was at its inception.

It has certainly grown; it has developed; and where necessary, it has changed; but when it comes to the original vision for home education and the mission to serve God by serving families, Education Unlimited remains as steadfast as ever.

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