Episode 058: Voyagers’ Community School Interview with Karen Giuffre’, Founding Director

Shift Your Paradigm: From School-Centered to Learner-Centered

In this episode we are learning with Karen Giuffre’ from Voyagers’ Community School in New Jersey. Karen began her teaching career in Harvard, Massachusetts where she taught 5th, 6th, and 8th-grade social studies. Karen developed an elementary interdisciplinary curriculum as a researcher and writer and then as a trainer and promoter of the national physical education program, Physical Best.

Karen’s children inspired her to create a progressive learning environment that honors all children as powerful, resourceful, and competent people here and now. She founded Voyagers’ Community School in 2004 after spending 18 months composing the philosophical foundation that guides the day-to-day operations.

Karen has garnered recognition as the Keynote Speaker and Presenter at both national and local professional conferences, including, most recently, the Association for Constructivist Teaching Conference and the Progressive Education Network.

The children attending Voyagers’ Community School, from 3 months to 18 years of age, are typically developing and driven by curiosity, wonder, a sense that anything is possible, and a willingness to try and try again. They are innovative, articulate, focused, and accomplished.

Here is a question we are pondering:

• What are the core values reflected in your learning environment, and how do those values support learner-centered transformation?

Resources:

• Voyagers Community School
• Voyagers on Twitter: @VoyagersNJ