unschool for your unlearning.
The UnSchool is now in session.
Summer semester: UNperforming
May 1st through July 28th.
All-call for my fellow performers!
Folx performing: Perfection. Strength. Power. Identity. Niceness. Goodness. Woke-ness. In-control-ness. Have-it-togethern-ess. I can-do-this-at-all-costs(including-myself)-ness. I’m-fine-ness.
I see you. I’m one of you – and – I’ve dropped a lot of acts over time with practice.
The UNlearning of performance is some of the most radical work we can do for ourselves. And some of the most important work we can do for liberation. Our own, and for the collective.
You are not free in a performance. (Nor are others around you, really.)
And at the broadest level, systems of oppression themselves are an elaborate performance of power and superiority.
We need to learn how to disrupt the performance. First in ourselves. And then take those lessons into the world.
Come learn how to take off the masks and lay down the burden. Come be reminded of who you are. Come recreate and reinvent. Come study the walls and identities you’ve erected and, if you wish, how to lovingly break them down.
Welcome to the summer semester of the UNschool: UNperforming.
We all want growth, healing, and freedom — and — it’s hard to know how to do it.
Where to look. Which steps to take. What paths to cross…
So we read. We acquire knowledge. We think hard. We talk it out. We sometimes get ah-has, but we rarely experience change that lasts. Let alone healing. Or freedom.
And then come the sensations of defeat and overwhelm. Burnout and isolation. Giving up, or closing in.
It’s a cyclical shit storm of peaks and valleys, highs and lows, lots of effort, and minimal change.
This happens to us as individuals. As groups and organizations. Many of us grew up with this notion of school and training being an add-on – layering new information and skills on TOP of who we already are. Believing that we have to acquire more things (knowledge, approval, proof points, skills) in order to feel whole or accepted. The UNschool knows that unless you look in and transmute some of the existing layers first, you can’t learn/acquire/add-on your way to liberation. The foundation must shift. Harmful, limiting ways of being must be UNlearned.
Healing is nuanced and personal/professional growth in healing ways is nuanced, too. It requires a custom fit, not a one-size-fits-all. It requires stepping outside ourselves, which we aren’t taught to do. It requires thinking differently. Feeling differently. Growing differently.
More than anything, it requires UNlearning. UNdoing. Unlocking. Unleashing.
Welcome to the
For your custom UnLearning
We think transformation / growth / healing is about acquisition – of knowledge, of skills, of certificates, of concepts, of accolades, of proof … But the truth is that Transformation / Growth / Healing is about loss.
Healing, change, growth, and freedom involve:
LESS learning MORE healing.
LESS knowledge MORE practice.
LESS acquisition MORE letting shit go.
LESS efforting MORE ease-ing.
In the UNschool, we will tackle the things many of us have learned to acquire and put on: perfectionism, imposter syndrome, scarcity, control, urgency, self-doubt/critique, fear-based living/decision-making, defensiveness, performed strength/togetherness, questions of enoughness …
There is so much to be gained through loss. And there’s a lot of shit to lose.
The What
At the UNschool, you get CUSTOM:
Coaching.
Practice.
Growing.
Changing.
Developing.
You get a radical container with a radical coach to give you rocket fuel for your radical human being.
This course will help you: Think. Feel. Act. Heal/Grow/Change. Toward who you long to be. Who you are at your core. Before you learned ways of being that held you back.
Think of it as a gym membership for your human/healing/freedom development muscles WITH a personal trainer. And a cheerleading squad.
The How
The UNschool is a 3-month (12 week) semester so that we can go deep and create lasting change in your life.
Every semester, there is a theme/greater context — like perfectionism. Urgency. Effort. Imposter Syndrome. Big shit we’ve learned to pick up and put on, that we need to take off and put down. The stuff that often stands in the way of our healing/growth/freedom that is there for us to UNlearn.
Your semester involves 3 live classes a month, led by me, your instructor. In every class, we’ll hone the skills/wills/drills needed to go toe to toe with your unlearning. And then I’ll coach live in the group. Clients tell me that witnessing and engaging in my live group coaching sessions have been some of the most intimate, courageous, and transformative moments of their lives.
What makes the UNschool even more unique is that on top of class, you get private one to one coaching as soon as the program begins. With me. 3 weeks out of every month.
Like any good UNschool, you’ll also have custom assignments: workout routines for your growing healing muscles, reflection prompts, and challenges.
The Deets
The current UNschool term begins May 1st and concludes July 28th. Classes will be on most Tuesdays from 2-3pm EST. You can find the complete class schedule in the first question of the FAQ section.
Applications for the current term close April 19th, at 11:59pm. 20 UNschoolers will be selected for the first cohort.
You start your UNschooling, which includes private one to one coaching, for $297 per month. A semester is three months.
You can experience the UNschool RISK FREE. Come to your first class. Experience your first coaching session. If for any reason you decide it’s not the UNschool for you, you can email us and we’ll refund you immediately. No justification needed. No questions asked.
As soon as the term begins, you get access to:
A vault of previous courses laura has led.
This includes: Ease>Effort, Impossible Goals, Unlearning Perfectionism, and plus two special recorded weekend-long retreats. That’s more than $1,200 worth of program content for those of you who want to supercharge your unschooling. The content already exists, and we’re invested in your growth, so we’re making it available while you’re enrolled.
Access to weekly classes for the term content PLUS group coaching, where you can see others get coached and raise your own hand to get additional coaching.
Forums on class content, where you can ask questions (anonymously if you like) and also read other people’s insights/questions.
Weekly custom assignments unique to you/your healing.
And of course, private 1:1 weekly coaching with laura. You are guaranteed a potent 20-minute private coaching session with laura three weeks of every month (one week off for reflection). You can also request additional coaching.
The tuition is $297/month for the length of the semester. So a 3-month semester course would be a total tuition of $891. You can continue your enrollment into the next semester or not. There are sliding scale and financial support options available.
Spots for each semester are limited since laura can only work with so many people 1:1. An application is required. We will have a waitlist for those who apply after the semester is full and let you know if a spot opens up.
Applications open April 10th and close April 19th. The semester begins May 1.
Healing is hard work.
But it doesn’t have to be a struggle. Or elusive. Or lonely. Or overwhelming.
We all deserve a coach to support us in our journey.
We all deserve to UNlearn the toxic shit that holds us back. To change. To grow. To build an ethic of freedom that is personal to us.
Reach out with any questions. And. Don’t just take it from us. Listen to Colin talk about coaching with laura in service toward his freedom. We think he gives a powerful summary of what unlearning is really about.
Welcome to your UNlearning.
Welcome to the UNschool.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the UNschool start and what dates are classes?
The next semester of the UNschool begins May 1 and concludes July 28. Classes will be from 2-3pm EST on most Tuesdays. All classes will be recorded; live attendance is not required though is strongly suggested. Class dates are as follows:
- Tuesday May 2, 2-3pm EST
- Tuesday May 9, 2-3pm EST
- Tuesday May 16, 2-3pm EST
- Tuesday June 6, 2-3pm EST
- Tuesday June 13, 2-3pm EST
- Tuesday June 20, 2-3pm EST
- Tuesday July 11, 2-3pm EST
- Tuesday July 18, 2-3pm EST
- Tuesday July 25, 2-3pm EST
You can sign up for a private 20-minute coaching session on any of these 9 weeks, as well. Weeks not indicated here during the May 1-July 28 window are not available for coaching sessions.
How much does the semester theme determine the content? What if the theme doesn’t resonate?
Why is an application required?
A few reasons. First, spots are limited and we will nearly certainly not be able to offer everyone a spot who wants to join. An application helps us determine which folk might be served particularly powerfully by the thematic content that month. Additionally, not everyone allows themselves to be coachable. Sometimes we have an intellectual appetite for learning, but we don’t have the appetite for change in our lives. The UNschool is about change. The application questions are designed to help us ensure that we’re building a cohort of UNschoolers who really want to do the deep inner work of healing.
Is this personal or professional development?
Yes. Both. More. All. It is emotional, personal, professional, spiritual, holistic, human, embodied development. It would be totally appropriate for someone to take this course as “professional development” as long as they know it will ask much more of them.
Will I be expected to talk about my race & racial equity? Is the UNschool seated in an explicit position of racial justice and equity?
Yes. There is no healing that doesn’t involve unlearning systems of domination, control, subjugation, repression, and oppression from all of our bodies. That work looks different based on our identity markers, but it would be impossible to extract racial justice and race and systems of oppression from a course about deep healing and unlearning.
How will this experience be customized for me?
A few ways. Your weekly 1:1 coaching is completely private and completely about you. You will get to determine how to leverage that space to help you in your unique healing journey. In addition to that, laura as your coach will help you create a custom curriculum just for you. Nearly every week, laura will offer challenges, homework assignments, and reflection questions BASED on your coaching sessions so that you have totally-unique-to-you support in your work.
Are there scholarships?
Yes. There are scholarships for folk with systemic/intergenerational financial constraint, as well as reparative-justice based tuitions for Black and Indigenous/Native people. There are also ways for folk with financial and systemic privilege to opt into a higher tuition to support and offset the participation of those needing to pay less. The standard tuition is $297. Supported tuition is $237. Boosted tuition is $357. Your elected tuition will have no bearing on whether or not you are accepted to the UNschool.
How do I book coaching sessions?
When the term begins, you’ll be given a unique username and password to use to sign into a site that will house course materials. In the site, there will be a calendar program where you can sign up for your weekly 20-minute coaching session. Note: laura’s availability is very limited. We recommend the first thing you do every week is lock in your coaching time. Most coaching availability will generally be Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays 1:30-5:30pm EST with a few other pockets available.
How do I prepare for coaching sessions? Can we really accomplish much in 20 minutes?
Let’s address the latter first: we can change your life in 20 minutes. In one single conversation. So having a conversation almost every week for three months can be completely game-changing. More can be realized in that time than most people know. It does take a little practice to come prepared to sessions in order to fully maximize your time. When you enroll, you’ll get access to a video at the start of the semester on tips and strategies to prepare for coaching sessions and laura will help get you started.
How do I attend live classes during the semester?
You’ll receive zoom links and be able to download calendar reminders for live classes.
Are classes recorded?
Yes. And they’ll be available in your membership portal for your access at any time.
How will I pay?
You will be charged $297 – or your adjusted tuition amount – every month for the 3 month semester. You will not be charged again unless you re-enroll.
The UNschool is now in session.
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