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Have you ever felt helpless in improving the current education system?
Perhaps you've asked yourself: Why do today's schools make learners so exhausted? Why must students sit all day within four walls, disconnected from nature, disconnected from community, pressured by grades, rankings, and "standards" that may not bring happiness? You are not alone.
More and more people are questioning the true meaning of education, especially in today's volatile and uncertain world. And if you are also seeking a different direction, an educational path connected to life, community, freedom, and self-direction — then Vcil Community invites you to Hoi An, to embark together on a 5-day journey of learning and experiencing completely different alternative education philosophies.
☘️ So what is this program?
This is not a "class." This workshop is an open space where we sit together, ask important questions, and listen to real stories — from you, from the community, and from those pioneering the creation of new learning environments.
Together we will explore:
- What educational experiments are taking place around the world?
- What is "unschooling" really, and is it feasible in Vietnam?
- How can I begin to envision (and practice) a different education — right within my own community?
If you are harboring doubts, concerns, and reflections about education — or simply looking for a community to join you in finding a new path — then Hoi An is waiting for you.
Just 5 days may not "solve" everything. But who knows, it might be the first step for you to start fresh with education, with yourself, with community — in a deeper and more vibrant way.
Are you ready?
🚗 Tentative Itinerary
🙎♂️ About the facilitator:
Joining you is Manish Jain, a pioneer and leader in the alternative education and unschooling movement worldwide. In this workshop, Manish will share his stories, experiences, and solutions for education challenges with over 25 years of work in alternative education.
Before dedicating most of his time to reimagining education, Manish Jain studied at Brown University and Harvard, then worked at Morgan Stanley, the World Bank, the UN, and UNESCO. After recognizing the nature of the globalization system dominating the world, he realized he needed to return to India and learn from his illiterate grandmother.
Manish shares that he is "unlearning" what he learned from his Master's degree in education at Harvard, and his bachelor's degree in Economics, International Development, and Political Philosophy at Brown University. Currently, he and his wife Vidhi are unschooling themselves, as well as unschooling their 21-year-old daughter in Udaipur, India.
His alternative education experiments include:
👉🏼 Co-founding and coordinating Shikshantar: The Peoples' Institute for Rethinking Education and Development, established so that individuals and communities can:
+ Question and transform existing models of Education, Development, and Progress;
+ Take ownership of the learning process and learning ecosystem of individuals and communities;
+ Imagine (and continuously reimagine) shared practices and visions for Swaraj (self-rule)
👉🏼 Co-founding Swaraj Jail University at Udaipur Central Prison. Where the space behind bars is transformed from a place of punishment into a self-directed learning space for inmates, where each prisoner can discover their passions, practice essential skills, rebuild self-esteem, leadership skills, and set future goals.
👉🏼 Co-founding Swaraj University: A 2-year alternative university program with self-directed education.
👉🏼 Co-founding Creativity Adda Delhi: An unschooling, self-directed education space inside a government public school. Where young people are free to play, learn, and participate in any class or activity they desire or request without worrying about grades, textbooks, or tuition fees — because those don't exist at Creativity Adda Delhi. Where students learn by doing, creating real products and outcomes.
👉🏼 Co-founding the Ecoversities Network: A global network bringing together individuals, organizations, and communities dedicated to rethinking higher education. These visionaries work both within and outside conventional education systems and universities. They also contribute to building locally-rooted learning spaces that promote community spirit regeneration, ecological sustainability, and local economic development. Many of these initiatives are connected to various grassroots, social, and ecological movements, as well as indigenous communities.
👉🏼 He has also edited several books on Vimukt Shiksha (liberating learning).
