Traditional Neighborhood Developments

There are a lot of good ideas we can take from the TND movement. I added a link on the sidebar to a list of Traditional Neighborhood Developments. I especially like the idea of walkability and having a network of trails throughout the community. I envision a circle of homes with driveways on the back of the houses so they all face center with just a walking path around the inside. So much prettier and friendlier. And with that arrangement people's property would be wedge shaped with plenty of room for pastures, gardens, orchards etc. at the back of the house, but with the houses still close enough to benefit from good old fashioned watching out for each other and each other's kids.

Book Club?

There are so many exciting books about unschooling, homesteading, intentional communities etc. While we're in this period before we actually embark on our adventure, it would be great if we could fill our minds with as much good info and exciting ideas as possible before we actually set out to create a community and unschool our kids. What do you guys think about picking a book a month that we can all check out of our local library, peruse and then swap feedback about?

Home/co-op/un-school CHARTER School

I had the idea the other day that if we called our loosely organized group of homeschooling parents a "Charter School" that we could get funding for the school. And I'm not 100% sure, but I think that the rules about what makes something a school are pretty loose. And I think Obama is making it even easier for charter schools to be formed. So, just something to keep in the back of our minds and do a little research on when the time comes...
It'd be pretty rad to have actual funding; think of all the amazing field trips we could take!
A few links:
US Charter Schools
How to Start a Charter School
Another How To
Financial Advice for Starting a CS
FAQ About Charter Schools
More FAQ
States Ranked by CS Friendliness

Wasatch Commons

This is the place we went for the soup swap last night; an intentional community/co-housing development. Pretty neat model.

Where?

This info may be helpful as we decide where to settle down for the commune/co-op/homestead!

The Most Liberal States: These are states that require no notice of intent to homeschool. Parents do not even have to let anyone know what they are doing. Most require you to homeschool for 180 days. These states are New Jersey, Connecticut, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Alaska, and Idaho.

Semi-Liberal States: These states require parents to notify them if they are going to homeschool their children. Other than that they really don't have any rules and regulations. The states in this category are Delaware, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Nebraska, New Mexico, Kansas, Arizona, Utah, California, Nevada, Wyoming, and Montana.

Slightly Strict States: These states require parents to do much more than give notification of intent to homeschool. Parents must keep track of all the students tests and submit them. They must also submit to evaluations of their child's progress. These states are New Hampshire, Maine, Oregon, Washington, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Hawaii, Ohio, Tennessee, Louisiana, Arizona, Maryland, District of Columbia, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Colorado.

Very Strict States: These states have the most requirements for homeschooling. Parents must comply. They need to give notification, get their curriculum approved, submit to testing or home evaluations, and some even require parents to have teaching degrees. The states that fall in to this category are: Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and North Dakota.

Environmental Center

So that Enviro Center that my mom, Rio and I went hiking around in Greensboro was super cool and I was thinking that on our commune we could run a little Enviro Center like this one and it could be a source of income for us and education for our neighbors. My mom said she'd be the Enviro Center Director and just hang out at it all day every day and take kids on nature walks and stuff. Take a minute to browse through the website - its super cool. The building is all recycled, they have special classes for homeschool kids, Friday night canoe trips for singles, etc! http://www.piedmontenvironmental.com/geninfo.htm

Yurt with a View

We were out and about today and saw this cool yurt with an amazing view. So, of course, we had to stop and get a picture for you guys. Unfortunately you can't see much detail about the yurt or appreciate the great view from the photo. But regardless, we were thinking of you and figured you'd enjoy the shot:)

They had a big garden out front too.