About

Vision

Based in NE Portland we offer support to people of all ages who want to learn and grow. The Insideout Schoolhouse is a space where we work together to meet our needs. We learn and grow freely and joyfully. We connect with ourselves, each other and our community without judgments or conditions. We trust in ourselves and each other to follow our own unique path and make healthy, nurturing choices.

Connect with ourselves

We meditate, go for walks, ride bikes, play music, dance, do yoga, eat and sleep well. We give self-empathy when we need it. We follow our hearts and do what feels right. We speak up about how we feel and what we need. We laugh, sneeze, weep and yawn. We are true to our feelings and needs.

Connect with each other

We stand in the street and talk with each other. We are curious. We observe and witness. We listen. We play. We try to understand each other without fixing or changing. We care about each other. We give, and receive. We are attentive and genuine, authentic and present. We stay connected.

Connect with our community

We get to know our neighbors, even when they are very different from us. We listen to each other. We help each other when times are difficult. We share extra food and clothes. We check to see if the kids are ok when they fall on the playground or call the ambulance when someone really gets hurt. We read to kids at the school. We have potlucks and block parties. We attend neighborhood meetings, write grants, work at jobs, and make phone calls.

We are grateful to our friends, families, Garfield and NE Portland neighbors, ancestors and descendants, the unschooling , homeschooling , unconditional and attached-parenting communities in Portland, and local organizations ( Multnomah County Public Library , Portland Community Media , Free Geek , Village Free School , Portland Public Schools to name a few) for supporting us and being our teachers.

Connect with our place in the world

We help each other with our gardens. We plant berries and fruit trees and vegetables. We know all the trees on the block personally. We grow and donate plants for the lot across the street. We bike to work. We keep an eye on the street and those who come through our space. We share cookies with whomever is walking by at that time. We know that two people will pick up cans and bottles on Wednesday night. We know that there is a patch of kale on our block grown from the same seed for the past 30 years. We clean up the broken glass and the garbage. We draw with chalk. We share compost. We put out a free box.