Unschooled
A documentary by Jason Marsh
About Unschooled
No grades. No tests. No lessons. No school.
The 25-minute documentary film UNSCHOOLED follows three families that practice the controversial educational method known as “unschooling." In unschooling, kids don't go to school, and they have no formal curriculum. Instead, parents trust that their children's own intrinsic interests will lead them to the skills they need for a full and happy life.
The film chronicles the varied and idiosyncratic interests of unschooled children, ranging in age from 5 to 22, and explores their parents' reasons for choosing this form of education. UNSCHOOLED offers an intimate, often lighthearted, portrait of three families staking their place outside the American mainstream. In the process, without passing judgment on the soundness of unschooling, the film considers the strengths and drawbacks of this approach, and raises broader questions about the basic purpose of a child's education.
UNSCHOOLED had its world premier at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in Missoula, Montana.
About the Filmmaker
Jason Marsh produced, directed, and edited UNSCHOOLED. He is a founding editor of Greater Good (www.greatergoodmag.org), a quarterly magazine that reports on the science of compassion, empathy, and altruism. He has also worked as a public radio producer, kindergarten teacher, and as the managing editor of the political journal The Responsive Community. He is a graduate of Brown University and the University of California, Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.
Questions? Please email Jason@unschooledfilm.com