Eugene Symposium

Leyla is a second generation homeschooler who found Charlotte Mason's methods to be the perfect combination of a full education and her favorite things - beautiful books and time outside. An introvert with a craving for deep connection, Leyla leads multiple homeschool community-building endeavors in Oregon's mid-Willamette Valley. Leyla has three school age kids, one each in Forms 1, 2 and 3, and a preschooler who can't wait till she can do "real" schoolwork with her brother and sisters. Leyla's family loves to travel, and every place they go convinces them that the PNW is the only place they want to call home.

Come enjoy Leyla’s talk entitled: Children are Born Persons...and Other Radical Ideas

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Charlotte Mason's ideas of childhood and education were radical for her time - and radical for ours. Leyla kicks off the symposium by busting some myths about a Charlotte Mason education and dives into her principles, starting with the high-minded philosophy about how we view our children, and moving into the practicalities of what a Mason education can look like in our homes.

Sarah Dempsen lives with her husband and three daughters outside Yakima, Washington, where they delight in a view of Mt. Adams and rolling pasture land on every side. Discovering Charlotte Mason’s philosophy shaped the parenting and education of her children as well as her own self-education, from the very beginning of Sarah’s motherhood.  In the evening hours, she can be found cross-stitching, knitting, or feasting on the tall stack of books on her nightstand.

Come enjoy Sarah’s talk entitled: Choose This Day: Reason, The Will, and Our Continual Helper

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Mason's last few principles strike at the heart of character development and our "chief responsibility as persons."  Sarah will walk us through how to help our students develop a stronger ability to defy the passionate "wants" in favor of "shoulds," how to use reason and truth to evaluate ideas encountered every day, and how we can help our children rely on the Great Comforter to guide and direct them in the way of Truth.

Sarah Dale is a second-generation homeschooling mom. With her loving husband’s support, she has homeschooled both her high school-age daughter and son for their entire education thus far. She discovered Charlotte Mason when her kids were in first and third grade. Mason’s philosophy of education deeply resonated with everything she knew to be true about the learning process. She is excited to share what she and her children have learned along the way and to encourage everyone on their homeschool journey. 

Come hear Sarah’s talk entitled: Making Connections That Matter

Charlotte Mason's principles #9-15 cover the classic concepts of Education as the Science of Relations and Narration. Enjoy a deep dive into the practical application of these principles and the reasons as to why these concepts make a Charlotte Mason education unique from other approaches.