Who We Are

The organizing team for the Alliance, works behind the scenes to manage this website, support Alliance members, coordinate advocacy projects, and help augment the voices and experiences of those in the Self-Directed Education movement everywhere.

Our Vision

We envision a world where young people’s human rights are respected and upheld, which includes the freedom to direct their lives and education; and where Self-Directed Education (SDE) is widely embraced, accepted, and available to all families regardless of their status, race, or income.

Our Mission

The Alliance for Self-Directed Education (ASDE) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to increasing accessibility and awareness of Self-Directed Education as a way of living and learning, and connecting the communities and voices of the movement.

Our Work

We have several major initiatives including Tipping Points, our Resource Directory, facilitation of local SDE groups, and more.

For 2024, ASDE has been granted money and has so much work we want to do in the community! To read more about our grant-funded efforts, visit our 2024 VELA Grant Page.

The Values of the Alliance

We value the agency of young people, and joyful and fulfilling lives for all. We steer towards this by destroying obstacles like ableism and white supremacy while holding space for young people’s embodiment of liberation through play and curiosity as much as possible in the here and now. Community is both a practice and a path in this work.

Young People Are People

We believe in the rights of young people including, but not limited to, the right to choose their own education.

We recognize adultism as a prevalent form of oppression, and that we must all actively work to dismantle it.

Collective Liberation & Anti-Oppression

We believe in collective liberation, and that the path towards that is through being actively against oppression. Our rights, liberation, and freedom are intertwined with one another, and we cannot be free while another is oppressed.

Read our full anti-oppression statement.

Community

We believe that learning, growth, and support happens in community, and that building community internally within the organization and throughout this movement is a key part of what is necessary for ASDE, and SDE as a way of life, to thrive.

Click here to download a printable brochure all about ASDE and Self-Directed Education.