The Sanger Adventure-School fundraiser

(Suzanne Sanger is impassioned with a vision of Charlotte's next educational adventure...Here's her story!)

Above everything else in my life, raising a healthy, clear-thinking daughter is my passion and my top priority. It is the most important task I have; it is my way of “saving the world”. This is why I chose to homeschool Charlotte. Spending as much time with Charlotte as possible allows Rick and I to pass on the values we hold dear and the practices we believe nurture health, awareness, and a soulful connection to ourselves, our community, and the natural world. Although rich in “teachable moments”, my job pays no salary.

Charlotte’s education isn’t a distinct activity that starts and stops – that she “goes to” and “comes home from”. We weave it into everything we do, every time we speak, every time we move. A shopping trip is an opportunity to talk about math, money, consensual transactions, marketing, merchandising and human nature. A meadow picnic after a horseback riding lesson is an opportunity for plant identification, writing in a journal, reading poems and catching butterflies. Rick’s work exposes her to, electronics, mechanics, and financial subjects like contracts, bookkeeping and, yes, taxes. And of course with Rick, it will always come with a narrative on the nature of reality.

It is easy to understand how broadening Charlotte’s experience will broaden and deepen her education. And road trips broaden everyone’s experience. Avoiding the California fires of 2020 and 2021 put us on the road – 2 cross-country trips visiting well-known as well as un-named places in a leisurely timeline focused on discovery. It was a rich opportunity to teach about culture, communication, geography, geology, history, politics and the basics of living: finding shelter and healthy food. These trips provided “experiences that are unusual and exciting” – literally the definition of adventure. Adventure learning.

But with CJ growing physically and mentally, we need more space, more shelter from the rain and more dry storage for books.

Our first trip was made in the Subaru. Camping for 2 ½ months, was an exercise in efficient packing. Our second trip with “Chuck” (the trailer Rick built) made packing easier, but still found us unable to negotiate multiple nights of rain in our tent.

We need a van for our adventure learning! I’ve been researching vehicles for quite a while. Now, the perfect vehicle has appeared for sale in front of our neighbor’s house – and he is giving us a generous, neighborly discount. We need $16,000 for the van, and $4000 for the taxes, fees, basic outfitting and the first tank of gas.

I'm hoping you can help me make the dream happen. Any amount helps: Why not $20? Why not $1000? It all adds up, and we are very grateful for your help.

California History is part of the third-grade curriculum. With your help, and with “Van”, I’ll bet you can guess how we’re going to teach it!

As a thank you, every donation will receive a free "on the road" workout and stretch video to support your body during your adventures.

-Suzanne Sanger