Our Community
We believe children learn who they are by participating in a community.
They are constantly testing: Does my voice matter? What do we do when we disagree? How do my actions affect others?
Why we’re here.
Children learn who they are by participating in communities. They constantly test: Does my voice matter? What do we do when we disagree? How do my actions affect others?
Joy Lab students practice daily democracy and help shape group decisions. We slow down conflict and ask, What happened? Who did it hurt? How can we repair it? We share responsibility for material, space, and agreements, and we both reflect on and revise work as appropriate.
We see children’s joy and growth as we take them seriously. They learn to listen, offer reasons for their ideas, reconsider their thinking, negotiate solutions, and take responsibility for the effects of their choices on other people. Joy Lab culture belongs to everyone.