Welcome to HAUS, Hagerstown Area Unschoolers Support. Our goal is to create a supportive and understanding atmosphere for Unschooling families where Respect for child-led learning is the norm.

HAUS exists to provide support and activities for Unschooling families in the Hagerstown Area. We meet once a month for adults-only support in the evening and twice monthly for family activities during the day, in addition to other special events.

HAUS welcomes Unschooling families from all backgrounds; however, the core focus of this group is Unschooling—learning without formal instruction. Although there are times when unschooled kids seek out mentors or a more structured approach to learning, these moments, in order to be consistent with an Unschooling philosophy, are at the request and under the control of the learner.

While Unschooling can look differently in different families, the core of the philosophy is Trust in children’s natural desire to learn from the world around them without the necessity of curriculum or external pressure. The Unschooling philosophy of HAUS arises, in part, from the work of educational reformer John Holt. Anyone wishing to read more might usefully begin with _Instead of Education_ or _Learning All the Time_.

The HAUS group welcomes people at all stages of their Unschooling journey, whether wanting to learn more, just beginning the journey, those comfortably and confidently Unschooling or those Radically Unschooling. Our goal is to support people at all stages. While we recognize that those new to Unschooling will have many questions and concerns, the central premise of our dialog is that *Unschooling is the goal*. We are not here to defend or debate Unschooling as a philosophy, and we ask that all members respect this central premise.