Watch the replay of the live talk by Founder, Peggy Webb, and her eldest daughter, Karen Abe, who share stories about Karen’s upbringing as a natural learner and how she transitioned into college. Be sure to watch the Q&A section at the end, too!
West River Academy was invited to present at the LIFE is Good Unshooling Conference in Vancouver, Washington USA—a four-day gathering where hundreds of families came together to celebrate self-directed learning, share resources, and build community. This year’s event was especially meaningful for us, as Founder, Peggy Webb, and her daughter, Karen Abe, gave a presentation on building transcripts that captured the essence of natural learning.
Karen and Peggy spoke about West River Academy’s growth during its 32-year history and gave the audience a glimpse into what it truly means to trust a student-led path. Peggy shared the story of how she couldn’t find an educational approach that felt like the right fit—so she created one. Decades later, West River Academy has become a global school without walls, supporting thousands of families around the world in living and learning freely.
Karen, a mother of two, reflected on her own experience growing up in a home where education was guided by curiosity rather than curriculum. She spoke about learning self-responsibility from a young age—something that’s shaped her confidence, creativity and the way she now raises her own children. She shared how powerful it’s been to pass that torch on to the next generation and watch her five- and eight-year-old children thrive in a vibrant environment of curiosity-driven activities. At the conference, they played, made new friends, explored hands-on activities, and enjoyed being around so many other like-minded learners.
The presentation changed to an interactive dialog with the audience posing questions and issues regarding high school transcripts which reflect 4 years of passion-driven learning. Thanks to the enthusiastic response from participants and the conference director, we’re excited to return and continue representing West River Academy next year! We hope many families will attend and enjoy the inclusive nature of the happy community.
Please enjoy the replay from Peggy and Karen’s speech in the video below. We hope their words encourage you—whether you’re just starting out on the unschooling path or many years into it—to trust the process, lean into curiosity, and remember: this is what freedom in education looks like.
