Life.School.House.
a network of folk schools
Moccasin Making 2.jpg

News

News and updates from our Life.School.House. community.

LifeSchoolHouse in the News

Jennifer Decoste, founder of the LifeSchoolHouse movement standing in front of a white house with orange shutter. On either side of her is a large tree wrapped in white lights and a red mini-library.

Folk schools forge tight-knit communities

Read the full article by Feleshia Chandler on the Nova Scotia Journal of Sustainable Community Development website.

Woman sitting outside near the wood. She is dressed warmly and smiling. She is holding a black feathered chicken on her lap.

bartering for a sense of community

Folk schools offer an accessible way for people to share skills. Read the full article by Moira Donovan on the CBC News website.

The Growing FolkSchool Movement in Canada

The LifeSchoolHouse has inspired the launch of other programming across Canada. Read more about our friends with the Okanagan Folkschool here: https://infotel.ca/newsitem/from-ukuleles-to-hiking-okanagan-folk-school-ready-to-make-economic-impact/it90007

Making Space

We think a lot about space in the LifeSchoolHouse movement. There is a lot of thought put into the physical spaces we use: cleaning up, bringing in extra chairs and tables, throwing a colorful cloth on a table and setting out a pot of tea so that the space is warm and welcoming when people arrive. We also think about emotional space: how much space are we giving folks who need time to ease into the workshop, what questions can we ask when people are introducing themselves so that we reduce the space between neighbours and making real connections quickly. Space really matters - it shapes how we gather, how we feel when we are together and how we feel when we leave, too.

We started the LifeSchoolHouse in a home on Portland Street in Dartmouth and that space has become a primary location for community gatherings and a nesting place for many new hosts and community projects, but next month we will be moving. We will lose this space as a gathering spot and our last events in this space in August will be poignant with a sense of nostalgia for the hundreds of workshops, swaps, and meals we have shared here. The interesting thing about physical space in community though, is that it evolves into an emotional state over time - we won’t gather in this physical space any longer but the spirit of this space can move out into the world. It can continue to grow and take on many new shapes too. We talked about community gardens, food pantries, repair cafes, makers’ swaps, meal swaps, book swaps and more, and they all started here in the Portland St location. Now that all of these things have come into being, they have left the nest and are growing well, elsewhere in our community. As a host you can start, build and pass this project back to the community because the LifeSchoolHouse is a shared commitment to generosity and true connection between neighbours; the spirit outlives the space. 

We have convened a large community with diverse talents and a passion for learning and sharing and supporting each other. We know that there is a strong commitment to keeping connected and engaged and we cannot wait to see what happens when even more space is gifted back to this community. Best wishes for an expansive transition for LifeSchoolHouse in Dartmouth!

Written by Jennifer DeCoste

Life School House Ltd