Empowerment
Children develop agency, self-trust, practical skills, and the capacity to direct their learning.
A Selenite & Sage Healing Homestead initiative
Erin’s Place
Neurodiverse Learning · Liberated Living
Where Every Child Can Belong and Become.
A developing neurodiversity-affirming learning space and curriculum rooted in empowerment, whole-child nurture, somatic care, decolonized education, and connection to community and land.
The origin
Inspired by Erin
Erin’s Place was inspired by my child Erin and by the brilliance of neurodivergent children whose needs, interests, communication, and ways of learning are too often treated as problems to manage.
It is being developed as a place — and a body of curriculum — where children are supported in becoming more fully themselves, rather than trained to perform acceptability.
The E.R.I.N. Philosophy™
Four Pillars
Resilience
Children build emotional literacy, self-advocacy, regulation practices, and support systems — without being taught to endure harm silently.
Interconnectedness
Learning is rooted in family, community, mutual aid, cultural memory, and relationship with the natural world.
Nurture
The whole child is supported through sensory access, somatic care, cultural affirmation, creativity, and emotionally safe learning environments.
What we are building
A future place, and a travelling model
Erin’s Place is being developed as both a future learning space and a transferable educational model. Its curriculum and tools can support children wherever learning happens: schools, microschools, homeschool communities, after-school programs, camps, community spaces, and family learning environments.
Where things stand today: the curriculum, tools, and educator resources are in active development, with curriculum pilots underway in partnership settings. The physical learning space is still being planned and is not yet open.
The curriculum
Six areas of learning
Life Skills for Independence
- Daily living
- Executive functioning
- Financial literacy and community economics
- Self-advocacy and accessible communication
Emotional Wellness and Self-Regulation
- Somatic and sensory practices
- Emotional literacy
- Restorative circles
- Co-regulation and resilience
Special Interest-Based Learning
- Child-led projects
- Personalized learning paths
- Collaborative projects
- Community presentations
Decolonized Academics
- Marginalized histories
- Inclusive literature and liberation storytelling
- Nature-based and culturally grounded science
- Real-world mathematics
Community Engagement and Mutual Aid
- Reparative community projects
- Mutual-aid networks
- Intergenerational mentorship
- Cultural and seasonal gatherings
Environmental Stewardship and Land Connection
- Gardening and ecotherapy
- Environmental justice
- Land relationship
- Sustainable living practices
One vision, multiple applications
The philosophy travels
Erin’s Place is the implementation home of the E.R.I.N. Philosophy™. E.R.I.N. Tools™, curriculum resources, educator training, and school licensing allow the philosophy to support neurodivergent children in many different learning environments.
For Families
Accessible tools and home-learning practices that support neurodivergent children wherever they already learn.
For Educators and Schools
Downloadable systems, site licensing, and staff training grounded in access, autonomy, and co-regulation.
For Community Partners
Curriculum pilots, enrichment programs, mentorship, and land-based learning in community spaces.
Support Erin’s Place
The Equity Education Fund
Your support helps us develop neurodiversity-affirming curriculum, accessible communication tools, educator training, sensory resources, community-learning programs, and the future physical home of Erin’s Place.
Contributions are received by Selenite & Sage Healing Homestead Co., which administers the Pay It Forward Equity Education Fund. Gifts support this body of work as a whole and are not restricted to any single program or building.