It's a radically different way of learning, and it works.

I am a product of a democratic school. I attended the Albany Free School in New York for nearly five years before moving on to my local public high school. Through the Free School, I became involved in the annual International Democratic Education Conference. IDEC is much more than a yearly conference-it is a living community of educators, students, and those involved or interested in democratic education. The conference is held annually, each year in a different country, and its organization is completely up to the school hosting it. This means that each conference is unique and incorporates the local culture.

In July of this year, the 11th annual conference was held at Russell Sage College in Troy, New York. The Albany Free School, in association with the Alternative Education Resource Organization, hosted the event, which drew more than 500 people from the U.S. and more than 25 other countries. In all, 90 schools from around the world were represented. I was on the organizing committee.

This year was not my first participating in IDEC. In the summer of 2002, after an unhappy year in public high school, I traveled to Christchurch, New Zealand, with a small group of teachers and students from the Free School to be at the 10th annual IDEC.

The conference was magnificent. Students and teachers from around the globe were in attendance. The keynote speaker was Yaacov Hecht, an Israeli whose organization has founded more than 20 democratic schools in that war-torn country. His words on human rights in education and pluralistic learning-and on the impact of our education system on the future of humankind-inspired me. Through workshops, spontaneous conversations, and being a part of a community that respected my opinions, my beliefs, and who I am, I came out a new person. After the year I'd just spent in public school, it was a much needed reminder of how eduation can be.

My year in public high school had been miserable. It wasn't because the work was too hard; my time at the Free School had prepared me for the transition. But the social aspects had begun to ware me down. My beliefs and opinions were constantly questioned, attacked, and dismissed. In the largely white environment, I heard racist comments and demeaning statements thrown around without a thought. But what upset me most was the lack of awareness and compassion both students and teachers showed toward fellow human beings. Perhaps the lowest point was hearing a teacher joking about the torture of a suspected terrorist. Many of my classmates laughed. That jibed with their attitudes in general toward "the other." Most simply took whatever was said on television as "the truth." The indifference to human suffering and unquestioning acceptance of the media's spin made me wonder how many of our public schools are simply turning out robots.

After that year of worry and unhappiness, I came home from New Zealand energized and ready to work on hosting the 2003 conference-and, through talks with members in our delegation, ready to leave school. I had made the decision to home school myself. Of course, I had not yet spoken with my parents, but I knew that if my convictions were sincere, they would have faith in me and allow me to guide my own education.

Home schooling was a completely new experience for me, although not foreign to my being. The style in which I schooled myself was democratic education...but with just me, the voting process was a lot easier. I found self-motivation and the desire to sleep all day my main challenges-albeit minor ones. With home schooling came amazing opportunities. I had an internship with a biologist at the New York State Museum, and was able to work at my own pace at home. I designed a curriculum around my interests and learning style. Rather than studying each subject for 40 minutes each and every day, I focused on a particular subject for days or even weeks at a time.

IDEC has taught me that with faith and resolve come great things. I am lucky to be a part of an international community that cares so deeply about those linked with it. It has served as a pool of support and compassion, which I can only compare to my experiences with my global church community.