24
In the VESS model, children are the protagonists of their own learning process. They
learn to think independently, and are therefore the authors of their education. The contributions
of children’s ideas, feelings, and creations are valued and documented as a form of positive
reinforcement that stimulates their participation and intellectual autonomy. This way, children
learn to trust themselves and to not only rely on their teacher as the only source of answers.
In assessing the child as an agent in the learning process, schools are transformed and
become facilitators of rich experiences that allow children to have more knowledge with which
to make associations and continue learning. The classroom then becomes a place of balance,
where children are allowed to develop autonomy and the freedom to choose and vote, but are
also presented with rules that keep them safe and teach them about what it means to participate
in a community, the mini-community that is their classroom. With this in mind, when the power
and balance of autonomy and self-control are established from such an early age, it becomes
second nature to keep transferring that experience to other social contexts throughout a lifetime.
When children are regarded as agents within the learning process, they are exposed to
multiple issues involving the community. This allows them to discover the complexity of the
world around them and develop their potential to become citizens that are ethical, accountable,
participatory, and happy.
Community
The community, as an agent in Edu1st, has several roles. As mentioned in the sections of
children and parents, many activities and learning experiences for children in school revolve
around the community. In turn, through special activities such as "Open Houses," other
community members are invited to participate in the schools. This strengthens the relationship
between the school, the parents, and the staff, and serves as a reminder, that in a true learning
experience, we are all teachers and we are all learners. Similarly, Edu1st staff and team members
regularly partake in national and international conferences that are related to thinking and
education. In these conferences, we share the work carried out in Edu1st with a community of