Meet the team
Passages was founded in 2020 by Kristina House. In 2021 we became a registered charity, and in 2022 received a Ministry of Education BSID as a non-credit granting school.
Staff
Kristina and Ember are the two full-time staff members at Passages.
Our deep commitment to self-directed democratic education allows us to support the young people at Passages with deep trust and care.
Kristina House (she/her) — Staff Facilitator, Founder, Executive Director
A thread that runs through everything Kristina takes on is: Empowerment. She has homeschooled/unschooled her children for the past 12 years in the Toronto area and has been an active member of the Toronto Homeschool Community. She worked as an American Sign Language–English Interpreter for over 15 years, supported women and families as a Birth Doula for 10 years, and Midwifery school was a short 2-year stint in her life. Empowering people to step into themselves is inspiring to witness.
While homeschooling Kristina has organized classes and gatherings, attended conferences and PD, and is a point of contact to mentor new homeschool families through The Ontario Federation of Teaching Parents. She was also one of two people to organize and host the Toronto Homeschool Symposium for parents to come together, learn and share. She volunteered for three years as Parent Chair at a local democratic school managing Parent Council obligations, hosting workshops, running tours, acting as a liaison between the parents, staff and administration, and coaching new families. On top of that, she volunteered with the teens in the school regularly offering classes, workshops, group outings and a listening ear. Mentoring youth and families on self-directed learning brings many of the skills from every career she has engaged in, into play.
Kristina believes in the power of youth taking charge of their life and learning and supports them in this endevour. Self-directing her way to running a non-profit she is undertaking her biggest passion: Passages Centre for Self-Directed Learning.
Kristina was nominated as an Urban Hero in 2022 and won the People’s Choice for Education
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ember alvo (they/them) — Staff Facilitator
ember grew up as a self-directed learner and is excited to support youth through a similar experience. Initially unschooled at home, ember later attended a Sudbury-model school called The Beach School in Toronto from ages 12-16. The feelings of empowerment, challenge, respect, and deep accountability to community that they felt in that environment are something they have wanted to share with other youth since then. After transitioning to a public alternative high school, they volunteered at The Beach School until it closed a year later, and after graduating high school, they visited and volunteered at several other Sudbury schools across Europe. These experiences gave ember insight into the many different ways that self-directed, democratic education can take shape and flourish.
As an adult, ember has continued their educational journey in various formal and informal settings. They hold a diploma in Community Work from George Brown College, have completed a peer support training program, and are currently a part-time student of Disability Studies at Toronto Metropolitan University. While they have a wide range of work experience, their most rewarding roles have all involved peer support. In this field, ember has worked one-on-one to support folks experiencing mental health and substance use challenges, as well as facilitating therapeutic group activities, all with the aim of empowering and building community between the people they were supporting.
At Passages, ember is looking forward to getting to know the incredible learners who make up the community, and continuing to learn and grow with the group. They aspire to show up as their full self, and to demonstrate self-reflection and accountability as they navigate new relationships. Being queer, trans, mad, and neurodivergent, they are used to feeling different. They look forward to being part of a community in which differences are celebrated and valued. Currently, ember is exploring transformative justice and collective care practices, and is learning Spanish. This fall, they will be studying Mad People’s history. They would love to chat about any of these topics, and also to hear about your interests!
Practicum Students
Passages hosts year-long practicum students from Laurier’s Masters of Social Work Program, George Brown College’s Child and Youth Care Program and Social Service Worker, and most recently York University’s Education Program. These interns work with the youth day in and day out, offering support, guidance and mentorship. We are so grateful to have these wonderful open-minded progressive students with us.
Volunteers
Volunteers work with our learners weekly to help them achieve their educational goals. We have volunteers in all capacities such as: business work, music, movement and yoga, self-defence, politics, art, social issues, and more. When a learner has a goal we reach out to the community and build our network of support.
Our vision
We aim to create life-long learners and envision a world full of young people who are empowered and thriving.
Our mission
To create a thriving and sustainable community where youth can freely choose their educational journey in a way that is meaningful to them supported by Mentors.
Reducing financial barriers
Finances should not be a barrier to receiving the education that meets your needs. Young people wishing to lead their education will be supported by Passages through our Tiered Member Fee Model–fees in relation to income. We believe in this wholly and rely on donations and grants to support our centre.
As a registered charity your donation will be recognized with a tax receipt in the full amount that you donate, and is issued automatically to your email address.
Charity Registration Number: 717 989 537 RR0001
