Freedom practiced. Responsibility shared.
Welcome to Vaemora Sudbury
Here, freedom and responsibility are practiced — lived out and learned each day, in the choices children make.
Play is honored and curiosity trusted. Vaemora Sudbury is a learning community where children grow into themselves by being given the time, space, respect and autonomy to discover the paths they are called to walk.
Vaemora Sudbury values processes of unfolding, growth, and change — both individually and as a community. We hold with care the tension between self and community as these processes take place. We share in building our community, respecting and caring for one another as we each strive to walk our truest paths.
What is the Sudbury Model?
The Sudbury model is based on a simple truth: children are naturally curious and capable of directing their own learning.
In a Sudbury school, there are no required classes, no grades, and no tests. Instead, students shape their own education by following their interests, exploring their passions, and engaging with the world around them. Learning is not separated from life — it happens through play, conversation, exploration, projects, and the everyday interactions of community life.
At the heart of the Sudbury model is the balance of freedom and responsibility. Young learners have the freedom to choose how to spend their time, and with that freedom comes the responsibility to care for themselves, respect others, and contribute to the community they are part of.
The learning community is governed democratically. Young learners, and staff share equal votes in Community Meeting, which makes decisions about rules, budgets, and the daily life of the learning community. A Justice Committee, made up of both young learners and staff, helps resolve conflicts and ensures fairness in how rules are applied.
Because young learners are trusted with real responsibility, they develop independence, self-motivation, and confidence in their ability to shape their own lives. Sudbury graduates leave school not only with knowledge but with the skills and self-awareness to navigate an ever-changing world.
How It Works at Vaemora Sudbury
Daily Life
Young learners choose how to spend their time — whether playing, creating, reading, exploring nature, starting a project, engaging in a community construct such as community meeting, or simply talking with friends. Learning happens naturally through these choices, and every experience, whether success or failure, becomes part of the growth process.
Adult Community Members. Staff are not “teachers” in the traditional sense. They are resources, mentors, and fellow community members, available to support when asked but never imposing curriculum or acting against the natural curiosity or self-direction of the young learners they support.
Governance
The learning community is run by its members. Our Community Meeting is where young learners and staff come together as equals to make decisions about rules, resources, and the daily life of the community. Every member has one vote, regardless of age.
When conflicts arise, they are handled through the Justice Committee. This committee, made up of both young learners and staff, addresses complaints, investigates fairly, and decides on outcomes that focus on accountability, personal and community growth, and repair.
Age Mixing
Young learners of all ages learn together. Younger children watch and join in the activities of older peers, while older learners gain patience, empathy, and leadership through their interactions with younger ones. This natural mix mirrors the real world, where people of all ages live and work together.
Responsibility
With freedom comes responsibility. Members are expected to respect the rights of others, care for shared spaces, and uphold community agreements. Rules are not imposed from above but are created and enforced by the community itself. In this way, young learners experience responsibility not as an abstract lesson but as a lived reality.
Our Values & Philosophy
At Vaemora Sudbury, freedom and responsibility are inseparable. Young learners have the freedom to choose their own paths, and with that freedom comes the responsibility to respect others and care for the community we share.
We value:
Freedom — the right of each learner to direct their own time and education.
Responsibility — the striving for awareness of how every choice impacts ourselves and our community.
Respect — treating one another with care, regardless of age or role.
Fairness — rules apply equally to everyone, created and upheld by the community.
Trust — believing in the natural curiosity and capability of every child.
We also value the process of growth and change — both individually and together. We recognize that learning is not a straight line, but a process of unfolding. Each learner’s path is unique, and the community provides a supportive environment where those paths can cross, influence, and strengthen one another.
These values guide our daily life, our decisions in Community Meeting, and our approach to resolving conflicts in the Justice Committee. They ensure that Vaemora Sudbury remains a safe, vibrant place where freedom is real and responsibility is shared.
Parent Involvement & Current Structure
Vaemora Sudbury is currently a part-time learning community, meeting two days each week. At this stage, parents or guardians are expected to remain on-site with their children. This creates a unique dynamic: while young learners explore autonomy within the community, parents also experience a parallel process of observation, reflection, and growth.
Parents are asked to act in the role of staff during their time on-site, following as closely as possible the interaction style used in Sudbury communities: stepping back to allow children to direct their own activities, offering support when invited, and respecting autonomy. At times this may mean simply sitting back and observing. At other times, it may mean stepping in to help ensure safety, or encouraging a child to make their own choices rather than relying on a parent to decide for them.
Because every child is different, this dynamic varies. Some children quickly embrace independence and prefer their parents to give them space. Others may feel clingy or hesitant, and parents may feel challenged to gently guide them toward self-direction. This balance can be both an opportunity and a challenge: parents learn new ways of relating to their children, while children practice autonomy within the safety of a supportive community.
Outcomes in the Sudbury Model
For more than fifty years, Sudbury schools have demonstrated that young people who grow up with freedom and responsibility are well-prepared for adult life. Alumni research has consistently shown that:
Over 80% of Sudbury Valley graduates continued to higher education, often at selective colleges and universities.
Alumni pursue diverse careers in the arts, sciences, business, trades, and community leadership.
The majority report high satisfaction with their lives and feel confident in their ability to navigate change.
As Daniel Greenberg, co-founder of Sudbury Valley, summarized: “The outstanding characteristic Sudbury Valley graduates share is the ability to take responsibility for their lives. They know how to make decisions, how to persevere, and how to adapt in a changing world.”
The founder of Vaemora Sudbury is a graduate of the original Sudbury Valley School, having completed the diploma process. Growing up in that environment — alongside the very founders of the model — continues to shape the vision of Vaemora Sudbury today: a community where young people are trusted to direct their own lives and learning.
Although Vaemora Sudbury is currently a part-time program, the long-term hope is that it will grow into a full-time learning community, one where children could spend their full childhood in an environment of freedom, responsibility, and shared governance. At that point, young people would be supported in making the transition into adult life — whether that means college, work, or other self-directed paths.
Sources
Greenberg, D. (1986). The Sudbury Valley School Experience: A New Look at Learning. Sudbury Valley School Press.
Greenberg, D., Sadofsky, M., & Lempka, J. (2005). The Pursuit of Happiness: The Lives of Sudbury Valley Alumni. Sudbury Valley School Press.
Circle School (2020). Outcomes of Circle School Alumni. Harrisburg, PA.
Offerings & Sustainability
Vaemora Sudbury is not a tuition-based program. As a private learning community, it is sustained through the offerings of its members. Families contribute in ways that make the community possible — financially, through time, or through shared resources.
This approach reflects one of our core values: responsibility. Each member helps carry the responsibility for maintaining the community we are building together. In practice, this means that offerings are not seen as a purchase of services, but as a commitment to sustaining the shared space where young learners can grow in freedom and responsibility.
As Vaemora Sudbury develops, our needs will change. At this stage, offerings support part-time gatherings, shared materials, and the basic costs of operating the community. Over time, if the community grows into a full-time program, offerings may evolve to meet new responsibilities. Whatever form they take, the principle remains the same: the community is sustained because its members choose to support and protect what they have built together.
History & Roots
The Sudbury model began in 1968 with the founding of Sudbury Valley School in Framingham, Massachusetts. Its founders believed that young people should be trusted to direct their own learning and to share equally in the responsibilities of their community.
Since then, dozens of Sudbury schools have been founded around the world. They are not identical, but they share a few defining foundations:
Democratic governance — a community meeting where every member, regardless of age, has an equal vote in shaping rules, policies, and daily life.
A justice process — a committee that addresses conflicts and applies rules fairly, with accountability shared by the whole community.
A strong value placed on self-directed learning — a commitment to honoring autonomy and choice, with young people encouraged to direct their own activities rather than follow imposed curriculum or grades.
Beyond these foundations, each Sudbury school develops its own character and emphasis, reflecting the families, staff, and community that bring it to life.
Vaemora Sudbury steps into this lineage as part of a global movement that has spent more than fifty years proving that freedom, responsibility, and self-direction prepare young people not only for adult life, but for a lifetime of curiosity, self-confidence, and growth.
Membership / Join Us
Vaemora Sudbury is a private learning community. Participation is through membership, not public enrollment.
Families who are interested are invited to reach out and begin a conversation. The first step is getting to know one another — learning about our values, structure, and expectations, and sharing about your family’s needs and hopes. This process helps us all see if the community is a good fit for your family, and if your family is a good fit for the community.
Because this is a membership-based community, attendance is not purchased like a service. Membership means making a commitment to uphold the values of freedom, responsibility, respect, and care, while also sustaining the community through offerings of time, resources, or money.
At this stage, Vaemora Sudbury operates two days per week, with parents/guardians present on-site. Over time, as the community grows, our structure may evolve. For now, we welcome families who are excited to join us in this early stage of building something together.
Contact Us
We’d love to connect with families who are curious about Vaemora Sudbury.
At this stage, our learning community meets at various locations in the Myrtle Beach area, both public and private. Because of this, visits are arranged by invitation. If you’d like to learn more or connect with us, please reach out — we’ll be glad to share more about how we gather and hear about your family.
Vaemora Sudbury is part of Vaemora PMA (Private Membership Association). Participation is for members only and is not open to the public.
Vaemora Sudbury operates in good faith within applicable legal boundaries.