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The birth of mindplay studio: an open co-learning space

In 2018, Chaunda Robinson wrapped up a 25-year elementary teaching career and moved to Georgia to help homeschool two of her grandchildren. Over the years, she had witnessed how powerful hands-on learning could be, and now she found herself drawn to the Montessori method. 

But running such a classroom for only two children is expensive, and now that her oldest student, age 8, was deep in the second plane of childhood development, Chaunda knew she couldn't provide the collaborative environment her granddaughter needed. She needed a dedicated, prepared learning space, where other homeschool families could come to collaborate for learning activities, projects and creative arts. 

Volunteering her time to build Mindplay Studio while teaching her grandchildren fulltime has been challenging but she is committed to supporting other homeschool families in learning about the educational resources available to them and the various teaching methods she has perfected after a two decade career.

Another grandmother, Lorena Griffin, a retired public librarian. Lorena's own children, now grown, had attended Montessori schools as preschoolers and Lorena adapted many of those practices as she assisted with homeschooling her granddaughter, now 9. Lorena's library background exposed her to many innovative literacy programs and to the creative excitement of maker spaces.

Soon, other homeschool moms including Messina Wattley, a local entrepreneur and vegan chef and Elle Barrett, a disabilities activist joined the Board and have volunteered their time to building Mindplay Studio's vision of creating open, prepared, dynamic and inclusive learning spaces.

We hope you will join us in building this space and community with us!