How it works
Hours
Facilitators will be available from 9am till 3pm. It’s the child’s choice how much or little time (s)he wants to spend at APTB.
We’re open to finding ways of letting kids come even earlier or stay longer if they feel they need more time to follow their passions or spend time with their friends. In those cases it’s up to the parent and the child whether they’re OK with leaving the child(ren) unattended on our premises, although as we´re a ´neighborhood´ there´ll most likely be others hanging around in the afternoons.
If a child would like to go home early, we’ll let the parent(s) know so they can pick him/her up.
The beginning
Once we’ve inaugurated we will take some time to get to know each other without offering any classes yet. Children can play freely as they wish and from there we’ll build an organic class structure according to their interests and passions. We’ll offer the basic equipment for each area of interest and will invest in and support any area (also those that do not currently exist) that a child or group of children are wanting to explore. It’s an organic process of using the free market.
Clubs
When a person (parent, facilitator, kid or visitor) has something unique to share that isn’t being offered yet, the person can create a note on our board visible to everyone, and let others know when and where (s)he will be teaching the class. Anybody interested can then simply show up on time and then decide if (s)he wants to continue attending the class in the future.
Adults at APTB
The part that adult play is a passive act. They are called Patners at APTB and they mind their own business, also following their interests and are available when a child asks a question or for help. Once the child is satisfied with the information or help given, the adult can go back to their own thing. Children also set their own standards of achievement so there is no need for any adult to either praise, critique or test them in any way. Partners only help or give input when a child specifically asks for it.
Code of honour
At APTB we use the code of honour to treat one another. Every child will have their own draw or space in a wardrobe with no locks on. Everyone has the right for privacy so no other person is allowed to open or take anything from these places. If we see someone accessing a draw that’s not their own, we’ll remind them of the right for privacy.
Problem-Solving Time
We’ll meet once a week for Problem-Solving Time which all children and Partners can attend. During these meetings we’ll discuss questions, what happened and things that need resolution. When we need to agree on something, every attendant has one vote and the majority of votes wins. This way we’ll construct a set of customs that apply to everyone and they will keep changing over time.
Meal times
Once we have building permission, there’ll be a kitchen available to prepare meals, use plates, cutlery and cups, but we won’t have any specific meal times. Kids bring their own food and eat whenever they feel hungry. Adults are always around to help and everyone can eat together or apart, have picnics, snacks etc when the hunger calls.
Proof of Co-work
There will be a Coworking space that parents can use. As we know that children like to do what adults do and learn this way, grown-ups can outsource tasks, let children ask questions about their work and let kids help out if that’s ok with the adult.
There’ll be one part of the coworking space marked as ‘A Place to Be Working QUIETLY‘. Everybody in this area must remain silent and not disturb anybody working and children know that adults in there have no task to offer.