Hey UWG’ers! My two teens (Bella and Spencer) and I live in a little town called Sandwich (IL), along with our sweet black cat Sir Peter. We’ve always unschooled and have been attending UWG since 2012. Unschooling came naturally and was just an organic progression of my parenting style. I absolutely love to see my kids thrive and create their own path. Us three are thick as thieves. Since that very first conference, UWG has always been the highlight of our year. We have so many rich and fun memories, and I’m looking forward to creating even more! My absolute favorite part of UWG is the connection with other like minded families, especially that first moment of turning the corner towards the conference center and seeing my people! I rock my job as a lactation consultant and in my free time I enjoy hanging with my kids, playing my guitar, cooking up a new vegan recipe, acrylic painting, driving my electric car...and of course planning for the next years conference. Looking forward to UWG in May!

First of all - it is an honor to be composing this bio for the UWG team. If it weren't for my husband Vlaiko (52) and our sweet bebé Hacho (15) - this wouldn't be happening. Becoming a momma and all that has gone along with it has been the single most miraculous adventure of my 56-year (and counting) lifetime thus far!!! Our entire journey has unfolded in its own unique and organic way. We knew nothing of unsChOOLing...yet everything pointed towards it. We hunkered down amidst the stink-eyed folk who freely shared their advice and notions about what was "best" for us. We weathered the discomfort of placing our relationships with one another as our number 1 priority - rather than commencing to spend our days apart wondering who the others were and how we fit together. Alongside one another we have learned many things...about love, mutual respect, autonomy and right timing...about the world, the people in it and how exciting it is to explore cultural and societal landscapes celebrating customs and rituals near and far. Although we are each poised at different chronological stages, we've learned much about maturity, forgiveness and generosity - all with good humor and the flexibility of great humility. Vlaiko and I marvel at witnessing Hacho open into his imagination, visions and potential...in his own way…on his own terms - with curiosity, thoughtfulness and courage. Life on life's terms isn't always easy - but it's a heck of a lot easier when you're not subject to school-year scheduling...yip-yip-yippiieeee!!!

Hello! My name is Emily Landmann, and I'm excited to be part of the 2025 UWG team as Registration Coordinator! I live in Madison, Wisconsin, with my husband, Tom, son Henry (19), and 3 cats. Tom has an IT job that he works at from a home office, and I've been the main unschooling parent since we began our parenting journey many years ago. This will be our 6th UWG, woo hoo! We look forward to it every year. We've made many great connections with folks at UWG. Some of my favorite UWG activities have been volunteering at Family Fun night, running a ukulele play-along funshop, cheering on folks at the talent show, organizing birding outings in the mornings to local hotspots, playing board games with old/new friends, dancing at the silent disco, shopping at the kids marketplace, and participating in the music jams. Besides the activities and events at UWG, just being in the same space with others that do life similarly to how we do, and who want to see their kids shine in the things they love, is encouraging and inspiring. Looking forward to more fun and connection in 2025!

Heather Schleidt has been attending UWG since year two. She and her husband, Markus, decided to homeschool the kids from the beginning but didn't know what that would look like. They discovered unschooling while the kids were young, implemented the overall principles in their lives and have never regretted the decision. They have four well-adjusted young adults that are beginning to follow their passions and discover their purposes in life. Heather's passions are music, traveling and spending time with others. She has recently started a new venture and is learning how to DJ and mix music. Her ultimate dream is to play onstage at Breakaway Ohio, a music festival near her hometown. She is committed to the unschooling community and helping others see how unschooling allows every individual to become the best versions of themselves and is an amazing option for living, learning and thriving.

Amanda Nerone is a long time homeschooling mom who finally discovered unschooling from central IL. She loves hiking, exploring, photography, and seeing a good live show. She has 20 years under her belt as an eye banker in the field of corneal transplantation. She’s married to an avid golfer, and has three children- 20, 17, and 15. Her first UWG so many years ago played an integral role in her radical unschooling journey- seeing so many flourishing children and connected parent-child relationships gave her the confidence to be all-in with their decision to unschool.

Amanda is a former Unschooler herself now raising her own Unschooler. She loves Taylor swift, concerts, party planning and crime documentaries. Her background is in Event managment and Public relations. She feels Unschooling helped her become the well rounded, freethinking business owner she is now. She loves karaoke, chocolate ice cream and thrift shopping. She travels full time with her Husband and their Daughter(11) in their 5th wheel and love discovering new places. She is excited to help organize USG as the volunteer coordinator and wants everyone to come to feel welcome, accepted and comfortable. She wants ppl to know this kind of event takes a lot of ppl to make it work so if you are interested in helping, even just for an hour, let her know!

Hello, my name is Bella! I've been on TAB for the last two years, and I'm super excited that I get to be TAB leader this year! I'm an artist, mostly focusing in digital art but I also love alcohol markers. I love playing video games like OMORI and Undertale. I'm often online playing Roblox or other online games with friends.

Hi! My name is Lynx. I use He/they Pronouns, and I am 18 years old. My Hobbies include Astronomy and Photography. I worked on the Teen Action Board last year and am very excited to lead it this year!

Hiya! My name is Ellie (she/her) nice to meet you! I've been going to UWG since I was 10. I was a part of the Teen Action Board last year but this year I'm so excited to be part of the new leadership for TAB this year! If you're new or looking for a friendly face, keep an eye out for the girl with elf ears! I love meeting new people and creating fun opportunities for people to make friends. Some hobbies I love are swing dancing, ukulele, diy creations, psychology, the Renaissance festival, and being out in nature. I look forward to meeting you all!