Greenbriar Community School and Intentional Community is one of the greatest gift’s of my lifetime! I feel blessed to have found this community during this magical time in history. Tucked into 173 acres of winding trails and parkland, our organization offers a successful community school model that I believe whole heartedly can be replicated in other places. I spent several years living here and studying the concept before I decided I could whole heartedly advocate for this consensus based model of community stewardship. Our community is NOT a “move here project”. It is a “build community here” project. Some people end up living here, and others commute in and out as a part of the school or broader social events. It takes TIME and ENERGY to find yourself dwelling among these trees, so no, to those asking, you cannot just move here without getting to know the community first. Who knows if you’d even want to after meeting us!!!!!!
Greenbriar has a great instagram where you can check out our beautiful and vibrant community!
What I love about Greenbriar is the way in which the founders’ and early leadership modeled decisions making. A nonprofit organization who has delegated the operation of the school, to the school. A nonprofit organization who has charged the community with supporting the school, and who has delegated the operation of the community, to the community. Every school year is structured around the current school body, which consists of the students, teachers, and parents, and other staff. We cater the education we are giving to the kids in attendance each year. Some years the families want more academics, and other years more garden time. As a homeschool enrichment program, we have been able to function with great flexibility in that regard. When you take on the stewardship of a cabin and the land around it, you know from the start that the building is owned by the nonprofit and any work you put into the home is a donation to the nonprofit. This is NOT an anarcho-capitalist community! Its something unique. I feel incredibly blessed to have experienced living this way for such a large part of my lifetime (and my Moon Child’s ENTIRE lifetime).
greBelow you will find an interview of one of our most long term teachers and community members, Dave Balough. In an odd twist of fate, this interview was conducted by my children’s former step mother, and on the channel for the nonprofit that my ex-husband and I founded together. She was one of the people who introduced me to this special place. If you know the story of happened during my divorce and subsequent custody cases – you’d understand why this is a completely wild twist. We have come full circle, entirely.
Be aware, this video takes place before significant remodel work in the space!!!!!
Here is a little AI summary of Rebecca’s interview of Dave:
This interview explores the deeper motivations, philosophies, and lived experiences of the guest, moving beyond surface-level talking points into a more personal and reflective conversation.
At its core, the discussion centers on individual sovereignty, personal responsibility, and questioning mainstream narratives. The guest shares their journey into their current worldview, describing how pivotal life experiences, exposure to alternative ideas, and moments of disillusionment with institutions led them to rethink authority, freedom, and truth.
A major theme throughout the interview is the tension between systems of control and the desire for autonomy. The conversation highlights how many societal structures—whether political, financial, or cultural—subtly shape behavior and limit independent thinking. The guest emphasizes the importance of becoming aware of these influences rather than passively accepting them.
There is also a strong focus on self-development and inner work. Rather than framing freedom purely as an external condition, the interview suggests that true freedom begins internally—through mindset shifts, emotional awareness, and the willingness to take ownership of one’s life. This includes confronting fear, letting go of dependency on systems, and building resilience.
The interview touches on practical implications as well, including:
- Re-evaluating how we earn, spend, and think about money
- Building alternative systems or communities aligned with shared values
- Developing skills that increase independence and adaptability
- Navigating social pressure when choosing a non-conventional path
Another key thread is the idea that freedom is not comfortable. It often requires sacrifice, uncertainty, and standing apart from the crowd. The guest makes it clear that while many people say they want freedom, fewer are willing to take the risks or responsibility that come with it.
Overall, the interview is both philosophical and practical. It challenges the listener to examine their assumptions, take greater ownership of their choices, and consider what a truly self-directed life might look like.
And here is an AI summary of a video I recorded with Dave when we were applying for a grant application.
This was one of those conversations that goes deeper than surface-level talking points. It’s not just an interview, it’s a window into how someone actually thinks, lives, and navigates the world outside of the mainstream script.
We talked about the tension between freedom and comfort, and how most people say they want sovereignty, but hesitate when it requires real responsibility, risk, or standing alone. What came through clearly is that freedom is not something you’re given, it’s something you build, often through uncomfortable decisions.
A big part of the conversation centered on unlearning. Letting go of default beliefs about money, success, authority, and even identity. The guest shared how their path wasn’t a straight line, it was shaped by questioning things that didn’t sit right, and being willing to walk away from systems that no longer aligned.
We also got into the reality of building a life outside the norm. Not in a fantasy way, but in a grounded, practical sense:
- Creating income streams that aren’t dependent on traditional structures
- Designing your environment and community intentionally
- Developing skills that make you more self-reliant
- Navigating relationships when your choices don’t look like everyone else’s
There’s an honesty in this conversation that I really respect. It doesn’t pretend that this path is easy. In fact, it makes it clear that it’s often harder. But it’s also more aligned, more intentional, and ultimately more real.
What I appreciated most is the reminder that sovereignty starts internally. You can’t build a free life externally if you’re still operating from fear, approval-seeking, or unconscious patterns. The external structure follows the internal shift.
This is the kind of conversation that doesn’t just give you ideas, it invites you to look at your own life a little more honestly and ask where you’re still outsourcing your power.
I want to give a shout out to Dave! He’s been here as a teacher, Principal, father, grandfather, and neighbor since 1974!!!!!!!!! He has become my mentor and my friend, and I am forever impressed with how he shows up for the the children (and adults) at this school. He has worked tirelessly year after year after year to ensure this place is working toward its vision. I am so blessed to have Dave in my life!!!! Such an inspiration. Thank you for EVERYTHING, Dave!!!!!!!!!!
My favorite program offered at Greenbriar Community School is the Game of Village Program. This program is designed around experiential learning opportunities – the children build a to – scale 1/20th scale mini village with a small to-scale avatar who they name, build a home for, etc…. They create their own society, design and build their own homes, and build businesses, host events, and otherwise create a fully functioning miniature village. Through this process they learn math (scale, perimeter, area, banking, check writing, etc…), they learn history (this year we studied and role played 17767 Revolutionary American History), Geography, etc….. Next year I want to incorporate more reading and writing through daily writing prompts and reading time period appropriate literature. I have so many ideas. I have an entire post about Game of Village that I hope to draft in the very near feature. www.greenbriarschool.org is the website.