Part of creating a new world is resistance to the old one, including the ways we learn and relate to each other.

Join us for the 2026 Free Skool Santa Cruz Summer/Autumn session by offering a class or activity! A radically different approach to living and learning, Free Skool Santa Cruz is a grassroots educational project beyond institutional control. It is an opportunity to learn from each other and share what we know, to foster communities based on mutual support and autonomy (do-it-yourself-together!).

Follow this link 2026 Summer/Autumn class submission form to submit your class proposal by noon on Monday July 27th.

What skills would you like to share? What types of classes would help grow more vibrant, self-reliant and mutually supportive communities?

This year we are changed things up a little! We have 2 sessions, Spring/Summer (which has concluded) AND Summer/Autumn from August 1st to Autumn Equinox (September 22nd).

The deadline to submit your class is noon on Monday July 27th for the summer/autumn session which goes from August 1st to Autumn Equinox (September 22nd).

Follow this link to submit your class proposal! 2026 Summer/Autumn class submission form

What is Free Skool Santa Cruz?

Free Skool Santa Cruz is a grassroots educational project that provides an opportunity for us all to learn from each other and share what we know, to foster communities of mutual support and autonomy (do-it-yourself-together). The project first existed year-round from 2005 – 2014. In 2021, Free Skool Santa Cruz was brought back by members of the SubRosa collective to be a seasonal project. And now here we are in 2026!

What does the “free” in Free Skool mean? 

Free as in free expression, free thought, and liberation. We try to keep Free Skool firmly fixed in a gift economy and outside the stream of commerce. While some teachers may ask for a donation to cover materials, no one is turned away for lack of funds. 

More about Free Skool Santa Cruz!

We see Free Skool Santa Cruz as a direct challenge to dominant institutions and hierarchical relationships. The project strives to blur the lines between teacher, learner, and organizer. Free Skool is decentralized, with classes held in social spaces and parks.

Part of creating a new world is resistance to the old one. Through this project, we want to contribute to changing the ways we learn and the ways we relate to each other.

At the 2026 Summer/Autumn class submission form please send a description of the proposed class including date/time, location, contact information for the coordinators/teachers, and information about class accessibility. It really helps us Free Skool collective members if you please have all your information figured out when you submit your class (as much as possible). The deadline to submit your class is noon on Monday July 27th for the summer/autumn session which goes from August 1st to Autumn Equinox (September 22nd).

Please email questions to: freeskoolsantacruz@gmail.com and more info about Free Skool Santa Cruz is at https://freeskoolsantacruz.wordpress.com/ 

We look forward to enjoying and learning/experiencing together in the time to come.

     -Free Skool Santa Cruz collective members 

Information for Teachers

Scheduling & Commitment: Summer/Autumn 2026 Free Skool session goes from August 1st to the Autumn Equinox (September 22nd). You choose how often you want to teach your classes and what days fit your schedule. If you schedule a class, we ask you to commit to it. While we very much appreciate your excitement to offer a class, perhaps multiple class sessions, we highly discourage weekly classes for a variety of reasons. Contact us if you would like to discuss this more. 

If you wish to schedule a class at SubRosa Community Space, we encourage you to work directly with a member of the SubRosa collective to host your class there if possible. We can help with communication. Since Free Skool Santa Cruz is decentralized and localized we also encourage you to host classes in your local park or similar spaces (of course if it is appropriate for your class and needs).

Deadline:  For teachers, the deadline to remember is noon on Monday July 27th for the summer/autumn session which goes from August 1st to Autumn Equinox (September 22nd). Follow this link 2026 Summer/Autumn class submission form to submit your class proposal! 

Teacher Responsibilities:  Free Skool is a decentralized, non-institutional project. In other words, you and I make it happen! You have certain responsibilities as a teacher including considering accessibility needs of people that come to your class, as well as promoting your class through word-of-mouth, flyers, community outreach, and online. Be prompt and reliable, and take good care of the spaces who graciously host your class. Help create a culture of greater caring, sharing, and balance with the earth without money and hierarchy. 

We are happy to share flyers and promote your class as best as we can, but, as the host, you are responsible for sending us any flyers/content you’d like us to share! You can also work with other Free Skoolers to post calendars and flyers and share about each other’s classes. We are all doing this together, and the Free Skool Collective very much wants to encourage a collaboration spirit and mutuality. 

And let’s enjoy each other’s company and the summer and early autumn!

Please email questions to: freeskoolsantacruz@gmail.com  

Share or follow on social media! https://instagram.com/freeskoolsantacruz and https://m.facebook.com/freeskoolsantacruz/

*** Members of the SubRosa collective are involved in this revived and not entirely new, not all too different version of Free Skool Santa Cruz  – a project in mutual aid learning and sharing. And SubRosa/the Hub is a site of a significant amount of classes (although not all!).

SubRosa is fiscally sponsored by the Hub. The Santa Cruz Hub for Sustainable Living is a nonprofit charitable corporation under 501(c)3 of the IRS tax code. Employer Identification Number:  31-1748056