Jennifer Engrácio (B.Ed., M.A.) has been a teacher since 2001, working in all sorts of learning environments–including public and alternative schools. Unlike many other educators who have
only worked in public or private schools, she’s had the unique opportunity to observe how children learn in various settings. She supports choice in education and believes that parents are in the optimal position to decide which education pathway would work well for their children. After all, they’ve walked alongside their children and know them best! 

In 2004,  Jen launched Wise Child Education Consulting. She’s been specifically supporting home- and un-schooling families since and has seen the ways this has positively impacted so many parents and learners. 

When we are embroiled in the busyness of parenting, the job is often too all-encompassing to reflect on the education our children are getting and whether it is serving their needs. Having a compassionate, experienced guide who is able to help parents navigate identifying and making the changes needed can be a huge game changer. That’s what Jen provides to the parents she works with within an unschooling model. 

 Unschooling may not be for everyone but there is growing evidence that more families will begin looking for alternatives to conventional schooling in the future. Jen is always open to talk to anyone who is genuinely interested in this path. Please reach out if you’d like to work with her as an education consultant.

How Parents Benefit:

  • Access to the most recent information we know about how children learn from neuroscience studies
  • Learning what is normal at different stages of development and creating reasonable expectations of what children can do at each stage (and what is simply not neurologically possible in each)
  • Conversations about parenting approaches and philosophies that support self-directed learning and the raising of confident children with secure attachment to caregivers
  • Free monthly online Tea and Education Chats with Jen where parents and educators gather to share stories about how they learned to walk a self-directed pathway
  • Connection with unschooling organizations and groups that can support your journey
  • Learning how to be a ‘guide on the side,’ honouring children’s learning journey–especially if it looks different from our own as parents
  • An experienced guide to bounce ideas off of and help them personalize their children’s learning

How Children Benefit: 

  •  Validation of who they are in their naturalness (their passions, preferred learning environments, meaningful ways of demonstrating learning, and resources that work for them)
  • Learning to access their inner compass to guide them on their learning journey (instead of looking outside themselves for constant validation)
  • Consciously identifying and developing own learning strategies so they can learn whatever their set their mind to
  • Identifying personal goals that are related to their interests and passions
  • Support in helping children accomplish their personal goals by scaffolding learning via conversations and brainstorm

Professional Credentials:

Level One Satir Family Counseling Program

Licensed Foster Parent (Government of Alberta)

Trauma Informed Parenting and Education (various courses via Alberta Child and Family Services, University of British Columbia, Mount Royal University, and University of Calgary)

Working with children in education and spiritual settings with specific and high needs who have been diagnosed with some of the following: Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, PTSD, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Sensory Processing issues–to name a few.

Bachelor of Education from Simon Fraser University with minors in English, History, and Curriculum Development (2001)

Liberal Arts Diploma from Simon Fraser University (2001)

Master of Arts with a major in the Social Sciences and specialization in Transformative Learning Communities from Antioch University (2022)

Education Articles by Jen

Living From the Inside Out

This article was written for Synchronicity Magazine and explores....

Following the Inner Compass:
A self-directed education path

A beautiful piece on Jen and finding her path in alternative education.

A Leap of Faith

Written for "Pagan Pages Magazine", this blog article titled "A Leap of Faith" dives into the