“What is desired is that the teacher cease being a lecturer, satisfied with transmitting ready-made solutions; his role should rather be that of a mentor stimulating initiative and research.” ~ Jean Piaget

Children and young people learn best by involvement, by doing, by independent risk-taking, by shouldering responsibility, by interacting with the real world of adults. Informal apprenticeship is a great way for this to happen. When a young person can work on-the-job as a helper, he or she can accumulate knowledge about life, learn specific skills, and study in detail the processes and experiences involved with various types of work.

This type of learning can be quite effective. For instance, researchers Carraher and Schliemann describe in a 2000 study published in the book Theoretical Foundations of Learning Environment how experienced carpenters in Brazil with little schooling informally acquire a better understanding of the mathematical concepts relevant to their work than do carpenter apprentices enrolled in classes specifically designed to teach those concepts.

Informal apprenticeship doesn’t have to take place in a working environment, however. Many older people are seeking opportunities to share their skills, knowledge, and experiences with the younger generation. They are an invaluable source of support for unschooled young people who need caring adults to guide and nurture them as they navigate their way to adulthood. Within thirty years, the older adult population will double, so there is a growing pool of capable seniors eager to contribute to their communities. By working with older adults on community projects or volunteering in seniors’ residents, young people can develop important skills and attitudes, while meeting real needs.

People can seek mentors on specific topics as well, such as writing or a craft, or life skills like cooking and gardening. And in these situations, in addition to working on skill development, the mentor’s task may well be to communicate what it . . .

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Wendy Priesnitz is Life Learning's founder and editor. She is also the author of ten books, three of them about home-based learning.