______Placemake Living School is a collaborative learning space co-founded by two mothers, Jill and Gelareh. It was born from a shared realization: while conventional schooling builds important academic foundations, the fast-paced routine often leaves little room for children to pause and look inward. We bridge this gap through our year-round Friday Program, where families and children step out into our urban landscapes together to focus on emotional growth and self-discovery. Our community learning extends to Saturdays, where we teach our weekly Farsi classes.

Jill Aston is a lifelong learner, with decades of experience working with children in various settings. After several years working in a corporate environment, she changed career path to provide a more holistic educational experience for her two young children. Her passion for finding new approaches to learning evolved over time and led to the basic understanding that learning can happen everywhere.

Over the past few years Jill has led weekly forest programs, incorporating music, exploration and cooperative activities. Through an inquiry based educational approach, Jill hopes to create supportive environments where kids can express their individuality while developing their emotional and social well being. Jill also loves muddy rain walks, impromptu jam sessions and baking healthy treats!

Gelareh Saadatpajouh is a co-founder of ______Placemake Living School with over a decade of experience learning alongside children. Her educational philosophy is driven by a critical question: if learning is reduced to mere skill-building and job preparation, how do we help children figure out who they are? She is deeply invested in exploring how we can support children to grow up free, responsible, and sensitive, allowing room for their inner awareness to naturally unfold.

Born and raised in Tehran, Gelareh carries a deep passion for the rich, song-like cadence of the Farsi language. On Saturdays, she brings this poetic heritage to life in Placemake’s Farsi classes, inviting children and families to listen, play, and find out together how language can connect us deeply to our roots and to one another.

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