Erika Alicea is a former public school teacher turned homeschooling mama to one amazing young lady. Born and raised in NYC, Erika helps her husband, Efrain, pastor their church in the Bronx.
When Erika was first introduced to Miss Mason’s educational philosophy through God-sent friends, who are now her co-hosts on the Charlotte Mason for All Podcast, it was an answer to many of her prayers. As she began to learn about all the beauty a Charlotte Mason education offers, Erika had to be creative in implementing Miss Mason’s methods in the context of city life and as a family of color.
As a firm believer in a multicultural education for all children through the use of diverse, living books, Erika uses her website Charlotte Mason City Living as a resource to help educators diversify their instruction. It’s her prayer that it serve as an encouragement to all families, especially those who feel Miss Mason’s philosophy may not be inclusive enough or even possible for multicultural or urban families.
On any given day, you can catch Erika taking pictures of nature treasures in the city that often go unnoticed in the hustle and bustle of urban life. You can also find Erika at The Art of Color as co-creator of these carefully crafted and curated CM-inspired Art Appreciation resources showcasing artists of color.
2023 Conference
Audiobooks: The Ultimate Homeschool Game Changer
Is listening to audiobooks really “reading”? Do our students excel in reading if they listen to audiobooks? Is using audiobooks in our homeschool considered “cheating”?
Let’s tackle some of these myths and discuss how audiobooks can be a transformative addition to your homeschool and beyond.
2022 Conference
Can Modern, Multicultural Books be LIVING too?
In a world where classic literature is the Holy Grail, where do modern, multicultural books fit in?
For those of you who wonder if modern, diverse literature can be added to your Living Books List, we’ll dive into Miss Mason’s guidelines for quality literature and discuss how one of the most vital components of her philosophy is still relevant today.
2021 Fall Retreat
In Living Color: Adding Diversity to Your Artist Study
“We aim at putting the children in touch with the great artist minds of all ages…We want to open their eyes and minds to appreciate the masterpieces of pictorial art, to lead them…to honest love and discriminating admiration for what is truly beautiful – a love and admiration which are the response of heart and intellect to the appeal addressed to them through the senses by all great works of art.” – The Parents’ Review (Vol 12, no. 7, July 1901, pg. 501)
Art Appreciation was an intricate part of the full feast Miss Mason believed all students were worthy of and had a right to receive. But what does “all great works of art” mean for us in our modern day context? Together, we’ll discuss the value of adding artists of color to your studies and how you can diversify your art appreciation lessons.
2021 Conference
Discovering the Delight in Urban Nature
For those of us in the city, it may take a bit more intentionality to find beauty amidst concrete. But God’s beauty is everywhere! We need only to train our eyes to both discover the beauty of urban nature and delight in it.
During our time together, we’ll glean from Miss Mason’s advice on helping our students discover their own delight and explore numerous ways nature can be explored right in your city neighborhood.
2020 Conference
A Simple Approach to Diversifying History Lessons
Are you concerned that your history plan isn’t culturally diverse enough for your homeschool?
Miss Mason’s heart was for her students to have an abundant and diverse feast that would enable them to grow in knowledge, compassion and service. The history lesson plays a vital role in ensuring this type of living education.
In this workshop, I’ll break down how Miss Mason’s method of teaching history can be done in a multicultural way throughout the forms.
Charlotte Mason with an Only Child
Have you ever felt like “the only” homeschooling “an only”? I have and it can be lonely sometimes, even confusing when most of the online Charlotte Mason resources are geared towards families with multiple children. But don’t fret. Ms. Mason’s philosophy works just as well with only one student. We merely have to be a bit more creative in going about it.
During our Coffee Chat, we’ll discuss some of the struggles of homeschooling an only child as well as some helpful tips in using Charlotte Mason methods in our unique setting.
Vendor Hall
Featured Products
Feathered Friends of the City: An Urban Bird Study
Beautifully designed with original artwork by my daughter and photos by Bronx Birder Conor Coen, “Feathered Friends of the City: An Urban Bird Study” is intended to help your child become familiar with some of the birds common to most cities across North America, though some can also be found all across the globe.
We hope through this study guide, your child will form lasting relationships with the feathered friends they’ll meet here. We’ve also included live links, extensions, line drawings and fun facts that make each creature unique in the world of birds. Now get ready to meet and be amazed by our feathered friends of the city!
The Feathered Friends of the City is a fun Urban Bird Study which encompasses:
– Information on 12 birds common to most North American cities
– Tips on Nature Study, Nature Journaling & Bird Watching
– Live links for bird calls and videos
– Extensions & curated resources
– 12 Line drawings to watercolor
– Original artwork
– 12 Bird poems
– Exam ideas
Can be modified for younger children but is extensive enough for upper elementary and even middle school.
Juan de Pareja Artist Study
Who was the mysterious man immortalized in Diego Velázquez’s Portrait of Juan de Pareja? For years, many have wondered and have attempted to know more, past his name and that he was an enslaved painter.
For the first time ever, we have created an in-depth Artist Study based on extensive research that is worth more than gold for any educator who has also been captivated by Pareja’s story.
In this unique Artist Study Collection, you will receive:
– A breakdown of “How to Do an Artist Study”
– 9 high quality prints of Pareja’s artwork
– A biography on the artist’s life
– Descriptions of each painting
– Guiding ideas for discussion
– Titles for further research
– Sample exam questions
– Art extensions
