Ali and Lib returned to their Thornbury roots, after many years living and working in Vancouver.
With decades of experience in the field of educational therapy, intensive remediation and meditation, they saw a demand for their expertise in the Southern Georgian Bay Area. Thus they opened the doors to Illuminated Learning in The Old Clarksburg Schoolhouse in 2019.
Illuminated Learning continues to expand its team and deepen its collective expertise. Together, the team has extensive knowledge with teaching, program development, educational assessments, learning difficulties, and training fellow educators. They also happen to love what they do!
They welcome educators, parents and individuals to reach out and get started with life-changing Illuminated Learning.
We are so grateful to be able to live, work, and play on the traditional land of the Anishinabek, Haudenosaunee, and Wendat peoples. Kennedy Illuminated Learning is located within the boundary of Treaty 18 surrounded by the great Gchi-Bimadinaa (“The Great Cliff That Runs Along”) / The Niagara Escarpment, the winding Beaver River, lush apple valleys, and the beautiful Mnidoo Gamii (“Spirit of the Water”) / Georgian Bay. We acknowledge, respect, and honour the enduring relationship, knowledge, and stewardship of the Indigenous Peoples who have cared for these lands, waters, plants, and animals since time immemorial. We are grateful for the opportunity to learn from this deep connection to the land and from the responsibilities that come with caring for it. In the spirit of reconciliation, we commit to listening, learning, and growing as stewards of the land, water, plants, and animals, with care and humility. May our actions today help protect and nurture these gifts for all living things and for generations yet to come.
Alison “Ali” Kennedy spent 20 years directing a private education clinic in Vancouver, B.C for individuals with learning difficulties. It was there that she honed her skills at assessing, teaching and remediating reading, spelling, comprehension, written expression and math difficulties.
After earning her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Waterloo, Ali trained extensively in specialized education and remediation programs. She became extremely proficient in the administration and scoring of standardized academic assessments. Ali continues to develop and administer remedial academic programs that are based on current research. In 2018 she returned to Thornbury, and in 2019 Ali co-founded Kennedy Illuminated Learning with her sister, Lib.
Approachable, knowledgeable and kind, Ali is passionate about empowering people of all ages with the tools necessary to reach their full potential.
Ali has been a member of the Thornbury-Clarksburg Rotary Club since 2019 and is currently the director of the Indigenous Relations and Awareness Committee. She feels passionately about supporting the community and getting involved in local and international projects.
When not working with students or their families, Ali likes to travel, create in the kitchen, walk in nature, study astrology, meditate, conquer mountains, and of course, read. You can always find a Nordic crime novel on her nightstand. As a child, Ali’s favourite book was, A House for Willie: A Story About Time, but one that she refers to again and agin is Grimm’s Fairy Tales.
“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be very intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” – Einstein
Following graduation with a Bachelor of Arts, with a focus in Psychology, from the University of Guelph, Lib headed west and added a Bachelor of Education, with a specialization in Special Education, from the University of British Columbia.
Since 2004, Lib has developed education programs, and provided personalized programming, guidance, and support to students, families, and educators in BC, Ontario, and Spain. Lib has taught in both specialized private and public school systems. She was a B.C. Certified Teacher from 2007 to 2018, and has been a Certified Teacher in Ontario since 2018 when she moved back to her hometown of Thornbury. In 2019 Lib co-founded Kennedy Illuminated Learning with her sister Ali.
Lib has been a member of the Thornbury-Clarksburg Rotary Club since 2019. From 2021-2023 Lib was the club’s President where she introduced and initiated the themes “Our Community Runs On Kindness”, and “Kindness at Play!”. She currently is the Director of Public Image for the club. Lib feels strongly about the importance of community and giving back.
Passionate, creative and caring, Lib’s favourite part of teaching is helping students build confidence, so they can recognize their gifts and pursue they things in life that fulfill them the most. Working with parents and educators is an integral part of the learning process, and one that Lib finds most rewarding.
Lib loves to travel, spend time in Georgian Bay, meditate, study Astrology, and design. When at home, she explores her artistic side through painting and designing. Lib’s favourite books are Where the Wild Things Are, and Pride and Prejudice.
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” -Gandhi
Terri Davies made Collingwood her home in 2008, after living and teaching abroad for eight years, and enjoys raising her three sons here.
An Ontario College of Teachers certified educator, she has taught in public and independent schools, and internationally in Monterrey, Mexico and Tokyo, Japan. She also has experience teaching second language learners in Austria and South Korea, giving her a fresh perspective on language acquisition.
Terri holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University, and a Master of Science in Education from the State University of New York.
Warm, encouraging and fun, what Terri loves most about teaching is helping people recognize their own unique capabilities and reaching their potential, watching their confidence grow as a result.
When she’s not working with students, Terri enjoys spending time with her family and friends. A lover of travel, art and culture, you’ll often find Terri enjoying live music events, eating great food, paddle boarding, hiking with her dogs, or practicing yoga. Being an active child who was rarely still enough for books, she began to enjoy reading later in life. The first book she fell in love with was The Outsiders.
“I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.” -Sarah Williams
Riley holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Huron College at the University of Western. Following her love of interior design, cooking, and coffee culture, Riley opened and operated her own business “Bread and Butter” for 5 years. While she still continues to embrace a variety of creative projects it was her experience teaching in an independent school that helped Riley to realize her love of education and fostering growth in children, leading her to Illuminated Learning.
Adaptable, gentle, and devoted to growth, Riley loves working with children, learning about psychology and child development, as well as health and wellness.
In her free time, Riley gets outdoors as much as possible, hiking or trail running with her dog, riding her horse, tending to gardens, or simply sitting by the river. She also has a deep interest and natural talent for decorating and cooking.
One book that Riley remembers fondly from childhood is The Tale of Despereaux, and an adult standout is The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes.
“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Wonder is running barefoot chasing fireflies. Learning is wonder with shoes on, exploring the hows and whys that cause us to wonder. It’s another circle of this incredible life.
Let’s take a break, cross legged in the grass. Eyes closed. Mind open to possibilities…
We believe in illuminating hearts and minds!
We believe in the power of community; in uplifting, helping, and encouraging each other, so that everyone has the courage and freedom to shine as their greatest selves.
We believe in kindness; kindness to others, and to ourselves, to slow down and just be... time to unlock our creativity, imagination, joy and wonder.
We believe in being curious, not judgemental.
We choose to see the light and potential in everyone.
We are educational therapy, revolutionary, research based, systematic and structured.
We believe in the healing power of nature, grounding, and meditation; in understanding and knowing ourselves.
We are rule breakers and change makers!
We see the opportunities hidden inside the challenges.
We believe in celebrating the journey; belly laughing, glowing, and having fun along the way.
We believe in the magic and the language of the universe.
Integrity, honesty, love and wisdom are what define us.
We are experts in the Science of Reading; leading educators, parents, and students to a new understanding.
We are illuminated learning