Education Scholar · Author · Policy Fellow
Canadian education scholar, author, and leader dedicated to independent schooling, Charlotte Mason philosophy, and the flourishing of the whole child.
New Release · 2026
Awakening the Whole Child
A Charlotte Mason Philosophy of Education for the 21st Century
Routledge · Taylor & Francis
Featured Publication
Awakening the Whole Child offers a refreshing and transformative perspective on education, drawing on the timeless principles of pioneering educator Charlotte Mason (1842–1923). This landmark volume reimagines what education can be for today and tomorrow — inspiring connection, curiosity, and the flourishing of every child.
With contributions spanning 32 chapters by scholars and practitioners across the globe — from Brazil, South Africa, Türkiye, France, New Zealand, Korea, Ukraine, Australia, Canada, and the USA — the book offers a critical examination of Mason’s relational philosophy, addressing multicultural perspectives, meritocracy, academic freedom, and parental involvement.
Co-edited with Elizabeth Millar (Prince Edward Island, Canada) and Sally Elton-Chalcraft (University of Cumbria, UK), and published by Routledge.
Chapters include
About Deani
Dr. Deani Neven Van Pelt is a Canadian education scholar and policy leader based in Ancaster, Ontario. With a PhD in Educational Studies from the University of Western Ontario, she has spent over three decades advancing the cause of independent schooling, Charlotte Mason philosophy, and educational pluralism.
As President of Edvance Christian Schools Association, she serves more than 100 independent schools across Ontario and the Maritime Provinces. She chairs the Charlotte Mason Institute (USA) and the Standards of Practice and Education Committee of the Ontario College of Teachers, and holds the role of Professor of Practice in Charlotte Mason Studies at the Institute of Education, University of Cumbria, UK.
Her work as a Senior Fellow at both the Fraser Institute and Cardus has produced landmark research on independent school policy, home education, and education funding across Canada. She edited the Charlotte Mason Centenary Series — a collection of 18 monographs by 24 scholars and practitioners — published in 2023.
View LinkedIn ProfileAreas of Focus
Dr. Van Pelt’s research spans independent and private schooling policy, Charlotte Mason’s educational philosophy, home education, and school choice in Canada and internationally. She has secured significant external research funding and produced studies shaping national education policy.
Leading scholarship on Mason’s relational, whole-child philosophy of education — including archival digitization, centenary monographs, and international academic collaboration.
Policy research on school funding, regulation, and the role of independent schools in Canada, with major studies released through the Fraser Institute and Cardus.
National longitudinal studies on Canadian homeschooling, including the pan-Canadian study of home-educated adults and cross-provincial policy analysis.
Analysis of parental preference, school choice frameworks, and education funding models across Canadian provinces and internationally.
Current Positions
Edvance Christian Schools Association
President
Serving 100+ independent schools in Ontario & Maritime Provinces — since 2018
University of Cumbria, UK
Professor of Practice, Charlotte Mason Studies
Institute of Education, Ambleside — since 2026
Charlotte Mason Institute, USA
Chair, Board of Directors
Since January 2023
Ontario College of Teachers
Chair, Standards of Practice & Education Committee
Since January 2022
Fraser Institute
Senior Fellow, Education Policy
Barbara Mitchell Centre — since 2017
Cardus
Senior Fellow, Education Policy
Hamilton & Ottawa — since 2012
Talks & Media
Dr. Van Pelt speaks widely on Charlotte Mason philosophy, educational pluralism, independent schooling, and education policy. A selection of recent talks and appearances is featured below.
Conference Presentation · July 2025
Charlotte Mason’s Great Recognition
Presented at the Charlotte Mason Institute Annual Conference, St. Simon’s Island, Georgia, USA.
Television · August 2017
Children & Families First
Dr. Van Pelt discusses education choice policy and freedom across Canada on 100 Huntley Street.
Ceremony · 2025
Redeemer University BEd Graduation 2025
Dr. Van Pelt’s address at the Redeemer University Bachelor of Education graduation ceremony (begins at 29:00).
Cardus · 2024
Charting New Horizons for Independent Education
Dr. Van Pelt presents her Cardus research on the future of independent education in Canada.
Beyond the CV
Behind the scholarship and leadership is a life shaped by family, music, faith, and love. Deani and her husband are the parents of three children, and for many years their home was a home school — a living classroom where curiosity was cultivated and Charlotte Mason’s philosophy was not merely studied but practised every day.
Music was woven through their family life. Their home rang with piano and violin, and across the years also with guitar, cello, and French horn. The children grew up preparing for Royal Conservatory exams and festival competitions, and there was always singing — voice lessons, choir rehearsals, and the quiet daily practice that makes a musical childhood.
“Grief is not the opposite of love. It is its proof.”
Their family also knows deep sorrow. They lost their son just before he turned sixteen. That grief — and the enduring love that holds it — has quietly shaped everything Deani writes and believes about children, education, and what it means to flourish as a whole person. Two pieces of writing offer a window into that loss and the faith that has sustained her family through it:
Essay · Cardus Convivium
“Of Earth and Son”
A personal essay reflecting on the loss of a child, published in Convivium, the journal of Cardus.
Read essay →
Book Chapter · Chapter Six
“Losing a Child”
Chapter six in Finding Our Voice: Unsung Lives from the Bible Resonating with Stories from Today by Jeannie Kendall.
View on Amazon →
Get in Touch
“For the children’s sake.”
Dr. Van Pelt is available for speaking engagements, academic collaboration, media inquiries, and policy consultations related to independent schooling and Charlotte Mason education.
She is based in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada, and works internationally with institutions in the UK, USA, and beyond.