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In this episode, we are learning about an innovative learning environment, North Star Teens located in Hadley, MA, with Kenneth Danford and a 15 year old learner, Nolan Saito.
Ken Danford is Executive Director at North Star.He grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio and attended public schools. His positive experiences as a student led him to become an idealistic public school teacher, first in Prince George’s County, MD, and then in Amherst, MA. Having earned his teaching degree at Brown University under the auspices of the Coalition of Essential Schools, he planned a career in education reform from inside public schools. He became disillusioned with what he felt was too tight of a system, and decided to leave teaching school in a way that would support any interested students to leave with him. Since 1996, North Star has welcomed all inquiring families. Now there are about a dozen centers modeled after North Star in the Liberated Learners Network.
Nolan Saito, 15 years old, is a member of North Star. Nolan was five years old when his oldest brother joined North Star, and he has been around the community since that time. After spending two years at North Star, Nolan decided to attend a local charter school for middle school. This year he has chosen to re-join North Star to focus on his primary interests of ballet and violin. In his spare time, Nolan follows the European soccer leagues and is an avid fan of Juventus.
The learners at North Star are individuals moving forward in unique directions at a pace right for them. North Star is not a school. It does not offer diplomas, credits, or grades. Rather, North Star offers an alternative to school where teens learn in the way that suits them best. Most North Star members are between the ages of 13 and 19. North Star considers younger members on a case-by-case basis, and has been supporting teens to find and pursue their passions since 1996. Most North Star teens choose to go on to college and do so successfully.
As a result of the conversation, here are a couple of questions we are asking:
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- What learner-centered aspects of North Star might you apply in your school or district?
- What might be in your learning environment if you shifted the paradigm to give learners the greatest level of agency?
Resources:
- Read the semi-annual newsletter, Liberated Learners
- Watch videos of Ken’s talks at TEDX and Thrive2020
- Read Ken’s article for Tipping Points magazine on what happens to North Star alumni.
- Read an interview with Ken on Education Reimagined
- Off Trail Learning Podcast featuring North Star