In addition to my work with North Star: Self-Directed Learning for Teens, I spend an increasing amount of time happily sharing our model with others around the country and the world through our Liberated Learners network. Liberated Learners has two primary goals:
- Sharing the “North Star Model” and supporting others to open programs in their communities
- Providing mutual support and opportunities among our members through frequent communication, exchanging of resources, and gathering both in-person and online.
There are currently nine member centers in the Liberated Learners network, plus several others in the planning stages. This month we are announcing some major changes to our criteria for joining Liberated Learners. Primarily, we want Liberated Learners to be a more welcoming group for people who have already started programs on their own and would like to have some more colleagues in this work. We have seen that our previous membership fee structure and organizational requirements have led several consultees and allies to not join our network. Secondarily, we have seen that our requirements for joining (intended to ensure a team has resources and stability prior to joining) have not been sufficient to guarantee long-term success. Several of the centers that have met our criteria and have joined Liberated Learners have closed in the past several years.
We know many people who have found their own ways into this field of Self-Directed Education, and who are providing programs and services in their communities that are consistent with the Liberated Learners mission. We have met many of these people through our webinars and at various national and international conferences, and these encounters are inspirational! It is exciting to meet like-minded folks proceeding along the same lines and encountering similar joys and obstacles. We want more colleagues at Liberated Learners, and we will value having their energy and creativity as contributions to our team.
Here is the letter we have sent out to our contacts. Please share this update with others you know who are doing similar work. Thank you.
Changes to Liberated Learners Membership, February 2022
Liberated Learners would like to become a more welcoming and expansive organization. We have met hundreds of people interested in the field of Self-Directed Education through our free webinars over the past several years, and we are inspired by the many individuals and teams making this approach more accessible for youth and families around the world. We have enjoyed coaching many people through initial conversations and start-up consulting. Now we are adjusting our Liberated Learners membership criteria to encourage more of these allies to become long-term colleagues with us in this work.
Our changes include:
- Eliminating the “Joining the Network” Fee: There is no longer a fee to join Liberated Learners. We have been charging $4,500 over the first 18-24 months of membership. As of 2022, existing self-directed learning programs that meet the other Liberated Learners principles may join by paying the regular annual fee.
- Changing the Annual Fee: As of 2022, the annual fee is $50/month ($600/year.) Our annual membership fee for centers in the network has been 1% of the prior year’s revenue up to a maximum of $1,500.
- Liberated Learners welcomes LLCs and other business models. In the past, we have strongly encouraged new programs to be not-for-profit organizations.
- Liberated Learners welcomes programs that use the word “Academy” in their names.
- Individuals running a program on their own may apply to join Liberated Learners. In the past, we have required that individuals demonstrate that they have a team in place before they could apply to join the network.
Rationale:
Liberated Learners offers two services, broadly speaking: 1) Consulting with others to share our approach and support the creation of centers in other communities, and 2) Providing mutual support for the centers in the network.
We are accomplishing the first goal through our offer of free monthly webinars, one-time consulting for $75/hour, and a six-session/$1,000 Starters program to complete a planning document or blueprint for creating a center.
We are accomplishing the second goal by having frequent contact of staff and board members at our various centers through a google group email platform, hosting a bi-monthly video chat to discuss topics at greater depth, offering classes and tutors online to members at each other’s centers, and conducting network-wide special events such as author talks and documentary screenings.
Our network is currently composed of nine programs. We know many people are doing similar work and would contribute vision, energy, and creativity to our group. We are making the changes listed above to make joining Liberated Learners a mutually beneficial choice for many more programs.
Please contact us if you have questions: info@liberatedlearners.net Thank you.
Kenneth Danford, Board Member
Joel Hammon, Board Member
Alison Snieckus, Board Member