by Ken Danford | Sep 20, 2021 | self-directed learning
We’ve had two weeks of in-person activity at North Star! Teens are inside the building for the first time since March 2020: going to classes, sitting on couches, cooking in the kitchen! I am seeing my colleagues face-to-face on a daily basis. We are re-establishing...
by Ken Danford | Sep 10, 2021 | Uncategorized
At our final staff meeting of last year in mid-June, we felt quite optimistic about this coming fall in regards to Covid-19. The incidence of Covid-19 in western Massachusetts was very low, and across the country, cases seemed to be in decline. All of our staff and...
by Ken Danford | Sep 10, 2021 | self-directed learning
The past six weeks have been quite a fluid time at North Star, as we have been working to register members for the fall and update our Covid-19 policy in light of the Delta variant. With so much in flux, I have missed a few of my personal blog posting deadlines. Here...
by Ken Danford | Aug 1, 2021 | self-directed learning
Mid-July, about 30 minutes into a meeting with a new family, sitting at the table in the North Star office area: Youth: “I’m done with this meeting. I’ve heard enough. Can we go?” Youth looks around, realizes that their comment sounded a bit harsh. Youth: “I mean, I...
by Ken Danford | Jul 15, 2021 | self-directed learning
This spring my friend Blake Boles invited me to recruit some young people to do a panel about self-directed learning with Howard Blumenthal, the creator and producer of the PBS television series, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Howard now hosts a weekly...
