by Ken Danford | Jul 23, 2023 | self-directed learning
The highlight for me of the 2023 AERO Conference was meeting some new friends from One Crazy School in Vinnytsia, Ukraine. Kateryna, Tania, Dasha, and Yasha traveled from the chaos of war to share their experiences with those of us gathered comfortably at the Long...
by Ken Danford | Feb 16, 2023 | self-directed learning
For those of you who have not received a hard-copy of this newsletter in the mail, here is the latest issue. Thank you, Willow, for sharing your story. – North Star Winter Newsletter...
by Ken Danford | Jan 22, 2023 | self-directed learning
I’m ready to pick up where my book left off, considering ways to make self-directed learning more widely available to students and families. In my final chapter, “Modern Education Reform: Where Does North Star Fit In?”, I reviewed several tracks for expanding our...
by Ken Danford | Jan 9, 2023 | self-directed learning
Since the 1990s, North Star members have been attending community college during their teen years. This program of Dual Enrollment has increased dramatically across the country, and now a surprisingly large portion of community college students are younger people....
by Ken Danford | Nov 25, 2022 | self-directed learning
On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, the North Star crew was at it again! This year they made 40 pies for the Amherst Survival Center’s Thanksgiving Meal. The “Bake-a-Thon” was our very first fundraiser in 1996, and remains a valued moment in our annual calendar. In...
by Ken Danford | Nov 10, 2022 | self-directed learning
North Star’s mission is to make school optional for any interested teen in the Pioneer Valley. Now, just for a tough minute, imagine if the mission were “to make school optional for any interested teen in the Pioneer Valley whose family can pay $10,000 per year.” It...
