Liberating Teen Learning at Northstar (w/ Ken Danford)

Learning By Living Podcast

This episode’s guest has been advising teens to opt out of school for over two decades now. Ken Danford used to be a middle school teacher, but once he discovered self-directed learning, he co-founded the North Star Learning Center for Teens, a space where teenagers have control of their time and learning. Twenty some years later, North Star is thriving and has given way to the Liberated Learner network of Learning Centers. Ken even wrote a book about it, called Learning is Natural, School is Optional. Gina and Ken sat down to talk about what learning looks like at North Star and why he thinks, like the title of his book, that learning is natural and schooling should be optional.
1:27 - Ken talks about his path from middle-school teaching to self-directed learning for teens: “If it’s all true, then why aren’t more kids doing it?”
15:39 - Ken talks about what learning looks like at Northstar Learning Center: “It’s way easier than you want it to be. Just let it be easy.”
19:47 - Is self-directed learning for all kids?: “People need to learn how to manage themselves without being told what to do.”
23:26 - Can schools learn anything from self-directed learning?: “Schools are actually doing the functions that our society wants schools to be doing.”
25:43 - How do North Star kids turn out?: “It’s not hard, but there’s a path, and the burden is on you to demonstrate that you’re ready.”
37:23 - Ken’s book and what’s next for him and Northstar?: “Helping local kids not go to school by having the support of a local program is mostly what i do.”