‘Ask the Expert’ Q&A with Kenneth Danford,
Co-Founder of North Star
A Webinar for Start-Up Schools and Learning Communities
Weds 12 Feb, 7.30pm GMT
Come and meet Kenneth Danford, the co-founder of North Star: Self-Directed Learning for Teens, which is a learning community in Massachusetts, US.
What is North Star?
North Star is an alternative to conventional middle school and high school, where students are free from diplomas, credits, and grades. They say:
“Since 1996, we have provided an alternative to school where teens learn in the way that suits them best. Our focus is on individuals and their particular strengths, needs, and goals. We meet teens where they are and support them in becoming whomever they want to be. Rather than focusing on weaknesses, we ask: “What are you good at? What do you love to do?” and build from there.”
North Star offers classes, workshops and tutorials from 9am to 4pm four days a week from September to May.
They strive to accommodate all students’ passions and provide tutors or learning experiences in subjects ranging from mathematics, foreign languages, guitar, to computer programming. They work to match students’ interests with that of a core staff of caring professionals and a large, extended staff composed of interns, community volunteers, and work-study students from local colleges.
About Kenneth Danford
Kenneth Danford is the co-founder and Executive Director of North Star: Self-Directed Learning for Teens and is committed to making school optional for all teenagers. This commitment came about during his six-year career as a public school teacher.
In 2013, he co-founded Liberated Learners, a network of centres based on the North Star model. Two resources explaining Kenneth's vision and commitment are his 2013 TEDx Talk, 'School is Optional' and his 2017 Alumni Outcomes article.
Kenneth is also the author of ‘Learning is Natural: School is Optional: the North Star approach to offering teens a head start on life’, which you can find on his website, KennethDanford.com.
Event Format, Recording and Ticket Price
This event takes place online via Zoom at 7.30-9.30pm GMT on Wednesday 12th February. You will have the chance to hear a short presentation from Kenneth, and then you are invited to ask any questions you might have.
If you have questions but can't make the date, you are still welcome to register for the event. Simply send your questions through to us at [email protected] and they will get asked in the session on your behalf. The recording will be sent to all registered participants as soon as possible after the live event.
This webinar is £20 for non-members, and FREE for members.
Become a Member and Attend for Free!
Join Us!
Would you like to join the Education Start-Ups membership community? Our membership offers:
Monthly expert webinars (like this one);
Monthly group coaching for peer support and collaborative problem solving;
Online platform for sharing resources/ideas and supporting each other between sessions.
Some extra bonuses too!
You can find out more at EducationStartUps.org/community.
Note to Members
If you are a member, you do not need to register for this event. You will automatically receive the Zoom link in your online community portal.
About Us
This webinar series is brought to you by Jo Symes at Progressive Education and Alex O’Neill from Limitless. We are education activists who have a shared passion for raising awareness of alternatives to mainstream school.
For the past couple of years Alex and Jo have been creating events and resources for start-ups, in response to the growing number of children and young people leaving mainstream education, and the urgency that parents/carers/educators feel to build new learning environments where young people can thrive.
Introducing Alex O’Neill
Alex is the driving force behind Limitless, an organisation dedicated to igniting social change with a special emphasis on revolutionising the education sector.
Through the Limitless podcast, she shares expert insights and neuroscience tips to empower changemakers to tackle the world's most pressing issues.
Alex is committed to uniting individuals who are driven to advance education and supporting them in overcoming obstacles that stand in their way.
Introducing Jo Symes
Jo is the founder of the social enterprise, Progressive Education. Her website is an inspiration hub for exploring alternatives to conventional schooling and campaigns to bring about change. She is building a global directory of jobs, events and progressive schools and learning communities.
It began with the launch of the Progressive Education Group on Facebook in 2019, which is an international community of over 10k parents/carers, educators, academics, researchers, psychologists, education innovators, changemakers and young people.
