Jerry Mintz is the Founder and Director of the Alternative Education Resource Organization. He was the first executive director of the National Coalition of Alternative Community Schools (NCACS), and was a founding member of the International Democratic Education Conference (IDEC). In addition to several appearances on national radio and TV shows, Jerry’s essays, commentaries, and reviews have appeared in numerous newspapers, journals, and magazines including The New York Times, Newsday, Paths of Learning, Green Money Journal, Communities, Saturday Review, Holistic Education Review as well as the anthology Creating Learning Communities (Foundation for Educational Renewal, 2000). Key Takeaways: 00:24 Jerry’s Favorite Thing about working with the Young Learners 01:15 Origin Story of Jerry’s Journey to Alternative Education 12:06 Options to Alternative Education 19:09 Demand for Alternative Education in this time of Pandemic 23:17 Democratic Process for Learners 33:12  International Democratic Education Conference (IDEC) and Alternative Education Resource Organization (AERO) Conference 36:01 Frustrated Parents who wants to start something new 40:00 Metaphor comparing Conventional to Alternative Education 45:53 Requirements for a School to be in AERO Quotes: "So the whole idea is to make a learner centered approach available to students everywhere. And what I mean by learner-centered, is a program that listens to what the students are interested in and build on their interest rather than curriculum-driven, which is an old model, which is just very, very antiquated. It had its purpose at some point, maybe. But this will help you become a lifelong learner." "If kids are natural learners, forcing them to learn things they're not interested in extinguishes their natural ability to learn." "Children are natural learners. If you know that they're the ones who are bringing the curriculum to you, all you have to do is be a good listener." "When you have not stopped kids' ability to learn, they learn at lightning speed. Unbelievable speed." Social Links: Jerry Mintz https://www.educationrevolution.org/store/jerrymintz/ Websites http://educationrevolution.org https://www.aeroconference.org/

Esther Wojcicki is famous for three things: teaching a high school class that has changed the lives of thousands of kids, inspiring Silicon Valley legends like Steve Jobs, and raising three daughters who have each become famously successful. What do these three accomplishments have in common? They are the result of TRICK, Esther’s secret to raising successful people: Trust, Respect, Independence, Collaboration, and Kindness. Simple lessons, but the results are radical. Esther Wojcicki is a leading American educator and journalist. Mother of YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, Fulbright scholar Janet Wojcicki, and 23&Me founder Anne Wojcicki, as well as a teacher and mentor to James Franco and Lisa Brennan-Jobs, Esther is widely heralded as the most successful parent and educator in the United States.  Esther offers essential lessons for raising, educating, and managing people to their highest potential. She is the author of Moonshots in Education (2014) and best seller How to Raise Successful People (May, 2019).  She is co founder of Tract.app (2020) an innovative way to empower students by gamifying education using a peer to peer model. Key Takeaways: 00:30 Esther’s Favorite Thing about Working with Young Learners 09:28 The Challenge for Educators with New Technologies 18:23 COVID and Alternative Education 25:32 Important Skills for Children to Have 35:19 Two Different Kinds of Bad Parenting 37:00 The Courage To Be Different and Vulnerable 45:50 How can Teenagers meet their Social Needs? 47:56 Metaphor comparing Traditional Education with Self-directed Education Quotes: "Young learners, they're incredibly creative and you would never be able to predict what they're going to ask or do or say. And I love that. Unpredictability and I love their creativity." "You don't learn to be kind unless you are treated with kindness." "When you trust the child, they then feel good about themselves. And then they trust themselves." "An innovation comes from taking a risk. So you cannot be innovative as long as you're unwilling to put yourself in this sort of vulnerable position." “The social, emotional skills are more important than anything. And those are the skills you, parents, can teach while your kid is at home now.” Social Links: Esther Wojcicki LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/estherwojcicki/ Co-Founder-  http://tract.app Dean: HarmonyPlus; Palo Alto High Journalism Founder: Creative Commons; JournalisticLearningInitiative  Advisory Council: How to Raise Successful People; ThriveGlobal Blogger; Founder: https://globalmoonshots.org/ Books: Moonshots in Education

Samantha Jansky joined Acton Academy as a Socratic guide in 2012, just a few years after its inception. Leading the Elementary school for 4 years, Samantha created systems that fur-ther empowered young heroes in a truly learner-driven environment. She then moved on to specializing in Learning Design Creation (curriculum) and wrote and published the entire Elementary School Learning Design used by the world-wide Acton network of over 100 schools. Samantha’s ultimate goal has always been to serve others and she has done so in the public, private, and non-profit spheres. She raised over $3 million to build primary and vocational schools in Haiti, ran a local campaign in Colorado, and was on the ground level of a health and wellness start-up in Santa Monica. Samantha graduated with honors in International Relations from the University of Denver and studied French and political science at L’institut d’Etudes Politiques (ScienePo) in Rennes, France. As a new mother, Samantha looks forward to rediscovering the wonders of the world through her daughter’s eyes and building a world-changing learning community working side by side with her long-time colleague and close friend, Janita Lavani. Key Takeaways: 00:18 Samantha’s Favorite Thing about Young Learners 01:33 The Origin Story of Samantha and Acton Academy 08:12 What is more important Mindset or Preparation? 09:52 Role of Parents on the Kid’s Journey 17:31 What does Samantha feel about COVID and the pressure on their local area? 20:20 Strategies for Hands-on Learning at Home 24:12 Tips to Empower Parents to Think Out of the Norm 29:20 Three Words to Describe Ascent Acton Academy 34:28 Metaphor on Conventional versus Alternative Learning Quotes: "I think the hardest place for parents to step back is social struggle." "A lot of the times we end up projecting from our own experiences from childhood. There's a lot of fear around. How your child will be impacted emotionally from a social interaction gone wrong or however we perceive it. And,  I think some of the most powerful learning experiences are when parents talk through those, they don't ignore them." "This kind of play encourages so much creative thought and innovation. It requires collaboration. It forces really important conflict resolution to happen in a very natural way." "(On alternative education) I think less about what would be lost if you did it, more would be lost if you didn't do it?" Social Links: Samantha Jansky LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-jansky-38578611/ Ascent Acton Academy:Website - https://ascentacton.org/ Instagram - https://instagram.com/ascentacton

Blake Boles  is an Experiential Educator who has organized big trips for teenagers through his company Unschool Adventures since 2008. He is a California native and a frequent traveler, hiker, and biker.  Blake Boles is the author of The Art of Self-Directed Learning, Better Than College, and College Without High School. He hosts the Off-Trail Learning podcast and has delivered over 75 presentations for education conferences, alternative schools, and parent groups. Blake and his work have appeared on The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, BBC Travel, Psychology Today, Fox Business, TEDx, The Huffington Post, USA Today, NPR affiliate radio, and the blogs of Wired and The Wall Street Journal. In 2003 Blake was studying astrophysics at UC Berkeley when he stumbled upon the works of John Taylor Gatto, Grace Llewellyn, and other alternative education pioneers. Deeply inspired by the philosophy of unschooling, Blake custom-designed his final two years of college to focus exclusively on education theory. After graduating he joined the Not Back to School Camp community and began writing and speaking widely on the subject of self-directed learning. Key Takeaways: 00:11 The Origin of Blake Boles’ Self-Directed Education journey. 6:22 Self-Directed Education in Europe 9:14 Meeting parents who have fears on Alternative Education. 13:22 Homeschoolers Unschoolers, and Alternatively School Students getting into the most rigorous and the most elite colleges. 21:50 Options for Students pursuing Alternative Education. 28:34 Community for Students who go for Alternative Education. 35:26 Popularity of Alternative Education due to Pandemic. 41:08 Metaphor that describes Self-Directed Education versus Traditional System. 43:00 What is Blake’s ideal trajectory for his future kids considering all his experiences? Quotes: I don't want to say, “be more authentic to sell yourself to top colleges,” no, “be more authentic because that's a meaningful way to go about your education.”    You don't need a high school diploma to get into any top private, liberal arts college in the United States.   …there's so much destruction that the mechanics of school can wreck upon family relationships. It turns parents into homework cops. It poisons all of the otherwise casual discussion that might exist around a dinner table.   Its very hard for me to make to make blanket recommendations about “Is it better to homeschool or unschool or to go to an alternative school?” It really depends upon the time and the place and the opportunities available to that young person and that specific young person's personality and needs.   Any venture into the world of alternative education begins with a research process, that both parents and young people should participate in and you go explore, you go meet people, you go knock on doors. And that is really what's going to inform whatever we call that the next right step.    You do enjoy this increased level of freedom and autonomy, but you also have to take the responsibility and sometimes, the anxiety that comes with self-employment also. And so that's what being a self-directed learner is like, it's a lot like working for yourself. Social Links: Blake Boles: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/blakeboles/ Website - https://www.blakeboles.com/ 

Heather Staker is a researcher and author in the United States  who has spent 15 years studying innovation in education and the rise of  blended learning as the enabler of student-driven learning. She is the co-author of the Amazon bestseller Blended: Using Disruptive  Innovation to Improve Schools (San Francisco: Wiley, 2015); The Blended  Workbook (San Francisco, Wiley, 2017); and the popular report How to  Create Higher Performing, Happier Classrooms in Seven Moves: A  Playbook for Teachers (Christensen Institute, 2017). Heather has been a featured presenter in over 125 radio, television,  podcast, webinar, and live events worldwide and in legislative hearings in  the United States as a spokesperson for student-centered learning. As the founder of Ready to Blend, Heather leads a team of 150 facilitators  in the United States, Middle East, and South America who have certified to  deliver blended-learning workshops to their teachers. She holds a BA magna cum laude in government from Harvard University  and an MBA with distinction from the Harvard Business School. She is the  mother of five children and lives in Austin, Texas. Key Takeaways: 00:14 Heather’s favorite thing about working with Young Learners 03:19 The Story behind the foundation of Ready to Blend 10:49 The Role of Adults in a Blended Learning Environment 16:37 Advice for Families and Educators who wants Change in the Current System 21:57 Is this Pandemic the best time to go non-traditional for learning? 26:47 Alternative Education, Is it an advantage or disadvantage to get into an elite university? 32:47 Metaphor that describes Blended Learning Quotes: "Try to honor their (children's) own path and help them find their gifts that they want to lean into." "One piece of advice is to do your due diligence about the micro school networks that are emerging right now, because it takes a substantial amount of intellectual property to create a really good curriculum or to know how to curate it correctly." "Most children want to feel like they're successful every day and they want to feel like they're having fun with friends." "For parents that are really wondering what to do right now with their high school students, I think this is a window of opportunity to be more experimental and still assume that they're on track for college." Social Links: Heather Staker LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherstaker/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/hstaker Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Heather-Staker/e/B00M7ESIA6%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share Ready to Blend Website - https://www.readytoblend.com/micros Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/readytoblend Podcast - https://www.readytoblend.com/podcast Books Blended: Using Disruptive  Innovation to Improve Schools (San Francisco: Wiley, 2015) The Blended  Workbook (San Francisco, Wiley, 2017)

Kenneth Danford is the Co-founder and Executive Director at North Star: Self- Directed Learning for Teens in Sunderland, Massachusetts. He has been working intensively with teenagers and their families since 1991. He is the founding Board Member of Liberated Learners through which he consult with others interested in the North Star model. He was a middle school social studies teacher in Prince George’s County, Maryland, then in Amherst, Massachusetts, left to found North Star. He had a Masters in Social Studies from Brown University and lives in Montague, Massachusetts, with family. Lastly, he is the author of “Learning is Natural; School is Optional,” book. Key Takeaways: 00:00:13 The change in Learning Experience and how it all started. 09:01 The Little Clubhouse as an Alternative Way to Live for Learners. 14:58 Recognize the Terror and Hardship as a way to face Frustrated Afraid Parents. 20:06 North Star and Liberated Learners Experience Outside of United States 28:08 Get to Know the Forming Community of the North Star: The Staffs. 31:04 Broader Perspective on Liberated Learners. 40:12 Three Different Stories with One Great Mission of Letting Kids Be. 46:47 Managing Distraction Among Kids. 51:37 Dealing with Parents’ Frustration and Disillusioned Lack of Progress on their Kids. 1:03:50 North Star accepting Distance Members. 1:05:34 The Metaphor that represents the learning model of North Star and Liberated Learning Centers. Quotes: “We don't make everybody do a little bit of everything every day.” “The North Star approach offers teens a headstart on life. When I say school is optional, school is optional for learning and school is optional for a credential. “ “Everything I'm saying hinges on the concept that there is an alternative to traditional high school that is functional to go to university or to be included into the, you know, Professional World.” “When I say school is optional, for me, it has all the tension and emotion of like summer camp is optional. “ “Kids could go to school and like it or not like it. It's going to be okay and it's not going to define their lives. “ “ We believe that kids can do okay just fine, without school, the same way they do just fine, after school or during the summers.” “Things have to be resolved and not lived with a lot of times. Some things can be lived with, but a lot of things can't.” “They get to a point where they want to just know that they're doing the thing they're doing for themselves of their own free will and not out of fear or pressure from their parents.” “Don't compare what your kid is doing to some idealized homeschooling life. Let's compare what your kid is doing in their weekly routine right now, to what it would be most likely going on for them.” Social Links: Kenneth Danford LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/kenneth-danford-38124628/ Website - http://www.kennethdanford.com/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ken.danford.7 North Star - http://www.northstarteens.org/ Liberated Learner -  https://liberatedlearners.net/ Learning is Natural, School is Optional.: The North Star approach to offering teens a head start on life Book 

Jana Pappas received her Liberal Studies Bachelor Degree in 1998, then her teaching credential and Masters in Education in 2000. She was a former classroom teacher, leader of teacher education courses, tutor of students with language processing differences, and a homeschooler. Now, she is excited to be joining the Education Revolution by offering Acton Academy in her community. Jana believes in student-led education, real-life experiences, guiding students to find a fire within them and to follow their curiosity wherever it may lead. She is educated in multi-sensory education, inquiry learning and the foundation of critical thinking - the Socratic Teaching Method. Key Takeaways: 05 mins - Jana’s story, why she chose Acton, how her first application got rejected and what she did to get it right 29 mins - Her transition from being a traditional educator to a socratic guide 32 mins - Parents helped her call for adventure 35 mins-  Describing her Acton Academy 26 mins - What are quests, what are the students quests 37 mins - Biggest obstacle/Setback 42 mins - How can you prove that you know something? 45:26 - Learning challenges in the learner-driven environment 53 mins - Her experience with adhd/ accommodations 57:44 - Tips for parents 59:14 - Recommended resources Resources Declarative Language by Linda Murphy Disrupted Learning by Shannon Tipton Courage to Grow by Laura Sandefer Quotes: “Acton Academy Concord is a place of joy, safety, growing, learning together, failing together, getting back up together.” “To empower them (students) to get them out of these situations, to tell or to process it in a healthy way is more empowering than keeping them totally closed from it.” For learners - “Go be a pioneer in your new world, because you're the one who's going to figure that out.” “Nothing can stop you from knowing something that you want to know.” “We empower our Eagles to swipe away and those dark places are not where you want to be.” “There’s not really a failure ever. And you got back up, you took your time to feel your feelings and to recover and then to decide, what was your new strategy?” Links: www.actonconcord.org https://www.instagram.com/acton_academy_concord/

Kelly Davis is the co-founder and the Director of Education for Galileo. She has taught in various countries throughout Asia, and is thrilled to have the opportunity to build a global school, where kids can learn and develop their best values from all cultures around the world. She lives in Taiwan and is originally from the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in America. She left in 2009 to study abroad in Australia and has been abroad since. She has studied as well in University of West Florida, University of the Sunshine Coast, Millersville University of Pennsylvania. Key Takeaways: 00:38 East meets West for our Online Homeschoolers. 07:34 A day in the life of a Galileo student. 11:11 Addressing the needs of children thru Self-Directed Learning. 12:21 Different Homeschooling Regulations around the world. 15:23 Social Community for the kids and Commitment to Self-Directed Learning. 20:17 Traverse into the application process of Galileo and the starters to Self-Directed Learning. 24:28 Dealing with Parents who have doubts on the Self-Directed Learning approach. 30:18 Know about the diverse Nanodegrees and its role on future skills. 34:13 Let’s talk about how teachers are getting in and how Mathematics is for kids. 39:08 Greatest dream for Galileo as a Self-Directed Online Global School. 41:42 Forced Education versus The Chosen Way. Quotes: “So we see a lot of families making this shift and we're interested in what's happening now that they've seen what their kids are, are actually learning when they moved online from public school and the other half would be students that are already homeschooling or unschooling, and they're looking for more structure or more worldly community as well.” “So we don't want to be a temporary solution, but shifting into a self-directed mindset and helping students see that they can be free and they can have that choice. “ “Every day we're fighting against this current (traditional school), when we went through the system ourselves. So you're not alone, let's unschool together for sure.” “We know that learning never ends and all knowledge is created equal.” “We also have a saying for our clubs, nothing is mandatory and everything is inspirational.” “So I believe that for self directed learning that it's always a learning journey especially in the parents community that we're always sharing what it's like around the world, because everyone has a different experience and it's, we have a parents network as well, where they're sharing  experiences and talking about this works for me. “ “We make sure that it's (Nanodegrees) accessible for everyone.” “Make everyone aware that self-directed learning is a really amazing way that a child can discover something, that they want to do that they're interested in doing that they're inspired to do.” Social Links: Kelly Davis LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-davis-67659499/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kellygalileo/ Galileo Website - https://galileoxp.com/ Facebook -  https://www.facebook.com/galileoxp/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/galileoxp Email - hello@galileoxp.com

Cassidy Younghans is a Self-Directed Education advocate and facilitator. She was a public school teacher for 5 years before changing her path to focus on Self-Directed Education. She interned at various Self-Directed Education learning spaces including Houston Sudbury School and North Star before founding EPIC Life Learning Community with an amazing team in September 2019. Key Takeaways: 2:13 Know about Epic Life Learning Community and their vision. 4:31 Overview on different learning modalities like having a one-to-one democracy 12:58 Self-directed education path as a relief about knowing nothing, starting something new and finding out what works for you. 19:26 Agile Learning tools as a method to liberate our learners in decision-making. 30:44 Strategies in facing the fear of the unknown and difficult conversations with parents. 42:47 Are you a bad parent if you just let your kids take charge of their learning?: Considering the balance between deficiency and advancements of curriculum among learners. 47:39 Developmental Transition as a vehicle to an academic curriculum that supports our learners best. 54:00 Certification approach as a culture among kids for boundaries. 1:04:35 The metaphor that best describes Self-Directed Education. Quotes: “Cause I think, you know, living is learning and learning is living,” “Education is not supposed to be this one path all the time.” “ And it's all about you wanting to be capable. That's going to continue to make you more capable.” “We just talk about it as a community. We just share out loud what we think.” “Trust takes a long time and relationships are hurt and conflict is hard and it's not comfortable. So they're comfortable being uncomfortable because we have hard conversations here. “ “So we just are really clear with the learners or we ask them what they prefer so that when they're making the choice to be a part of the class, they know what they're going to be or walking into. ” “Living is learning your Epic now you never weren't. And you can like, you know, do anything you want to do. You're extremely capable and amazing. And here are the resources. “ Social Links: LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassidy-younghans-1b810278/ Personal Website- http://www.cassidyyounghans.com/ Epic Life Learning  ASDE Article

Michal Leshem is a Cyber Technology Expert with over 15 years of experience in an elite Intelligence unit of the Israeli Defense Forces. She managed large-scale complex development programs and product integrations that delivered breakthrough results, for which she has received the prestigious Israel Defense Prize from the president. In the past few years, Michal transitioned to the Education field which has always been her goal and passion. She obtained a Master of Education degree in parallel to co-founding Israel's National Cyber Education Center (CEC). Through her training, she read about Acton’s approach to learning and education and fell in love with it. She worked as a part-time guide in Acton Academy Verona and this year, she became one of the Co-founders and the Head of School of Acton Academy Bergen County New Jersey. Michal is also the Co-Author of “The Exploring Twins” Book Series, an original book series for children grades K-4 who love to read and explore science. She is also a proud mother of 4 wonderful boys. Key Takeaways: 3:25 The main difference of Acton compared to all the schools that Michal has explored 10:00 Top great things about Michal’s COVID experience 23:30 Michal’s opening pitch to a new family inquiring about Acton 26:50 How they help kids during their adjustment period from traditional schools 28:45 Why Acton guides do not answer questions 39:00 The importance of the right mindset Quotes: “Always talk about the why.” "Each person can really find their own path, and sometimes this path  has nothing to do with college or university." “Try something else instead of giving up.” “You get smarter as you work on something. It's not about how much IQ you have but about how much you can actually do when you walk into your path.” “For younger learners, structure is very important.” Links: LinkedIn Profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michal-leshem-14a6a71/ School Website - https://www.actonbergen.org/ Book Series - https://www.theexploringtwins.com/ Michal’s Blog in Hebrew - https://michalandacton.com/ Michal’s Blog in English - https://acton-myjourney.com/ Resources: https://brenebrown.com/ Carol Dweck - The Growth Mindset Laura Sanderfer - Courage to Grow