We finished up our regular schedule of classes and tutorials last week, ending strong.  Many classes took advantage of the beautiful weather and worked outside.  The photos above are from the final dance class, Moving Forward, led by Mau and Emma.

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On Sunday, after many months of preparation and planning, The Alternative Contribution Team led by Marie McCourt and Miranda Shannon held a huge and successful Craft Fair at North Star.  It was very impressive.  Thanks, Team!

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Today begins Presentations Week, my favorite week of the year.  (I'm working on writing something about why that's true.  Coming soon.)

For starters, Ken had his second blog post published in The Huffington Post: "Eighth Grade Out." Feel free to distribute widely.  It is super exciting for all of us to have North Star welcomed on this national platform.

Also on the press front, The Valley Advocate was in this week and is planning to run a story on North Star in the June 6 issue, so watch for that.  On a slightly less grand scale, I had a letter to the editor about bullying included in the Hampshire Gazette last Monday (you can read that HERE, scroll down), AND Umass journalism student Michelle Alcott completed her story about North Star, which includes lots of beautiful photos and a three minute audio interview with me.  You can see that on Michelle's blog, HERE.

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The garden is coming together beautifully.  We now have some lovely green adirondack chairs to read or relax in, thanks to a generous North Star parent, and the much-anticipated garden shed is nearly completed!  The lumber was donated by Cowls Building Supply in Amherst and RK Miles in Hatfield, and North Star grandparent Michael Hoostein is building it, with some design help from Devin Roark and the Construction Class.

Still to come: Lots more plants, shrubs, and maybe a small tree or two, two patios, more patio furniture, three long planter boxes to be filled with vegetables, an entry arch, and hopefully, a pergola.  Stay tuned.  Better yet, bring some work gloves, or a book, and come on over to enjoy it.

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For the fourth year in a row, North Star was proud to walk in The Northampton Pride Parade yesterday.  It's such a beautiful scene of support and community.  It's really fun to be there.  You can see more pictures from our day in the Photo Gallery.

We have several staff members graduating from college this semester.  We are so happy for them, but also sad that it means the end of their work study arrangement and possibly the end of their work at North Star.  We are scheming ways of keeping them around, so don't take this as a final goodbye, just the end of a certain stage.

Huge Congratulations to:

Ethan Mathews!  Ethan is a North Star alum who has been around for the last month or so teaching Latin and Military History.  He graduated from the Commonwealth College at UMass with a degree in Archeology this past December and walked for the ceremony this week.  Ethan will likely be going on to graduate school in the Fall, but we know he'll never really leave North Star, so we're not worried.  We'll be seeing more of him in the future.

Josh Sugiyama!  Josh has been teaching Movement at North Star and tutoring in math and SAT prep.  He is graduating from Hampshire College.  Josh is staying in the area, so hopefully our friendship will continue.

Sam Nordli!  Sam has been with us at North Star for two years leading the Choir group and tutoring in science and math.  He is graduating from Hampshire College this semester.  Sam plans to move east toward Boston this summer, but hopefully he will visit when he's ever in the area.

Caitlin Fuller!  Caitlin has been giving art lessons at North Star and is graduating from Hampshire College.  Congrats!

Mauricio Abascal!  Mau graduated from UMass this week.  He does so many things at North Star, we hardly know what we'll do without him. Hopefully we won't have to...

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And another staff announcement:  It is with great sadness that we announce the departure of Sarah Reid, North Star Outreach Director.  

In June Sarah is moving with her family to San Francisco to pursue a career in Interior Design.  Sarah's creative thinking, hard work, and commitment have made a huge impact on our program. Her goal when she began four years ago was to double North Star's enrollment, and she has succeeded in that goal. Congratulations, Sarah!  And many, many thanks.  You will be missed.

One More Staff Announcement:

North Star is excited to welcome Lauren Wolk as our new Outreach Director.  Lauren has already been spending time at North Star learning the ropes from Sarah, and she will begin part-time for real in August.  We're looking forward to working with her!

A Final FYI:

A North Star parent shared this info about an online unschooling summit coming up, May 21-June 1.  It looks to be free. We don't know anything about it, but some of you might be interested in checking it out: http://www.unschoolingsummit.com/

Two of our teen members were highlighted in local news this week as well.  Liam Saito was in the South Hadley newspaper, and Eli Catlin was interviewed on local radio station, WRSI. 

THEN, Ken had a blog piece published in The Huffington Post! 

Very exciting!

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News from the garden:

We continue to receive lots of support from local businesses for our garden project.  

This week the Construction Class will be building our new shed thanks to the generosity of Cowls Building Supply in Amherst and RK Miles in Hatfield.  Thank you!! 

ALSO, many thanks to Annie's Gifts and Garden Center in Amherst for the donation of many beautiful perennials, including two butterfly bushes.  The butterflies of Hadley will be visiting us at North Star this summer!

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Last week I shared some of my reaction to the new film, "Bully," and began describing some of the things I think we do well regarding preventing bullying at North Star.

First, as I mentioned, we maintain a culture of kindness by holding frequent mediation meetings.  Annoyance meetings, as we call them, can be requested by any member of our community, staff or teen, at any time.  Meetings are non-punitive and are facilitated by a staff member immediately upon request.  No one is "in trouble" at an annoyance meeting, and the person calling the meeting isn't automatically right.  The goals are to air grievances, for all voices and stories to be heard, and to find a way forward that is amenable to all.  

North Star maintains a pleasant and safe environment by more subtle means, as well.  One of our Guiding Principles is that structure communicates more powerfully than words.  Our structure communicates respect and tolerance.

First, there is no hierarchy among teen members.  There are no grades like freshman, sophomore, junior, and there are no grades like A,B,C,D.  Teens are not automatically grouped in any way and no individual is valued more highly than another.  We are a community of equals.  

Every North Star member is following an individual path.  We are supporting teens to find out how they learn best, what they are most interested in learning, and which resources are the most useful choices.   Every North Star member uses the program differently.  In a community of individuals, there is no one right way to be, so groups don't tend to close themselves off to those who are new or "different."  Everyone is different! 

Of course, teens develop friendships and spend more time with their friends, but inside North Star interactions are largely flexible and available.  Any given teen may or may not be comfortable jumping into a particular exchange, but in the social environment of our common room, no one is barred.  

In addition, individual expression is normal.  The culture is so varied that out-grouping doesn't tend to happen based on appearance, either.  Over time we see many friendships develop between teens who would not have ever spoken to each other in school.

Teens are free to come and go, as well, which means that if they are having a negative experience with someone, they can move away from them if they prefer.  Time and space can do wonders for a relationship, and North Star teens are empowered to choose for themselves when they would like to take some space.

Finally, the nature of the relationship between teens and adults at North Star is based in mutual respect.  To be clear, adults and teens at North Star are not peers.  We adults are responsible for the program and for our shared environment.  At the same time, adults do not hold power over any individual.  Teens and adults are not the same at North Star, but we are equal.  Teens are welcome and encouraged to draw on the experience and advice and teaching of the adults, but they are not required to.  They have choices.  Their own personal goals and visions are paramount.  North Star teens have control over themselves, intellectually and physically, and are not subject to arbitrary direction from adults.  The nuanced ramifications of this dynamic are significant, and remarkably different than those in any school environment.  

Equality, in my opinion, is the basis for respect.  Adults at North Star are there to collaborate with teen members and to help them envision and develop the future of their choice.  We do this with respect for who they are and where they are in their lives.  We expect and demand respect in return, and this is seldom an issue.  An adult and teen at North Star are two free people voluntarily collaborating on an educational project. Each respects the others' position and opinions.  It is simple, and yet remarkably powerful.  The nature of this alliance engenders self-respect, empowerment, vision, and confidence.  

This model of interaction between people is healthy and sane.  North Star teens usually learn to behave this way with each other, and with the rest of the world.  In a community where mutual respect for all people of all ages is constantly being developed and fostered, bullying doesn't have much of a chance as a long-term pattern.

Alternatively, my opinion is that in environments where hierarchy prevails and the power structure is unequal, bullying is inherent.  For me, the national discussion regarding bullying prevention is only so useful as long as these essential criteria are ignored.

Nia has been co-directing theater with Ellen Morbyrne for two years now.  This year she took it on alone for several months while Ellen was on maternity leave, including solo-directing an amazing Festival of One-Acts in February.  The upcoming theater production, Shakespeare's As You Like It, is 21 actors strong.  It could not possibly be going as well as it is without Nia Steiner.  Thank you, Nia!!

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MORE North Star alumni out doing amazing things!  Here's a shot of Jonah Meyer and Lachlan Ziegler on Mount Washington.  Both are enrolled in Greenfield Community College's Outdoor Leadership Program this year.  Jonah will be speaking at the North Star fundraising brunch this weekend.  Thanks, Jonah!

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This Thursday, May 3, North Star member Eli Catlin has a headline show at The Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton.  

We hope that many in the North Star community will come out to see him rock the delta blues.

Eli will bring a stack of $10 advance tickets to community meeting on Monday.  

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North Star teens have joyously marched in the Northampton Pride parade for the last several years.  This year the parade is on Saturday, May 12, and more than 10 teens have signed on to participate.  If you are interested in joining us, let me know.

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I saw the film, "Bully," last weekend at Amherst Cinema and it has been very much on my mind since then.  I talked about it at community meeting on Monday, and the group had a heartening discussion about the film and about bullying, which led to plans for Ken to take a group to see the film the next day. 

The administrators in the film are so useless...  I wanted to be sure that our teens felt like they have access to real help should they need it.  Not everyone is comfortable speaking at a large group meeting, of course, but I tried to make it clear that the staff at North Star is open to any sort of feedback or information through whatever means is most comfortable to the individual coming forward, whether it be a private conversation, a note, an email, a phone call, or via a parent or another teen. 

When I first began working at North Star I was very surprised to find teens being kind to each other.  I expected more conflict, more rudeness, less mutual support.  I thought, "What? All you have to do is take teens out of school and suddenly they are nice to each other?"

Over time I have come to see that there is a little more to it than that.  This is not to say that there is never a mean word, or sarcastic comment.  There are many, especially from teens newest to the program.  These are normal, average teens, and there are occasional conflicts.  How we mediate them is one of the things that I think we do right.

First, when there is a conflict, we have an immediate meeting.  We call them Annoyance Meetings.  Anyone can call an Annoyance Meeting at any time.  Everything else that was happening is temporarily dropped, and a staff person facilitates a meeting with the teens involved.  This meeting is non-punitive.  All voices, opinions, and stories are heard, and the goal is mutual understanding and reconciliation, which is generally achieved, often with depth and growth that has brought tears to my eyes many times over the years.  North Star teens don't have to love each other, but our one encompassing rule is that no one can behave in a way that makes someone else not want to be there.   If they cannot co-exist, they cannot be there, so together we find a way.  This is one of the many advantages of non-compulsory attendance.  North Star teens are there because they want to be.  They are invested in finding a way to work through conflict. 

Conflict resolution meetings can be time-consuming.  They are also one of the most important things we do as staff.  Through these meetings the environment is largely protected from unpleasant interactions, the culture of kindness and support is maintained, and participants gain powerful skills in communication, empathy, and mediation that will hopefully continue to serve them in their lives beyond North Star.

There are a few other things that I think we do right in preventing bullying at North Star, including respect for ALL, and lack of hierarchy, but I'll expound on those next week.

Here's the trailer for the film.  It is a powerful, emotionally wrenching film.  I recommend caution.

FYI:

TEEN YOGA SERIES at ENERGIA

Saturdays, May 5th, 12th, 19th and 26th, 12pm-1:15pm
$14/class or $40 for all 4 classes
Lora's dynamic Vinyasa flow features upbeat music, an athletic practice, and a focus on having fun and being in the moment. Each week focuses on a different aspect of building a yoga practice. Space is limited.
 
May 5th: Building the Vinyasa Flow; May 12th: Backbending; May 19th: Twists; May 26th: Arm Balances and Inversions
 
Shower available, mats and props are provided by the studio: www.energiastudios.com

A group of North Star teens had a beautiful day rock climbing with Greenfield Community College's Outdoor Leadership Program yesterday.  Perfect weather for a day in the woods.  Thanks, OLP! (and thanks, Ananda Wilson, for the photos!)

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Our Garden Project is underway!  We are getting lots of support from our parent community and from many local businesses.  So far we have huge plans with Home Depot to build us some planter boxes and fill them with plants, a small gift card from Lowe's, a few nice things from Amherst Farmer's Supply, blackberries and a climbing rose from our friends at Hadley Garden Center, compost from Cook's Farm, lumber for a shed from RK Miles, and new commitments from Sears for a hose and some tools, and a major donation from Hastie Fence to install an entry arch and gate!  We are so appreciative!  It's going to be beautiful! 

Of course, we still need more...  including a bench, an adirondack chair, and other sturdy patio furniture.  I'm looking for someone to build a compost bin, and we still need lumber for the pergola.  Also looking for many blueberry bushes, perennials, ornamental grasses, and other shrubs.  It's a grand vision, and it's coming together.  Please let me know if you can contribute: catherine AT northstarteens.org.

We had perfect weather for our first family work day on the garden last weekend.  Thanks so much to all of you who came out!  (You can see more photos of the garden project, climbing, and other moments from this April HERE.)

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I recently had some video editing lessons from North Star staff member, Mauricio Abascal, and now I am all excited about making videos for North Star.  Thanks to a lot of helpful feedback through the editing process, I finished my second video this week.  Soon it will come to live on the North Star website in a more permanent way, but for now, you can see it here:

Variety Show: Dare to Be a Genius; Dare to Be a Fool from North Star on Vimeo.

Josh Wachtel and John Sprague lead a class at North Star called Variety Show. The group has prepared for and performed two shows this year, with a third scheduled for June 9, 2012. The class creates a collaborative and supportive atmosphere for teen performing artists, beginners and more experienced performers alike. The class mantra is "Dare to be a Genius; Dare to be a fool."

We were so excited and inspired by the donation, Willow and I ran right over to the ice cream shop, Flayvor's of Cook's Farm, and enjoyed some delicious, local, homemade ice cream. 

Following are some photos from Olde Beauty: An Independent Learners Exhibition, which opened at the Smith College Campus Center on Friday, April 6.  The entire process was a great experience for the ten teens who participated.  Beautiful work.  Thanks for making it happen, Rebecca!

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I say this all the time: Before you can do anything well, you have to do it poorly a whole bunch of times.  How many times you have to get it wrong varies, of course.  There are many factors: related experience, environment, support, interest, and other resources.  When learning a new skill, whatever it is, we don't generally get it right the first time, even under ideal conditions.  We don't often get it down on the second attempt, either.  "Failure" is an essential part of learning. 

Unfortunately, the word "failure" is almost always used as a negative term.  Failure is to be avoided at all costs in most educational environments.  Failure is for losers and dumb people, hence the term, failures.  It feels like a permanent label.

As a result we create learning environments where students are afraid to try new ways of thinking or doing.  Risk is not an option.  The goal is success.  Skip the failure and go straight to the A, that's what schools demand from students.  The way for students to achieve this is to regurgitate back exactly what they've been told, to check only the right boxes.  Don't think too much about it, just give the Right Answer.

Quoting from Jonah Lehrer's 2011 piece in Wired Science, "Why Do Some People Learn Faster?,"

"The physicist Niels Bohr once defined an expert as 'a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field.' Bohr’s quip summarizes one of the essential lessons of learning, which is that people learn how to get it right by getting it wrong again and again. Education isn’t magic. Education is the wisdom wrung from failure."

If this is true, and I believe it is, it seems that our educational system has some major flaws.  High-stakes testing and grades in general rate students' success based on how frequently they get the right answer.  We tend to have very little tolerance for the wrong answer.

When students do get the right answer, we tell them that they are "smart."  Smart kids get good grades.  Seems obvious.  However, this is actually further exacerbating the problem.  First, we discourage mistakes and value only correct answers, creating a multitude of risk-averse, failure-averse, stunted learners.  Then, when they are successful in their effort to give only correct answers, we reward them with praise, further encouraging them to stay, and think, between the lines.

Carol Dweck is a professor in the Psychology Department of Stanford University.  In an article from Educational Leadership, "The Perils and Promise of Praise,"  she writes,

"Many educators have hoped to maximize students' confidence in their abilities, their enjoyment of learning, and their ability to thrive in school by praising their intelligence. We've studied the effects of this kind of praise in children as young as 4 years old and as old as adolescence, in students in inner-city and rural settings, and in students of different ethnicities—and we've consistently found the same thing (Cimpian, Arce, Markman, & Dweck, 2007; Kamins & Dweck, 1999; Mueller & Dweck, 1998): Praising students' intelligence gives them a short burst of pride, followed by a long string of negative consequences."

In short, Dweck found that praising a student's intelligence encourages them to 1. believe that their success is an inborn trait rather than one that has been worked for, and 2. be resistant to risk for fear of failure. 

In actuality,  it is effort that leads to learning and intellectual growth, not inborn gifts.  Effort leads to success.  Getting it wrong 1000 times is the only way to get it right on 1001.  We learn from our mistakes.  We learn by getting it wrong until we get it right. But when getting it wrong is a disaster, when getting it wrong means a bad grade on your 'permanant record,' then students do their best to play it safe and only get it right.  That means less innovation, less creativity, less critical thinking, less learning.  When getting it wrong means that you are not smart or that you are a failure, real learning is severely inhibited. 

Grades are detrimental to learning.  So at North Star, we don't use them.  This is not just our idea.  Big thinkers in education and psychology agree with us, and have done many, many experiments to show that this is the case.  As reference, please see the works of Carol Dweck, Alfie Kohn, Daniel Pink, and others.

Our educational system has been slow to catch on.  Every public teacher and school is also graded and judged, and so fears failure, too.  Living under the threat of failure is not an ideal learning environment for students, and it is not an innovative or supportive environment for teaching, either. 

These are big issues without simple solutions.  As usual, I am extremely grateful to work in an environment that is not stunted by such challenges, and to have both the liberty and security of working with students who need not fear their mistakes as they learn.  At North Star the focus is on effort, experimentation, and meaningful learning, all of which are both unquantifiable and priceless.

Many teens miserable in school manage to get themselves into the building most days, but behave badly within their confines once they are there, creating problems for teachers and other students.  Many of these misbehaving teens then find themselves facing repercussions greater than detention.  With a growing police presence inside schools, what used to be a trip to the vice principal's office can now be a trip to the police station.  One local North Star alum was arrested in school for using a curse word directed at the teacher.  The teen was arrested, which was a violation of a previous probation, and ended up in juvenile detention for three weeks.  I'm happy to report that this teen had parents who assessed that school was not a supportive place for their child, and they sought other options.  They found their way to North Star and to an increasingly positive and healthy adolescent experience.  Most teens who act out within a school setting are not so fortunate.

North Star is not a therapeutic environment and I do not mean to say that we are the cure for all problems.  No one setting is.  I would like to call attention to the need for more options.  Many teens find themselves unhappy in school.  This is not indicative of a problem in the teen.  This is a result of our one-size-fits-all attitude to education and our collective devaluing of skills and interests beyond those that are tested by high-stakes tests.

Without access to other options, most teens who are unhappy in school muddle their way through.  Some drop out with an air of failure, often believing the negative assessment of themselves that they have received from school and now from society at large.  A significant number of others are funnelled from school directly into the crimincal justice system.

From The American Civil Liberties Union website: "The “"school-to-prison pipeline"” refers to the policies and practices that push our nation’s schoolchildren, especially our most at-risk children, out of classrooms and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems.  This pipeline reflects the prioritization of incarceration over education."  Read more about the school-to-prison pipeline, its underlying causes and ramifications HERE.

Following is a two-minute video about this issue specifically in New York state:

 Wouldn't it be great if there were other ways to support with youth who are not well served in school?  Oh, wait....

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Tonight!  (Friday, April 6) 6:00 PM Olde Beauty: An Independent Learners Exhibition opens in the Nolen Art Lounge, Smith College Campus Center.  

For the last several months Smith College senior, Rebecca Baroukh, has been working with a group of North Star teens to create a photo exhibition.  Their months of work and planning has come together and the show opens tonight!  Reception begins at 6:00 PM.  You can preview some of the photo on Tumblr.

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VARIETY SHOW SPECTACULAR!

Variety Show is a class led by John Sprague and Josh Wachtel that meets on Friday mornings at 10:00.  Josh and John work with the group to create a series of performances.  We got to appreciate their preparation at the Spring Variety Show last Saturday night.  It was absolutely beautiful.  I filmed the whole adventure and I'm working on turning it into a dvd.  Stay tuned.

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FYI- Several North Star teens are participating in Starlight's upcoming production of Suessical, the Musical!  In fact, our very own Sisi is one of the leads of the 130 member show.  Here's their blurb:

Starlight’s Youth Theatre proudly presents Seussical, the Musical! Performances are on Friday, April 27 at 7 pm, Saturday, April 28 at 2 pm and 7 pm, and Sunday, April 29 at 2 pm at South Hadley High School,  153 Route 116 (Newton Street), South Hadley. Come enjoy this delightful show presented by our exuberant local all-youth cast, and featuring many favorite Dr. Seuss characters such as the Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, and many, many more. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors and can be purchased at: www.starlights-youth-theatre.com or at the show.

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HEAR ME Project Auditions!  The HEAR ME Project is holding online auditions for their local production highlighting teen musicians from the Pioneer Valley.  Learn more at HearMeProject.com.

Last March

So video and photography became the main gifts we brought to share.  On our first day at the school, our teens also gave workshops in some of their other interests, including theater, acrobatics, and music.  We spent the following days at the school working with four groups; two groups each developed an original play and performed it on the last day; one smaller group became the film crew and learned how to use the many cameras that we brought; and one group became the awards committee which led a hilarious awards ceremony at the end. 

We were so well received and had an amazing experience.  The Dominican teens blew us away with their kindness, mutual support of each other, openness to us, and their music, which was truly exceptional.  The younger students stole our hearts with their affection and games. 

We returned home, posted some of the 3000 photos, and fell back into the rhythm of our busy lives.  The video footage, enough for 20 videos, has been on my hard drive for a year.  

Finally, in the last few weeks I got some basic video editing lessons from Mau, and over spring break I put together the five-minute video that is posted here.  It's our trip in chronological order, pretty much, and hopefully gives a sense of our experience. 

I took this year off from trip planning, but will likely run another next year, hopefully again with Mau...  We'll keep you posted.

I'm currently enjoying the book Brain Rules by John Medina.  Medina is a developmental molecular biologist, director of the Brain Center for Applied Learning Research at Seattle Pacific University and a professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine.  Quoting from his introduction to Brain Rules, "What do these studies show, viewed as a whole?  Mostly this: If you wanted to create an education environment that was directly opposed to what the brain was good at doing, you probably would design something like a classroom."

I believe, however, that we are in a period of educational transition.  Paradigms are shifting.  For example, I was pleased to read this week's article in Wired Magazine, "The Stanford Education Experiment Could Change Higher Learning Forever," written by Steven Leckart.  This past Fall noted roboticist Sebastian Thrun teamed up with Stanford University to offer a free, online course in artificial intelligence to what turned out to be 160,000 students worldwide.  The experiment was a huge success.

Other high quality, open access courses are coming online soon.  Khan Academy has been available for five years now, and MIT's OpenCourse has been offering access to many of their courses for some time as well. Several other universities have similar programs. These are excellent opportunities for learners, but they don't include personal feedback, individual interaction, or external assessment, while the Stanford experiment attempted to offer all of those.

Now MIT has also launched a new online learning initiative.  MITx began enrolling in February for its first course, Circuits and Electronics.  In the Fall of they will be increasing their offerings (and possibly adding a fee.)

Of course, there is a lot more to the college (and high school) experience than the course offerings and methods of instruction.  I don't think these online inititatives are ever going to entirely replace School, nor do they need to.  I am excited, however, to see more options for learning becoming available.  My hope is that a public appreciation and understanding of a variety of approaches will break the stranglehold belief that there is only one correct and acceptable corridor for learning.  Our current cultural understanding seems to be that if a student does not achieve within that corridor, or is not happy there, that there is something wrong with the student.  I look forward to a cultural shift, to an opening up of our understanding of both students and learning.  There is no reason to try to mold students to the learning environments that we currently have available.  Not only is it damaging, it is also ineffective. (See statistics above.)  Maybe prestigious institutions like MIT and Stanford will be successful in educating our nation in ways that are bigger than the information presented in any given class.  Maybe the entire concept of education is about to break open.

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HampCrew Rowing Development Team

Wondering what rowing is all about? Do you have a friend or family member who has been cheering you from the shore and is ready to give it a try? HampCrew is offering for the first time a Development Team for 7th, 8th, and 9th graders that will run from April 3 through May 18, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday afternoons. We are so excited to run this program for those who want to try out the sport without committing to a five day/week schedule and learn how to row with the primary emphasis on fun.

For more information go to HampCrew's registration page.

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Rebecca Baroukh, a senior at Smith College, has been working with a group of North Star teens for the past several months to create a photo exhibition in a gallery at Smith.  The show is almost ready!  The opening is Friday, April 6 at 6:00 in the Nolen Art Lounge at Smith Campus Center.

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Some of you might remember North Star Extended Staff member, Shawn Kornhauser.  Shawn is the gifted filmaker that created the couple of videos on the North Star website: North Star Slice no.1 and Something Has Got to Change.  Shawn is now working for Magic: The Gathering creating videos for them.  The first of his Magic web series can be seen HERE.  Congratulations, Shawn!

Most of our families are coming out of very "structured" school situations, where schedules and work loads are pre-programmed.  A modicum of choice may be offered to the student in the planning stage, but little flexibility is expected once the year is underway. Leaving this system for North Star's self-directed approach can feel like a major transition (as well as a major relief).

I often make an analogy between self-directed learning and self-employment.  Learning within an external structure like school is like having a job where expectations are very clear and very inflexible.  Do what you're told, punch out, and go home to your life.  Self-directed learning is more like being self-employed.  There is a lot more flexibility, but you also have to figure it all out for yourself including what works, what you want, and how to get it.  At North Star our self-directed teens don't have to figure it ALL out for themselves, because the staff is there to be in constant dialogue, full of suggestions and reflections, and we have a schedule of classes to choose from.  But at the end of the day the teens are the ones who have to decide on which kind of structure they would like to implement for themselves, and then they have to actually follow through, show up, and do the work that they have chosen.  It is not easy, but it is meaningful.  Powerful, even.  It's not a question of structure versus no-structure.  The difference is that at North Star, you create your own structure based on your own strengths, goals, interests, and ways of learning, rather than adhering to an external structure that is more one-size-fits-all.  Self-employed is not unemployed, it's just a different approach to a working life.

To the left is an example of the academic structure one of members has created.  It doesn't include a list of resources and books the teen might be using or enjoying in between classes and appointments, and/or at home.  It's just one example of how a teen might create a very full, structured, day for themselves at North Star using some of the resources that we have available. 

Reposted from Friday, March 4, 2011