Bay State Learning Cooperative Startup

by George Popham

Our mission is to offer a self-directed learning option to students ages 10-19 who seek an alternative to traditional schooling models. Our staff and board collectively have decades of experience in education, and we believe that education cannot be standardized or imposed.

The rationale for non-coercive and student-centered education is simple. When people have no choice, freedom, or self-determination they are generally unhappy, and this is as true of middle and high school students as it is of adults. If students only learn to follow directions and carry out assigned tasks, they will never learn to make decisions. If they are always told what they must do and never get a chance to pursue their interests, they will leave school and enter college with no idea what they *want* to do with their lives.

Each mind is unique and distinctive. For this reason each educational path will be unique and distinctive. Standardization, rote memorization, competition and coercion undermine the cultivation of human intelligence. By understanding and responding to each student as an individual, we seek to maximize genuine academic engagement and cultivate creative potential. At Bay State Learning Cooperative we will use a proven educational model that addresses both the unique quality of each student's emerging intelligence and personal motivations.



Student Motivation

Most traditional schools work against the basic realities of human motivation, and our experience has taught all of us on the staff of BSLC that no education succeeds without understanding motivation. A great deal of research validates our observations. Learning is most effective when the student is given autonomy in pursuit of mastery in some field that provides a sense of purpose.

These discoveries about human motivation, popularized by Daniel Pink in his book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, make a clear argument about the need for self-direction in education. We excel when we become competent in the skills and disciplines we personally value. We do not, however, become excited about intellectual projects we are forced to pursue.

A sense of accomplishment and genuine interest spurs further exploration to broader fields of endeavor: the more we learn, the more we want to learn. Furthermore, no threats or incentives are required because the pursuit of our interests is its own reward. Coercion, standardization, and manipulative incentives create the worst possible environment for learning. In our experience in the school system, we have too often heard graduating seniors exultantly say things like, "I will never do math again." or "I hate novels and I will never read one again." Regardless of a student's grades, these sentiments are the mark of a failed education. That such counter-productive methods are commonplace does not make them any less destructive. One look at the tone and quality of public discourse is enough to demonstrate that need for alternative educational models is urgent, and this is what BSLC can provide.Students of middle school and high school age are in the process of developing into adults and have a strong need to begin participating in decisions about their lives and educations, but they need a safe space and positive social environment in order to do this. At BSLC, we will trust students enough to give them a controlling interest in how they are educated, and we provide the rich environment, resources, and advising to help them pursue their passions and goals. An educated mind is not a controlled mind, and in an environment optimized for education, learning does not have to be rigidly controlled. With a community of self-directed learners and a flexible range of resources at hand, learning gains real momentum and minds wake up and engage the world.

At BSLC, students will learn what they want to learn on their own terms.They learn on- and off-site, in place and online, in seriousness and in play, in classes, 1-on-1 tutorials, apprenticeships, internships, jobs, service projects, travel, and on and on. And they do learn. The learning is real, and it's deep, and it's all their own.

www.baystatelearning.org

Other links:

www.northstarteens.org Founded by Ken Danford and Joshua Hornick in 1996, Northstar was the first learning center to use the model our cooperative is based on. Their website has many excellent resources and reflects our values. Our Needs: What Your Donation Will Support

A Home

BSLC is conducting a site search. One possible location is at Hyde Square in Boston. This location sits in an area where several different neighborhood boundaries come together, representing a good cross section of demographic and socio-economic variety. This location would enable us to cultivate a richly diverse group of students in an area in desperate need of educational alternatives. Your support could make a location like the Cheverus Building in Hyde Square possible.

BSLC won't be a real education alternative if we can't make it available to students from all backgrounds. We hope never have to turn a student away for financial reasons.

Resources

We'll need all the usual stuff a school needs: Wifi, furniture, and miscellaneous supplies. We are resourceful and have lots of local supporters who have offered to help, but we'll still have plenty of practical needs.