In his writing, Shelbydescribes himself as“picky” about how andwith whom he spendshis time. Therefore, Iam relieved anddelighted that NorthStar is a place hevalues and enjoys. He

has arrived with a strong sense of himself and hisinterests: Shelby likes to make things, use tools,and have concrete results from his work. He isacademically capable, but he really loves whittling,engine repair, and computer programming. He hassupportive parents familiar with homeschooling,and when Shelby finally declared that he had beento enough schools and wanted to be in control ofhis time, they readily agreed. I particularly enjoyedwatching Shelby perform in our December theaterperformance, and I appreciate having his sense ofpurpose in my classes and in our program. Histransition to homeschooling has been smooth, andI look forward to seeing what choices Shelbymakes next.—K.D.

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In the past few monthsI seem to have met alarge number of 15-17year-old teens fairly faralong in high school.They may only have ayear and a half or twoto survive in order tocomplete high school,but this time hangs onthem like a prisonsentence. Some of theseteens are in elite privateschools where thepressure around collegeand success ismounting, others are inpublic schools wherethey are findingthemselves fallingthrough the cracks inthe system. By the timeI meet these teens, theyare in often in conflictwith themselves, theirparents, and theirschools about whetherthey can or will managethe expectations ofschool.

I enjoy being themessenger of hope tothese teens andfamilies. I am able totell them emphaticallythat they are notunusual, that there isnothing particularlywrong with them forfeeling frustrated withschool, and that theyhave nothing to lose byleaving school. I urgethem to re-frame thepossibility of notcompleting school from

I used to really enjoy going to school at HilltownCooperative Charter School, all the way throughabout 7th grade. That’s about when things startedto change. I started to get really annoyed withschool. The teachers were really getting to me withthe way they taught. They seemed bossy to me, andI thought one of them was racist. I just reallywanted a change of scenery. I started looking intochanging schools but as I had been at the sameschool since kindergarten, I figured that I shouldjust stick it out. After all, this was where my friendswere. So I stuck it out through 8th grade, and Iwould not say it was entirely bad. I had some goodtimes, and I made it out alive.

After that I was still pretty much set on theidea of school. I applied to private schools but aftergetting into the application process I decided to goto public school for 9th grade. It was not all bad,but then again I'm really good at ignoring thatwhich I dislike, for the most part. I was intocomputer gaming, so I connected with the gamers,but I didn’t make any long-lasting friends. The nextyear I got accepted into a private school my momshowed me, The Putney School. This was a schoolthat considers itself pretty liberal, and in manyways it was kind of radical. For the most part thestaff was great, but I didn’t connect with the otherstudents. I felt that this was still not the place forme.

My friend Adam had just started going toNorth Star. I had known about North Star forawhile because my older brother had gone to itseveral years ago, back when it was calledPathfinder. I did not want to go back to Putney for11th grade, and I refused to go back to publicschool. I wanted something new. And there it was:homeschooling. One of the big reasons that I hadbeen avoiding homeschooling was because I wasafraid I would not have enough people around, andthat I would not get the academics that I felt Ineeded. Well, I decided that I did not really need tolearn all of the academics that schools were askingof me, and I felt that I would do much better justlearning what I wanted to learn. Last summer, Idecided to not go to school this year, and since thenI have not once wanted to go back to school.

My life now is better then I could haveever hoped for. I have enough time for work,enough time to learn about wood carving andgeneral carpentry, and I also have an excellentsocial scene. One of the reasons that I was a littletentative about joining North Star was that Iwondered about the social scene. I am a very pickyperson socially, and I was afraid I might once againfind the party people that I had met at all theseother high schools. But to my surprise, at NorthStar there is a high population of people like me.There are teens interested in learning and

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“dropping out” to“homeschooling”, andI am able to explainhow and why thisdecision won’t hurttheir futureopportunities in anyway. In fact, I like tosay, the sooner theyleave the frustrationbehind and the soonerthey begin this newexploration, thehealthier they will be.

In many cases, I am thefirst person to assertthis point of view to theteens and their parents.Long-term readers ofthis newsletter knowthat the success of ouralumni provides mewith a deep well ofstories and confidenceto sustain this position.These older teens oftenpossess the maturityand vision to grasp thelifeline we offer, and weget to see the stress anddespair lighten on thespot.

These teens often onlyuse North Star for sixmonths or a year. Idelight in thesetransitions. Two ofthese teens new toNorth Star this year areShelby Howland andOceana Merrick. Bothhad attended privateand public schools in

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interested in self-progression. Now that I am atNorth Star I have a pretty good schedule. In fact,more of my week is planned out then when I wasat the public or the charter schools. A lot of what Ido has almost nothing to do with North Star. It's thelifestyle that has allowed for me to do what I do.

On the weekends I hang out with myfriend and we work on woodworking andblacksmithing. For woodworking we use all handtools: axes, knives, chisels, and saws. It is some ofthe most fun that I have ever had. My favorite toolby far is the axe, seconded by the chisel, though Ipretty much only like the chisel because I'm betterat it then my friend. On Mondays, Tuesdays, andThursday afternoons I go to North Star for assortedclasses. The one I do most regularly is capoeira, aBrazilian martial art. I also regularly did drama,though with a schedule change I am now unable tomake it for the second half of the year. In dramaclass we worked on doing one acts which were alot of fun. Other classes I attend include film class,logic, world religions, and current events. Theclasses only meet once a week, except for capoeira,which meets twice. This makes progression in eachsubject a bit slow, though it’s about as fast as anormal class in school because everyone is so intoit.

The second half of my week is filled bywork. I work at an information technologycompany called Blue-Fox, a business that my dad

helped to start. Blue-Fox is in Shelburne Falls,where I live. Here I work on general programming,scripting, and other miscellaneous techie type jobs.These jobs include working on a DNS server andwebhosting. The work also involves someprogramming in a database language called 4D.

Next year I plan on taking classes atGreenfield Community College as well ascontinuing to take classes at North Star. My workschedule will continue to be two days per week. Inthe longer-term future I plan on working withwood and homesteading, along with potentiallybecoming an engineer for motor vehicles.

For now, my schedule will continue for aslong as I like it. It’s a great life and I could notreally have asked for anything much better.t

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their school careers,and both completedtenth grade in schoollast year. I encourageall of the readers ofLiberated Learners toreflect on these storiesand join us in sharingthis alternative and ourmessage ofempowerment and hopewith older teens whoare desperate for apositive way to avoidspending another yearor two completing ahigh school career thathas little personalmeaning.

News and Notes

Since Thanksgiving,North Star hasexperienced a rush ofinquiries and newmembers that is stillcontinuing. Ourmembership is growingpast fifty teens. Ournew home is making ahuge difference both inattracting new membersand in allowing theprogram to thrive. Wehave space to spreadout and be active. Wenow have a welcomingcommon room, abeautiful large room

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for active classes andspecial events, a sunnyquiet library, a spiffyclassroom, a messy artroom, and a thrivingmusic space. The use ofspace continues toevolve, but it is nowhard to imagine weexisted for eleven yearsin places with aboutone-quarter of thesquare footage. Howdid we do it?

The program is as fullas ever, with literallydozens of staff membersoffering workshops.Topics includeEvolutionary Biology,Sustainable Living,Comic ArtConstruction, Capoeira,Economics, and MusicRecording, to name justa few. Catherine isplanning a small grouptrip to Puerto Rico inMarch, where thegroup will work on acommunity actionproject on the island ofVieques. Our theatergroup performed afestival of one-acts inDecember, and now ispreparing a fullproduction for May.Outside of theseclasses, our staffmembers are meetingwith teens in one-on-one tutorials with greatfrequency andeffectiveness. Take arandom walk through

If there was ever ayouth who did notbelong in a traditionalschool, it is Oceana.She has a spirit ofexploration and anautomatic resistance toany person ororganization that

wants to limit her movement. She now roams theValley between two homes, North Star, HampshireCollege, Youth Action Coalition, and a job. She hasmastered the bus system, and she is always on themove. This freedom demands a challenging level oftrust from her parents, and Oceana has risen to theoccasion this year. She does come by North Starnearly every day, and she adds to the energy andcreativity of the atmosphere. She is living a vastlydifferent life than she did in school, and I see howmuch healthier Oceana is for having this opportu-nity. I expect that she will emerge from this processwith a stronger ability to focus and commit herenergy to her chosen projects.—K.D.

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I started North Star last September. I was sixteen,and would have been a junior in high school. Right

away, I felt much happier than I ever had been atschool. For the the first time, I am able to takeclasses that are focused on what I am actuallyinterested in. At North Star my classes have includ-ed capoeira, writing, yoga, meditation, and worldreligions. My favorite classes are yoga andmeditation. My favorite part of North Star ishaving the opportunity to do whatever creativeprojects I feel like doing. I come in for some timemost days that North Star is open to be withfriends.

Last semester, I enrolled in a psychologyclass at Hampshire College called Exploring theUnconscious Mind. Along with my classes, I alsoworked part time cooking at a local Asianrestaurant, and was volunteering with a local artgroup called Get Up Get Down that focuses onreaching out to the community through differentforms of art. Last year we painted a mural on theside of Food for Thought Books in Amherst, andthis year we are painting a mural at HampshireCollege.

Now it’s the beginning of the secondsemester, and I have been studying to take myGED, and I feel like I’m almost ready to take thetest. I have a new job working with a soundengineer. I’m learning how to set up sound systemsfor shows and how to run mixing boards. I am

Oceana

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about tostart a new class atHampshire College on life and figuredrawing, and I also recently started a guitar class atNorth Star. I am feeling pretty busy. I enjoy havingthe freedom to create my own life. I like havinglots of places to go and using the bus to be on myown. It’s much better for me than being stuck inone building.

Before North Star, I went to manydifferent kinds of schools. Private elementaryschool, public elementary school, homeschoolingindependently, alternative middle school, andpublic high school. I hated them all. I don’t likehaving to do things like essay writing, especiallywhen I’m told I must do it (even writing this essaywas hard for me). I like being able to decide whatI’m studying for myself. I like art and music. WhenI was in school, I felt constrained, like I was inprison. I spent a lot of time figuring out how toleave. When I was little I rebelled in small ways,like not drawing the kind of picture the teacherwanted. I would hide in the bathrooms with mybest friend, or we’d go off in to the fields nearbywhen it was time to go in from recess. In high

school I started getting intobigger trouble. My friends and I

would skip schoolat least one periodalmost every day. I

wrote my ownexcuse notes. We

wouldn’t alwaysgo and do bad

things. Sometimeswe’d just go and

do something likehave a picnic in the parkon a sunny day. We really

just wanted to be outside,free to go in the woods orwherever we wanted. In school,I’d get in trouble every day forlistening to music and drawing.The teachers would take my

sketchbook away from me when Iwalked in their classrooms.Eventually, I started getting into

more trouble. I felt stifled by theenvironment of school which felt morelike jail to me than somewhere where I

could learn and be creative. I finished up the schoolyear, but decided that I didn’t want to go back afterthat.

I called up North Star and came in to meetwith Ken even before I told my parents I wanted tocome here. I wanted to build up my case. When Itold them, they were open but hesitant. They couldsee that I needed a more creative environment thanhigh school, but they were worried that thefreedom would be too much for me to handle. Thetruth is, North Star ended up being the perfectenvironment for me. I can study what I want, I cango where I want, and I don’t want to mess it up formyself. My parents have been pretty good with it,and they can see that I am happier.

For next year, I am hoping to join avolunteer program such as Americorps. I reallywant to go somewhere else and live independently.I’ll be turning 17 in September, which makes this achallenge, but I think it will all work out.t

the building and onesees a busy set ofmeetings, classes, infor-mal art and musicactivities, and socializ-ing. North Star is abusy scene, andperhaps the moststriking aspect is theoverall sense ofhappiness among thepeople here.

Many of you have sentin annual contributionsto support North Star,and we are especiallygrateful as weunderestimated theheating costs for thisbuilding! Thank youfor your support andgenerosity, and youmay know that yourgifts are helping to keepus warm. The Town ofHadley has been asupportive landlord,and through the town’sinitiative, we may be inline to receive a corn-burning furnacethrough a state grant.In the meantime, wehave held a window-quilt making familyworkday to helpimprove the insulationa small amount!

We love having visitorsand showing off ournew home and our busyprogram. Please dropin if you have not doneso already!

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An Illustration

By Oceana u

⊳ North Star members at00the Mystery Dinner

00Theater held in January.

135 Russell Street (Route 9)Hadley MA 01035

413. 582.0193 or 582.0262www.northstarteens.org

Help support

North Star

Contributions like yourshelp fund our operatingcosts. We rely on dona-tions to generate memberscholarships, staffsalaries, and improve-ments to our space andresources. Please help uscontinue to grow.

Name

Address

City State and Zip

Phone email address

Contribution:

q $50

q $100

q $250

q $500

q other

North Star is a project ofLearning Alternatives, Inc, anon-profit corporation underMassachusetts Law andSection 501(c)(3) of theInternal Revenue Code.

Contributions to North Star aretax-deductible.

Thanks for yourgenerosity.

# clip and mail to North Star 135 Russell Street Hadley MA 01035