Off-Trail Learning

William Deresiewicz, author of Excellent Sheep and former English professor at Yale University, talks with host Blake Boles about the reaction to his controversial book, helicopter parenting and overindulgent parenting, the meaning of a “real education,” the benefits of a small liberal arts college experience, how someone who doesn’t go to college might replicate the experience (or not), two lesser-known colleges that are on the right track, and why reforming college admissions policies can improve K-12 schooling.

Lucas Isakowitz, a 24-year-old grown unschooler, college graduate, and part-time Alaskan fisherman, talks with host Blake Boles about his young life as an unschooler, not learning to read until age 11, his decision to join a large public high school at age 14, the virtues of social adversity, going to college at Penn, and his recent experiences working on a salmon fishing boat in Alaska. [Note to listeners: episodes will now be released every other week.]

Ben Paul, founder of the German social movement Anti-Uni (anti-uni.com), talks with host Blake Boles about his decision to leave a prestigious law school at age 20 to travel in Latin America, his blog that encourages young people to build self-knowledge before starting college, the pluses and minuses of the free German higher education system, and building a social life without college.

Misha Golfman, founding director of Kroka Expeditions (kroka.org), talks with host Blake Boles about leading unconventional semester-long wilderness expeditions for teens, growing up in Soviet Russia, lessons learned as a public school teacher and Outward Bound instructor, and how extended time in nature enables deep personal transformations.

Sophia Pink, a high school senior in Washington, DC (sophiapink.com), talks with host Blake Boles about her decision to leave school for 10th grade to self-direct her learning, the ups and downs of online courses, creating a documentary film and mobile app, and staying true to yourself in a world of competitive academics.

Ivo Degn, co-founder of Knowmads Spain (knowmads.es), talks with host Blake Boles about what it means to be a “knowmad”, stories from his time at the Knowmads business school in Amsterdam, how this 1-year program is radically different from a traditional business school, and his efforts to start a new Knowmads in Sevilla, Spain.

Ethan Knight, executive director of the American Gap Association (americangap.org), talks with host Blake Boles about the value of taking intentional time off in the young adult years, his self-designed gap year in Asia at age 19, what’s missing in the traditional college experience, and tips for staying safe on your own global adventure.

Erik Werner, executive director of Global Works (globalworkstravel.com), talks with host Blake Boles about creating service-focused international experiences for teens, what goes into “authentic” volunteering, language immersion, the takeaways of travel, and the finer details of leading teen groups abroad (a.k.a. sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll).

Isaac Morehouse, founder of Praxis (discoverpraxis.com), talks with host Blake Boles about his 10-month program for 18- to 25-year-olds that combines real-world employment with an online liberal arts curriculum, the value of entrepreneurship, unschooling, and creating social change through building alternatives to mainstream institutions.

Alan Webb and Sarah Jane Bradley, organizers of the Open Master’s community (openmasters.org), talk with host Blake Boles about designing meaningful and affordable alternatives to traditional master’s degree programs and the stories of those who have done it.