Jenn and Claire of Blazing Star School join Annie Friday this week to talk about the process of opening an alternative to school with a center for self-directed education (SDE) in community. Blazing Star School is located in Chicago and serves children ages 4 to 12. Sharing a background in various roles in the education field led Jenn and Claire to realize that they were looking for something that would better support their own kids’ development and growth while serving as a place for other youth needing an alternative to school. Blazing Star aims to provide authentic child-led, interest-based, natural learning that centers the relationships of those in their community. Jenn and Claire share vivid stories about moments of incredible growth and learning happening at Blazing Star without coercion, punishment, and evaluation. They share some of the resources that have been most helpful as they have developed their community and programming including other programs in Chicago like the Chicago Free School and Tallgrass Sudbury School as well as the guidance received from Liberated Learners and Ken Danford.
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Annie Friday is an educator, entrepreneur, podcast host, and birth doula. Most recently, Annie co-founded Blue Bridge Agile Learning Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Blue Bridge serves families engaged in self-directed education pursuits. Annie considers herself a recovering teacher engaged in the ongoing process of deschooling and relearning everything she has ever known about education. Annie is a public school parent who is actively working to decenter school in her family life. Annie believes all learning needs to be learner-led, consent-based, and rooted in play. Annie holds a master’s degree in early childhood education. Her teacher and family training focuses on supporting young children through play, nature, and mindfulness. Annie lives in Michigan with her husband and two young children. Together they enjoy playing outside hiking, camping, boating, and skiing as well as inside with board games, video games, dancing, doing yoga, and cooking.
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