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The Independent Project
This is one of my FAVORITE endeavors ... and a remarkable story. And I wish one that was happening in many, many more schools. Sam Levin came home to complain about school once again. He wasn't doing badly, but was upset that it wasn't engaging or hold much meaning for him ... or his friends. One last time, complaining to his mother – a noted developmental psychologist at Williams College – bemoaning the state of learning for him and his friends, his mother said, "Why don't you start your own school." And that was that. It didn't happen over night, but the story is remarkable, and the independent project has lived on now for several years for small groups of students across a few schools. I wish more. Thankfully, there is now a book that he and his mother wrote about the school and its start up. And here are several videos that have been around for awhile telling the story. If you think you want to create such a program ... GO FOR IT! What is stopping YOU!!!!! |
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A School of Our Own
Everyone deserves the opportunity to discover the transformative power of a good education. Our high schools are not providing those opportunities. But they could. Susan Engel, a developmental psychologist and Samuel Levin, a doctoral student in biology tell the story of the first student-run high school in the US, which Sam started when he was in high school himself. They argue that student-run high schools are the simplest, most powerful way to transform education in this country, and they outline how others can do the same thing. Mother and son also co-authored a book, "A School of Our Own: The Story of the First Student-Run High School in America and a new vision for Education." |
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An interview with Michael Powell
Michael was the Guidance Counselor at Monument Mountain Regional High School that Sam approached with the idea of starting a student-run school within a school. As one would assume would be the case in most places, one can easily imagine how a high school counselor would say something like, "Oh, that's nice. But, really, that's not going to happen here." Instead, Michael tells the story about how Sam came into his office with an idea, and he said ... "Let's talk about it." And they began to map out what it could look like. And, fortunately, Sam was in a high school where the principal (Marianne Young) too was supportive of the students and school thinking about such a possibility! Here is the interview I did with Michael back in the summer of '16. |
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A Conversation with Sam Levin Sam, now getting his doctorate in Zoology at Oxford, shares many thoughts about the Independent Project at what it takes to sustain, how it can take on many forms, and what he hopes to see happen as a result of it. |
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Links to articles about the Independent Project
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This Is What a Student-Designed School Looks Like
in Mind/Shift by Luba Vangelova |