What does it look like when teens get the freedom to direct their own learning in a conventional school? On this episode, we find out by talking to Mike Powell, a guidance counselor at Monument Mountain High School in Western Massachusetts. Mike has served as a long-time faculty advisory to the Independent Project, a student-run program that allows teens to choose what and how they want to learn. We talk about the types of things students have done in the program, the transition from conventional classrooms to the Independent Project (and back), and many other things.

00:57 - What is the Independent Project?:“The Independent Project is an opportunity for students to... be the author of what it is they are going to try to study.”
7:26 – Students in the Independent Project as resourceful and proactive learners: “Part of this project has to do with learning how to use your resources and access your resources.”
15:32 – What kinds of students choose (and benefitted from) a self-directed program like the Independent Project?: “The one thing they all had in common was a deep appreciation for having an opportunity to guide their own learning but also for…. each other’s passion.”
22:06 – Staying motivated without formal grades: “Students became more courageous to try things that they may not have had any inkling to try in a traditional environment.”
28:59 – Challenges (for adults and students) within the Independent Project: “There were a number of challenging conversations that had to be had.”
36:45 – Transitioning from the Independent Project back to conventional classrooms: “They were so much more apt to ask for help in this program… than students I would see in a mainstream program.”