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North Star Self-Directed Learning for Teens

Community buildingEducational organizations based in the United StatesHomeschooling in the United States
North Star staff and teens
North Star staff and teens

North Star Self-Directed Learning for Teens is a self-directed learning center in Sunderland, Massachusetts, founded in 1996. The mission of North Star is to help teenagers find ways to learn and excel outside of traditional middle school and high school. It offers a non-coercive learning environment without required classes, grades or tests. Members range in age from 11 to 19 years old. Both previously-schooled teens and long-time homeschoolers attend the center. As of 2015, North Star has over 60 members and over 500 alumni from all over the Pioneer Valley and beyond. North Star was founded by two Massachusetts middle school teachers who were frustrated with a system that forced students to attend their classes. In contrast, North Star supports teenagers to self-direct their education, offering a program of optional classes, tutoring, trips and community events, taught and organized by North Star's professional staff and an extensive network of volunteers. Each North Star member is paired with an advisor who supports and encourages the teen as they transition to self-directed learning. The center is funded through sliding-scale tuition and donations.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article North Star Self-Directed Learning for Teens (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

North Star Self-Directed Learning for Teens
Amherst Road,

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Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 42.465416666667 ° E -72.576138888889 °
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Address

Amherst Road 42
01375
Massachusetts, United States
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North Star staff and teens
North Star staff and teens
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Nearby Places

Sunderland Center Historic District
Sunderland Center Historic District

The Sunderland Center Historic District encompasses the historic center of the farming town of Sunderland, Massachusetts, on the plains of the Connecticut River. The multi-acre district runs along North and South Main Street (Massachusetts Route 47), roughly from Old Amherst Road to North Silver Lane, and includes Bridge Street and the Sunderland Bridge across the river. The properties in the district largely still follow the plan of the town when it was first laid out in 1714. The predominant architectural style in the district is Greek Revival, but there are fine examples of Georgian and Federalist architecture, as well as a number of late 19th and early 20th century architectural styles. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.The area that became Sunderland was occupied by Native Americans until the 1670s, when it was purchased from them by English settlers; the single largest purchased traded much of the land for 80 fathoms of wampum. The settlement, known as Swampfield, was abandoned during King Philip's War (1675–78), and was not reestablished until 1714. At that time, Main Street was laid out along what had been a Native American trail, with a width of eight rods, and land parcels with frontage of fourteen rods were allotted to settlers. Land for the town cemetery was set aside, as was common land and a parcel for a minister. This basic plan is still visible in the lot divisions of the town center, although most of the lots have been divided, halving their frontage.