“It's not our job to toughen our children up to face a cruel and heartless world. It's our job to raise children who will make the world a little less cruel and heartless.”

L.R. Knost

North Star provides guidance and a flexible structure for teens to pursue their lives and educations outside of traditional schooling. 

Our program is based on respect for each individual.  North Star teens are not required to learn, they are inspired to learn.

We believe in teens and support them to believe in themselves.   As a result teens at North Star find new passions, new motivation, and new hopes and visions for their futures.  They have the opportunity to reimagine who they are and who they can be.  North Star teens develop independence and responsibility as they pursue lives of meaning.

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

Howard Thurman

THANK YOU for helping us make it possible for teens to come alive, right now.

North Star is committed to accessibility and economic diversity and so we provide EVERY interested family with an inspiring alternative to middle or high school. This means we provide thousands of dollars in fee reductions to families all over the Pioneer Valley. This year we have provided over $100,000 in fee reductions. 

North Star is founded on the principle that traditional schooling is not the only path to a happy and successful future. We help kids to THRIVE RIGHT NOW. 

North Star is a registered 501(c)3.  Your donation is entirely tax deductible.

Learning is Natural. School is Optional.

TESTIMONIALS:

"Given how my son's misery in private school has strained our relationship, I knew we needed a change... Who knew such an amazing place existed, that accepts kids for who they are at that moment? North Star saved my family."         - Jodi, alum parent

"I did well in public school, but I felt suffocated by the lack of freedom to be intellectually curious. For the past four years I have concentrated on one-on-one tutorials, in which I explore subjects of my own choosing, with guidance from incredibly supportive staff members. North Star has given me the freedom to be myself."         - Laura, current member

"The best part of North Star is that at age sixteen, I was already comfortable in a college classroom."         - Marco, alum

"Taking responsibility for my own learning at an early age was invaluable for my personal and professional development. I am so grateful to North Star for empowering me to have the life I enjoy today."         -Dan, alum

Read more on our website: www.northstarteens.org