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Showing posts from April, 2024

The Unbeaten Path: Gap Year & Travel Panel

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In February, I was invited to participate on a panel about gap years and traveling, particularly for young people seeking opportunities for experiential education. Here is my introduction: Hello,     My name is Claudia and I connected with Alexis through the Liberated Learners' network of which Bucks Learning Cooperative is a member. In 1996, my dad, Ken Danford, co-founded North Star: Self-Directed Learning for Teens . Years later in 2013, he and Joel Hammon founded Liberated Learns. Joel connected with Alexis, which brings us here today. Growing up immersed in self-directed learning is central to my story.      At age 18, I booked a one-way ticket to visit my cousin in Micronesia and ended up living on a 42-square-mile island for seven months. Prior to that, I opted for a wilderness semester program and community college instead of traditional junior and senior years of high school. Upon attending the University of Vermont, I accidentally graduated in two and a half years inclu