Who attends BSLC? What are the educational backgrounds of BSLC members?
The teens who attend BSLC are a diverse group. What unifies them is a love of learning, combined with a desire for something different from the structure of traditional school. Our members include teens who "excelled" in traditional school, but were stressed and anxious; who are neurodivergent, and didn't fit into the typical school structure; who were bullied, or just didn't like the school social scene; who are lifelong homeschoolers looking for more social and academic opportunities; or who were feeling disengaged in school, and were looking for more exciting ways to learn.
The Straight-A Ball of Anxiety
Some of our members seemed to be doing well in traditional school... at least on paper. But behind the scenes, they were constantly worried about their academic performance, and stressed out by the hours of homework they had to complete every night. They longed for a chance to further their education without the stress of high-stakes testing. At BSLC, members can do advanced coursework and work on academically rigorous projects, with lots of qualitative feedback along the way--and without the burden of being tested and ranked.
The Neurodivergent Freedom-Seeker
Many of our members are also neurodivergent--some have sensory needs and learning styles that traditional schools would not accommodate. At BSLC, we have the opportunity to get to know members well enough to understand their needs and strategize about how to meet them. I myself went into education in an attempt to be the autistic educator I needed as an autistic child, but quickly found the public education system harmful to my own, and my students', autistic neurology. I then became a tutor and mentor for autistic and neurodivergent youth using my experience in education to develop curricula specific to my students' needs and interests. To that end, I enlist many techniques, including guided movement for students with attention differences, with the intent of fostering a healthy neurodivergent identity.
The Enthusiastic Homeschooler
Many of our members are lifelong homeschoolers. For many homeschoolers, local homeschool coops are available. But later, when they become teenagers, they might feel "too old" for the coop. At the same time, teen homeschoolers desire to expand their social circles and experiment with more structured, group learning environments--but without the rigidity of traditional school. At BSLC, we love working with homeschooling families to strategize about how we can best support a teen's vision for their education.
The Peace-Seeker
Many of our members also experienced bullying while in school. Bullying is an underappreciated problem, particularly in large schools, and some groups of kids (neurodivergent, LGBTQ+) are especially common targets. At BSLC, we might not have rules against profanity, but we all collectively agree to not use cruel language. We're also a small community, in which the staff are aware of dynamics between members, have built trusting relationships with members, and are experienced with conflict management strategies.
The Freed-Up Free Spirit
Some of our members were extremely bored and disengaged at school. They didn't see the point of what they were learning. And, worst of all, they sometimes started to think of themselves as "bad students." At BSLC, we start with a teen's interests, and build on those interests to open up new pathways. When a young person is offered the freedom to pursue their passions, they begin to see connections: an interest in music can lead to curiosity about mathematics, and a love for Dungeons and Dragons can lead to a desire to practice writing. Social connections can also spark interests and experiences: a new member might start off spending most of their time crafting, then hear from new friends about a cool Frankenstein class everyone's taking. Members who used to feel invisible in a classroom often transform into BSLC community members who are active, social, and can't stop talking about everything they're learning.