From Public School Teacher to Founder of a Self-Directed Learning Center

About this episode

Kerry McDonald interviews Ken Trautwein about his journey from public school teacher to founding a self-directed learning center.

In this episode of LiberatED , Kerry McDonald speaks with Ken Trautwein, founder of Current Education Center , a secular, self-directed learning community outside Philadelphia. After 25 years in conventional education, Ken set out to create a more flexible, human-centered environment where young people can follow their interests while being supported by intentional mentorship. Opened in early 2025, Current serves teens through a part-time, self-directed model that blends structure with freedom. Ken describes his "riverbank" philosophy of education, where learning flows naturally within a supportive framework, and reflects on the challenges of launching a new center, building community, and rethinking what education can look like. If you're curious about self-directed learning, microschooling, or what it takes to create something new in education, this conversation offers both inspiration and insight. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at edentrepreneur.org . Kerry's latest book, Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling , is available now wherever books are sold!

People in this episode

Host: Kerry McDonald

Guest: Ken Trautwein

Topics covered

• self-directed learning
• microschooling
• education innovation
• mentorship
• community building

Keywords

• self-directed learning
• education
• microschool
• mentorship
• Philadelphia

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Current Education Center

Books & works: Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling

Places: Philadelphia

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