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Episode 250 - Blake Boles, Why Are You STILL Sending Your Kids to School?


Blake Boles is the founder and director of Unschool Adventures and the author of Why Are You Still Sending Your Kids to School?, The Art of Self-Directed Learning, Better Than College, and College Without High School. He hosts the Off-Trail Learning podcast and has delivered over 75 presentations for education conferences, alternative schools, and parent groups. Blake and his work have appeared on The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, BBC Travel, Psychology Today, Fox Business, TEDx, The Huffington Post, USA Today, NPR affiliate radio, and the blogs of Wired and The Wall Street Journal.

In 2003 Blake was studying astrophysics at UC Berkeley when he stumbled upon the works of John Taylor Gatto, Grace Llewellyn, and other alternative education pioneers. Deeply inspired by the philosophy of unschooling, Blake custom-designed his final two years of college to focus exclusively on education theory. After graduating he joined the Not Back to School Camp community and began writing and speaking widely on the subject of self-directed learning.

In his previous lives, Blake worked as a high-volume cook, delivery truck driver, summer camp director, Aurora Borealis research assistant, math tutor, outdoor science teacher, camp medic, ski resort market researcher, web designer, and windsurfing instructor. His biggest passion is sharing his enthusiasm and experience with young adults who are blazing their own trails through life.

About the Book:

For some kids, school offers a positive and engaging experience. For others, it’s a boring, stressful, and frustrating waste of time. If your child is in the second category, why keep tormenting them? Instead, why not help them find an educational environment where they feel genuinely motivated, excited, and empowered?

In this eye-opening book, Blake Boles makes the case for leaving conventional school and taking one of the many alternative paths through K-12 that exist today. He addresses parents’ major concerns about unconventional education—Can my kids still go to college? Will they still be employable? How will they learn to work hard?—while highlighting the hidden benefits of self-directed learning, such as improved parent-child relationships, a more balanced decision-making process regarding college, and a heightened sense of autonomy and connection.

Drawing upon 15 years of work as a mentor and guide for adolescents in alternative and experiential learning environments—as well as his own unconventional life path—Boles weaves together narrative, theory, and research to build a powerful argument for granting children unusual levels of freedom and responsibility.

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15 Comments


Shyam mali
Shyam mali
6 days ago

Episode 250 - Blake Boles, Why Are You STILL Sending Your Kids to School?" is such a thought-provoking discussion that really challenges the conventional mindset around traditional education. Blake Boles highlights how learning can go far beyond the classroom and how self-directed approaches may prepare children better for the future. It’s inspiring to see how alternative education models encourage creativity, independence, and problem-solving. Just like education, the business world also thrives when people explore beyond traditional routes. For example, entrepreneurs today are looking for global opportunities such as USA company registration from India, which opens up new doors for growth, partnerships, and innovation. Platforms like ebizfiling make this journey smoother by offering expert guidance on international and domestic compliance needs. Whether…

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Shyam mali
Shyam mali
6 days ago

Episode 250 with Blake Boles raises such an important question – Why are we still sending kids to school in the traditional way? His perspective on alternative education methods really makes us reflect on how learning should adapt to real-world needs rather than sticking to outdated systems. In today’s world, flexibility, creativity, and critical thinking matter so much more than rote learning. At the same time, just like education, even businesses need to evolve with time. For instance, many companies choose to restructure, pivot, or even opt for Strike off Company Services when the model no longer fits their goals. At ebizfiling, we strongly believe in supporting businesses through these crucial transitions, just like Blake encourages families to rethink schooling choices. Both…

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The conversation in Episode 250 - Blake Boles, Why Are You STILL Sending Your Kids to School? is truly eye-opening. It challenges conventional thinking around education and highlights how traditional schooling may not always align with every child’s curiosity, creativity, or learning pace. I believe this discussion is timely, especially when alternative learning pathways and entrepreneurial opportunities are becoming more accessible in today’s digital world. Parents often hesitate to explore unconventional choices, but episodes like this can empower them to consider fresh perspectives.

Interestingly, the same mindset applies in business—where choosing the right structure matters. For example, with Online LLP Registration, entrepreneurs can explore a flexible and secure way to start their ventures without being tied down by outdated processes. Platforms…

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