Parents desperate for a solution to the failing Philadelphia public school system turn their hopes to a new radical education program that believes formalized education is part of the larger problem– dehumanizing our children. The program pratices unschooling, which empowers students to direct their own education. When three young teens enroll, these radical ideas are put to the testing.

Within the context of today’s unprecedented events and lifting from key moments in the documentary film, Unschooled, this Q&A will highlight our collective opportunity to reexamine how we learn. With 9 out of 10 children learning in their homes right now, many educators, parents and young people recognize this is their chance to chart a new path forward. What can we learn from the power of self-directed education? How can we put young people in the driver’s seat of their own learning?