{"podcast":{"title":"LiberatED Podcast","slug":"liberated-podcast-4897868","podcast_index_feed_id":4897868,"rss_url":"https://feeds.libsyn.com/397037/rss","website_url":"https://edentrepreneur.org","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/3/e/a/0/3ea0be349825968316c3140a3186d450/LiberatED_Podcast_Profile.png","author":"Education Entrepreneurship Lab","episode_count":409,"summary":"The LiberatED Podcast tells the stories of the entrepreneurial parents and teachers who are creating innovative K-12 learning options across the US and expanding education options for families. It is a project of the Education Entrepreneurship Lab at the Foundation for Economic Education. Learn more at edentrepreneur.org.","last_synced_at":"2026-09-23T12:17:20.449304+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/liberated-podcast-4897868"},"episode":{"title":"From Public School Teacher to Founder of a Self-Directed Learning Center","slug":"from-public-school-teacher-to-founder-of-a-self-directed-learning-center","published_at":"2026-03-31T12:09:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/liberated-podcast-4897868/from-public-school-teacher-to-founder-of-a-self-directed-learning-center","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/liberated-podcast-4897868","url":"http://www.liberatedpodcast.com","audio_url":"https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/c378c474-ac1a-4738-bc29-87987b4e13ec/Current_Education_Center_-_Self-Directed_Learning_for_Teens_in_PA_audio_FINAL.mp3?dest-id=3264842","summary":"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!","meta_description":"In this episode of LiberatED , Kerry McDonald speaks with Ken Trautwein, founder of Current Education Center , a secular, self-directed learning community…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2243,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/liberated-podcast-4897868/episodes/from-public-school-teacher-to-founder-of-a-self-directed-learning-center/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/liberated-podcast-4897868/from-public-school-teacher-to-founder-of-a-self-directed-learning-center.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}