Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexi Burgess.
Alexi, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Well, I’ve been a philosophy professor my whole adult life. I started noticing that college students seem increasingly anxious, grade-oriented, and sort of at sea when it comes to thinking about their futures. I mean, a lot of undergrads have stories they’ll pitch you about life after college. But when you start to scratch the surface, the rationales and motivations you get can be a bit thin. So I started reading about creative approaches to middle and high school education. If we could help kids tap in early to who they are and what they really care about, maybe we’d have different outcomes in college. At some point, I stumbled on the North Star model for self-directed education. What if you built a community space for a small group of teens and just mentored them? Helped them find the passions to propel themselves through the coursework that actually matters in their lives. I reached out to friends, former students, community members, and we started to build Alcove.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I guess one challenge we recently overcame was finding a co-founder who’s a native Spanish speaker with real ties to the East Side. We want a student body that reflects the diversity of Los Angeles, and we couldn’t do that without people of color in core staff positions. As a privileged white guy whose other languages are French and Greek, it was humbling to realize I couldn’t do this alone, by brute force. Success would require building a diverse team, and routinely asking other people for help. And there are no foolproof algorithms here. You’ve got to get the word out, hit the streets, and then just wait and hope.
Alcove – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
So, basically, we’re a self-directed learning center. But the way it works is that members register with the state of California as “homeschoolers”, and then come to us for mentoring, small courses, community, etc. There are a couple of other homeschooling centers in LA (which do great work), but what sets us apart as is that we aren’t just offering a la carte classes to supplement your charter program or whatever studies you’re pursuing at home. We’re offering a complete alternative to traditional schooling, where members truly get to make their own way. It’s pure, non-coercive education. We didn’t invent it. But we’re trying to bring it to LA for the first time. And I’m especially proud that our organization is non-hierarchical. All of our core staff is on equal footing, with an equal stake in our success.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Honestly, just having the courage to start this thing up. I’m not a risk-taker by nature. And Alcove is a pretty radical idea. But it’s been amazing to follow through on something I wholeheartedly believe in. If you know someone in high school who’s not loving it, get in touch with us!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.alcovelearning.org
- Phone: (310) 367-5397
- Email: [email protected]
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