A Look Inside the Princeton Learning Cooperative

By Sarah Teo | Photos courtesy of Princeton Learning cooperative

Nestled inside the lower level of a church at 16 All Saints Road in Princeton (though otherwise, no affiliation), you’ll find the welcoming home of the Princeton Learning Cooperative (PLC), a “for people, not profit” center that offers a different alternative to standard schooling.

Open to ages 12-19 and operating on a regular academic calendar, homeschooling students (known as members) choose how and what they learn based on personal goals. Each member is paired with an experienced staff mentor who helps connect them to both PLC learning opportunities (classes, tutoring, special workshops) and those in the wider world. There are no tests or grades, because the focus is on learning for learning’s sake.

This model is known as self-directed education — and it’s not necessarily the career path that co-founder Joel Hammon first had in mind as a fledgling teacher. “At that time in my life, I was a really strong believer in the power of traditional schools to change young people’s lives and the world,” he recalls.

Disillusionment with the system set in after several years, and Hammon found his way — figuratively and literally — to North Star, a self-directed learning center near Amherst, Mass. Teachers there were positioned more like coaches or mentors, helping young people on their learning path, which seemed “much more free and respectful; you’re there to support, not control and manage,” he says.

While on the Snipes Farm Board of Directors in Morrisville, Pa., Hammon found a like-minded ally in fellow educator Paul Scutt, and after a roughly two-and-a-half-year planning period, they co-founded PLC in 2010. Other local cooperatives followed: the Bucks Learning Cooperative in Langhorne, Pa., in 2013, and the Raritan Learning Cooperative in Flemington in 2017.

“People come [to PLC] for lots of different reasons,” notes Hammon. “A very regimented, inflexible environment is hard for a lot of kids. Having the ability to prioritize what you need, with the support of the community and a sense of ownership, makes all the difference.”

Class offerings are largely based on member interest and staffed by either PLC faculty, tutors, or community volunteers. A narrative transcript, which includes classes, activities, and volunteer work, is kept throughout the years, should the student want to apply to college after their time at PLC (there’s a page on the PLC website, “College Without High School,” devoted to the subject).

Many members take Mercer County Community College (MCCC) courses simultaneously and — after completing a specific set of 30 general education credits — earn their high school diploma. Some have used their accumulated credits to apply at four-year universities as a transfer student.

Beyond preparing adolescents for the working world we’ve known for decades, self-directed learning stands to offer a powerful tool in a largely unknown, AI-encroaching landscape. Heather Sia, who is both a current PLC staff member and parent of two former members, shares, “For me, a critical component of self-directed learning is that it’s a better match for where we are right now in terms of future outcomes. We don’t know what jobs will look like. It used to be ‘Go to college, get an English degree, become an English teacher or writer.’ All of that is changing. The skills that matter now aren’t just following what someone else laid out for you, but knowing yourself, knowing your strengths, pivoting quickly, and picking up new skills.”

All things said, the most powerful testimony for a place like PLC can likely be found in its personal stories, told by past and present members and parents below.

CAMERON

Growing up in a small town, Cameron Grayson faced significant challenges when transitioning to a much larger middle school, which eventually manifested as severe stomach issues and, by her freshman year, panic attacks and agoraphobia. Therapy and medication helped ease her out of the house more often, but school remained overwhelming. Around that time, Grayson learned about PLC through a friend, went for a day’s trial, and loved it immediately.

“The community was amazing,” she says. “It was so easy for me to be there, which I was surprised by, and my parents were surprised by, too.”

Grayson’s natural curiosity slowly came back through experiential, discussion-based classes, like a course that involved reading from Daniel Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence and watching relevant TED Talks, a philosophy class, and a psychology class with therapist Jane Martin. She also returned to making art.

In the time since PLC, she’s realized “how important it is for me to have community and to have a culture of people that are available to do things differently,” highlighting “adults that were helping cultivate this kind of space, but then also teens that were so willing to show up differently with each other inside of that space, to be able to help cultivate the most flourishing space for learning.”

Grayson’s transformative time at PLC sparked a lasting passion for alternative education, leading her to work first as a mentor and apprentice at Bucks Learning Cooperative before expanding into yoga, holistic health, and transformational life coaching. Today, as an entrepreneur running her own coaching business, Grayson attributes much of her work and its focus on autonomous desire to the foundation built at PLC. By embracing intentional communities and non-traditional paths, Grayson uses those early lessons to empower others on their own unique journeys.

ANDREW

Struggling with his grades and a sense of belonging at Princeton High School, Andrew Nagle initially sought refuge in military school to pursue his ambition of joining the Army, which didn’t pan out. Shortly after, he and his family noticed a PLC sign on their street. “We figured I’d give that a shot, and it turned out to be exactly what I needed,” he says.

Nagle worked with his PLC mentor to tailor his learning toward a career goal in law enforcement, focusing on core classes like English since he knew writing skills would be essential later on. “Having that control over my own education was very liberating,” he notes.

Nagle earned his high school diploma through credits at MCCC, secured an associate’s degree, completed a four-year degree at Rutgers University, and is now on the police force. Beyond the academic foundation, he attributes his ability to stay open-minded about what others are going through (a helpful job skill) to the relationships built in PLC’s diverse community.

He remembers a weekly gathering called Collection. “We would all sit in a circle and talk about how our week went,” says Nagle. “I thought that was a very powerful thing.”

He still keeps in touch with a few classmates, saying, “Even as I get older, with more responsibilities, those friendships that I forged at PLC — they haven’t faded or gone away at all, you know?”

GAVIN

Gavin started homeschooling in eighth grade for more academic freedom, but “it was also isolating to be mostly by myself or with my family for the majority of the day,” he says.

A PLC volunteer and friend of his mom connected him to the community at the beginning of last year, when he was 16. Gavin focused on subjects like math, computer science, and Dostoevsky, but also says that “another great thing about PLC is that there are many options that aren’t really ‘academic’ classes in the traditional sense. For instance, there was a class called Be More Awesomer, which was essentially talking about ways you can improve yourself and how you act.”

“I think the biggest advantage of self-directed learning is, well, precisely what the name suggests — you are the focus, rather than someone forcing you to follow a path that you have no say over,” Gavin continues. He plans to branch out further this fall, using his recently acquired driver’s license to make trips to his local community college while still being enrolled at PLC.

FINN

“We learned about PLC when we saw a group of teenagers hanging out in a park with a few chaperones,” Finn recalls. He’s been a member for about four years, starting when he was around 14 and in public school.

Some of his classes have included Video Production, Biology, Creative Writing, and U.S. History. A class called Where Do You Stand “is probably my favorite, since it gives the student base an opportunity to debate various real-world issues,” he says.

“Being a PLC member allows me to pursue my own interests with time I’d never get in a public school system,” he continues. “I’m allowed to choose what I do with my time, which gives me a leg up in the creative fields I’m interested in, like script writing and fashion.”

PARENT PERSPECTIVE: MIKE

Having homeschooled since kindergarten, Mike Finkel and his wife were attuned to their son’s learning style. “He loves to go incredibly deep into something when he finds interest in it,” Finkel shares. “For a long time, he was very, very interested in plumbing. So, one day at his grandparents’ house, he noticed the toilet wasn’t flushing, was gone for about half an hour, and came back, saying ‘Oh, I just fixed the toilet.’ And this is a 13-year-old kid!”

After being engaged for several years in a homeschool co-op they helped create, the family found PLC and joined in the spring of 2020. “We were really excited to get him into an in-person social environment, and that wasn’t possible at the time, of course [due to the COVID-19 pandemic],” he says. “But we stuck with it.”

“We found the PLC environment incredibly welcoming — the right space for someone who had a lot of social anxiety as a younger kid,” Finkel continues. “It created a space where our son felt safe, and where he could, at his own pace, contribute to the community and be part of the group.”

Over time, Finkel’s son flourished socially and creatively, becoming very involved in the PLC House Band from day one. “By the time he left this year, he was doing all of the audio mixing and post-production to pull the tracks together into an album they could release,” says Finkel. “It was a very important touchpoint for him.”

Finkel also recalls how PLC fosters family connections through events like potlucks, a game and crafts night, and a hot-wing challenge modeled after the popular YouTube series Hot Ones. “Joel runs it, and it’s one of my favorite things!”

Finkel’s son is moving on from PLC this fall, but Finkel himself has recently joined the board of directors and is ready to give back. “I’m just so thankful and grateful that I get a chance to continue participating — to bring whatever skills I can to help it thrive so that PLC can be a presence for the next child like ours that needs the same kind of community,” he says.

PARENT PERSPECTIVE: GADI

When Gadi Sharon and his family moved from Israel to the U.S., they noticed a stark difference in how their twin daughters adapted to school. While one sister had no problems with focus in a brand-new language environment, Gil struggled with classroom distractions — and is also described by Sharon as being strong-willed and independent.

To find the best fit, their family set off on a journey into homeschooling Gil, which included six months of around-the-world travel. “It was a great time for reflection,” he says. “What did we want for their education? How do we see our community?”

Soon after, PLC landed on their radar, and over the past year it has provided Gil with a good balance of structure and freedom of choice. She took reading and had weekly math tutoring but also had classes on AI and space exploration — a class Sharon taught himself as a volunteer.

PLC’s mixed-age environment is “something Gil really loves, since she can connect with kids on the basis of their maturity and interest, not because they’re a certain age,” he says.

It reminds Sharon a little of the kibbutz he grew up on, and supports what he found in Peter Gray’s book, Free to Learn. “Unsupervised free play with different ages is where kids thrive the most,” says Sharon, “and even learn the best way.”

PARENT PERSPECTIVE: JACKIE

Jackie Halaw’s two kids had been in public school since kindergarten and were the children of two public school educators as well. But when her son struggled during COVID-19 virtual learning, they homeschooled briefly before sixth grade — and then he returned. But by the end of his seventh-grade year, homework stress started taking a mental health toll. They went back to homeschooling, and he enrolled in PLC for his eighth-grade year.

Now in his fourth year, “He never wants to be absent, which is just amazing!” says Halaw. She’s also astounded by “how the self-directed approach has allowed him to retain so much more of what he’s learning” since he’s not under the cloud of frequent tests and grades.

He’s taken deep dives into subjects like evolution and geologic history of the Earth, loved U.S. History with Joel, and explored complex philosophical ideas in a Big Thinkers class. This past year, he also started a news show that summarizes each week at PLC.

“He gathers up other kids, they write out a script, film it and add a lot of humor.” Halaw says. “In the beginning, they thought it was just funny, but it’s now become a whole part of the culture.”

Halaw continues, “The proximity to Herrontown Woods is a big perk as well, because my son loves exploring the trails.” She’s also excited that PLC has a camping trip planned for this October, since he missed a sixth-grade public school opportunity due to COVID-19.

PLC members also engage in community service, including tree planting at the Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve. “For such a small learning environment, there’s an abundance of opportunities,” Halaw says.

Almost 500 kids have been members across the three learning cooperatives since PLC’s 2010 founding, and each year closes with a “Moving On” ceremony. The community gathers, members who aren’t returning to PLC the next year are recognized, and the floor is opened for congratulations and memory-sharing.

“It’s really lovely,” says Hammon. “There’s often a lot of tears. And those moving on can say something to the community in return, if they like.”

Sia reflects on her own experience as a staff member at PLC. “It’s like a dream. It really is, honestly,” she says. “There are kids who come to us just stressed out. And then to see them in a year, or sometimes less, make friends, become interested again in doing things, and really take control of their lives — it’s really special, you know?”

Seth Mellman, a retired musician and TV producer, is going into his fourth year as a PLC volunteer, leading Video Production, working with the House Band and sharing his personal interest in the nine principles of mindfulness through the class Be More Awesomer. He’s also witnessed member transformation firsthand.

“If you stay here for any length of time, you see how the students change,” he says. “It’s mind-boggling.”

Some members have gone from not speaking to anybody to giving speeches during weekly group meetings, or volunteering to sing in the band. And recently, one of the members in Mellman’s mindfulness class excitedly shared that he’d joined a Buddhist meditation group.

“I think it’s really rewarding, watching the kids grow,” says Mellman.

“We have plenty of kids who come to PLC who would be fine anywhere in the world,” says Hammon. “But the cases that feel really special to me are where the trajectory wasn’t going to be great. To be able to play that role in a young person’s life — to bring hope or light into a dark situation, and to have the ability to potentially have a life-changing impact — is pretty awesome.”

For more about PLC, visit princetonlearningcooperative.org.