Projects & Goals

Blake’s Current Big Projects

Zero Tuition College

It’s a blog, it’s a community, it’s a book… Zero Tuition College shows you how and why to skip college and do self-directed learning instead!

Unschool Adventures

Unschool Adventures is the teen travel company that I started in 2008. We offer new and different trips each year, both international and US-based.

Guidance/Mentoring

I offer one-on-one mentorship for teens through my guidance service.

Blake’s Personal Goal List

The following goals were created between 2003 and today. Completed goals are crossed out.

“Traditional” Goals

  • Start a family
  • Live long enough to play tricks on my grandkids
  • Own a house outright
  • Graduate from college – B.A., UC Berkeley 2004

Writing & Speaking Goals

  • Publish a book about going to college without high school – “College Without High School”, New Society Publishers, 2009
  • Publish a book about giving yourself a higher education without college – Planned: 2012
  • Publish a book about the general theory of self-directed learning
  • Publish an article about unschooling and economics in Reason magazine
  • Keep a photoblog for a year – working on it failed! got too busy with ZTC…will try again
  • Give a TED talk – TEDxYouth Palo Alto, 2010
  • Publish 10 podcast episodes

Work-type Goals

  • Start an international trip leading company – Unschool Adventures, 2008
  • Start a leadership program for homeschoolers – Homeschool Leadership Retreats, 2010
  • Direct a wilderness summer camp – Deer Crossing Camp, Interim Director 2008, Assistant Director 2006-7
  • Start a school (i.e. long-term structured learning program)
  • Start a student cooperative house – Started & aborted in 2012…may combine this with “Start a school”
  • Run a “College Without College” program – ZTC Camp, Oct 2011
  • Run an Unschool Adventure trip without me on it – UA Writing Retreat, Nov 2011
  • Work at Not Back to School Camp – Advisor, 2006-present
  • Work as the head cook for a summer camp – Deer Crossing Camp, 2008
  • Lead a workshop at a major homeschooling conference – HSC 2009 (and others since)
  • Be self-employed for a whole year (not counting summer camp jobs) – 2010

Travel and Exploration Goals

  • Explore Western Europe – France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Netherlands, 5 weeks, 2002
  • Explore South America – Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, 3 months, 2007
  • Explore the Himalayas – N. India, 1 month, 2011
  • Live in Lake Tahoe, CA – Winter 2007-8 (not actually in the lake)
  • Live in Portland, OR – 2009
  • Live in one place for one year straight (post-college) – Working on it: Asheville, NC, 2012
  • Go on an expedition with Jim Wiltens – 2-week tree climbing and ruins expedition in Guatemala, Jan 2011
  • Hike the Camino de Santiago
  • See the Aurora Borealis

Outdoor Goals

  • Run a trail marathon (non-competitive)
  • Run a trail half-marathon (non-competitive) - 2010, 2011
  • Thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail – Failed attempt: 2005
  • Fastpack the John Muir Trail
  • Windsurf in the Columbia River Gorge
  • Summit Mount Whitney – Failed attempts: 1998, 2006
  • Summit every peak in the Crystal Range in one trip (Desolation Wilderness, CA)
  • Summit Pyramid Peak (Desolation Wilderness, CA) – August 2010
  • Run the Shut-In Trail to Mt. Pisgah (Asheville, NC)
  • Run to Piute Pass from North Lake trailhead (Bishop, CA)
  • Run a Double Dipsea (Marin County, CA)
  • Run the Loch Vale loop (Estes Park, CO)
  • Run Echo Lakes to Glen Alpine (Lake Tahoe, CA)
  • Run Bayview – Velma Lakes – Eagle Lake (Lake Tahoe, CA)
  • Run Tuolumne Meadows to Cathedral Pass (Yosemite, CA)

Interview Goals

  • Grace Llewellyn – 2006
  • Dan Greenberg – 2004
  • John Taylor Gatto – 2010
  • Russ Roberts
  • Peter Thiel
  • Tina Seelig
  • Paul Graham

Cool Stuff That I’ve Done

This is a more qualitative and personal list of things that I’ve accomplished, in no particular order. I add to this when I feel inspired.

  1. Learned tango, started a small business and interviewed people from craigslist, aborted the small business, tried online dating, and got lonely in the rain in Portland, Oregon. (2008-9)
  2. Planned a PCT thru-hike and walked three weeks of 20+ mile days before giving up to work at a summer camp with my brother. (2005)
  3. Organized, marketed, and safely led a trip for 9 teenagers around Argentina for 6 weeks. (2008…and more trips since.)
  4. Helped run my childhood summer camp whose vision I thoroughly support (2003-2010) and created a leadership program for homeschoolers inspired by it (2010).
  5. Raised $3500 online in 3 weeks to build the Zero Tuition College website. (2011)
  6. Snowboarded 5 days a week for a whole winter as a Heavenly Resort marketing researcher (cutting lift lines and getting first runs on powder days) while also swimming in the evenings and writing the College Without High School manuscript. (2007-8)

 

Photo: Julie McPherson or Cameron Lovejoy, I don’t remember.  I’m eating a ziplock bag full of macaroni & cheese in the middle of a river. A glorious end to an epic High Sierra backpacking trip.