Running Brushy Middle School near Austin, Texas, had clubs about Star Wars, Pokemon and anime, but 12- and 13-year-olds wouldn’t be interested in serious topics like networking, they said.

“There was no real indicator that it could actually survive in the school as an actual functioning club,” Arjun said. “We didn’t even have that many teacher sponsors because, at first, the idea was hard to push. But at one point, I actually got to secure a meeting with the principal of my school … he gave us a lot of opportunities to grow.”

After Arjun presented his club idea to his seventh-grade class in September 2023, students became interested in networking with business leaders, building skills through competitions and connecting virtually with peers across the U.S. When Arjun’s family moved a month later and he transitioned to homeschooling, he registered the club as a nonprofit that has since engaged more than 4,000 students around the world.

The organization, , is based on the Arabic word taleem, which means “education.” It also stands for Arjun’s interests of technology, leadership, entrepreneurship, engineering and mathematics. 

, now 13, grew up wanting to create his own business to help better the world, but his age was always a barrier when trying to find networking opportunities. His family was low-income and couldn’t afford to send him to events like South by Southwest, a conference in Austin that attracts professionals in tech, music, education and media. Online resources like LinkedIn require users to be at least 16 years old.

“Oftentimes I hear older people calling us [kids] creative, right? If we’re called creative, why can’t we use that creativity to solve some of the world’s biggest problems?” he asked. “Unfortunately, there are barriers for K-12 [students] to network.”

Today, Tleem has 37 chapters in 11 countries, including the U.S., Canada, Japan, India, Indonesia, Morocco and Pakistan. Some meet in person, while others are hybrid or virtual. 

Students can apply to create a club or have an existing club become a local chapter. Tleem student volunteers help chapters boost membership, host speakers, participate in competitions and network with business leaders. The nonprofit also connects chapters with each other.

Tleem will challenge club members to reach specific networking goals such as cold emailing or meeting a certain number of people. Arjun said one of the most popular competitions Tleem helps chapters with are hackathons, which are local contests that challenge student teams to build coding projects within a short timeframe. 

Pavan Kumar, a 17-year-old who attends Granite Bay High School near Sacramento, California, recently helped one Texas chapter secure company sponsors to fund a hackathon as part of Tleem’s chapter committee. The group consists of chapter presidents across the U.S. that help other Tleem clubs accomplish networking goals.

As president of his school’s College and Career Club, Pavan applied to Tleem last summer to boost student networking opportunities and resources. 

Tleem helped Pavan with a marketing campaign that doubled club membership from 80 to 160 students in five months. Tleem volunteers also schedule virtual guest speakers at the club’s biweekly meetings, like staff at UC Santa Barbara who give admissions advice. 

“The main thing about our College and Career Club is to help students progress in high school, and what I personally believe really helps is getting those connections,” Pavan said. “I think networking is the most valuable asset any student can have — if you have the right network in high school, elementary, even middle school, that is going to propel your experience in whatever grade you are.”

Education experts and researchers estimate are obtained through personal connections, while exposure to working adults and strong youth-adult relationships influences student career aspirations and . 

Ariv Sahoo, a 17-year-old from Dougherty Valley High School east of Oakland, California, said his Mobile Application Development Club has connected with entrepreneurs and tech founders by participating in Tleem. Members have even found internships and mentorships by networking with guest speakers the nonprofit has helped book, such as Datta Junnarkar, a chief information officer for Boeing.

“When students wait until they’re upperclassmen to start networking, they often miss out on internships, mentorships or leadership roles that require prior experience or connections,” Ariv said. “Networking through Tleem gave me direct access to professionals in tech, business and nonprofit leadership — people I would’ve never met otherwise.”

Arjun said he hopes Tleem can increase its membership to 10,000 students by the end of the year. The nonprofit recently partnered with Walmart to provide microgrants of $25 to $100 to student-led projects in Austin, Texas.

“As a child, you still have that potential to explore, and that’s one of the best times to network,” Arjun said. “Getting to know about other people, getting to learn your passion, what you truly want to do, is something really powerful.”

“Then, if I want to go to college, I can do it later.”

Buffington is representative of a growing number of young people, especially , who are eschewing a college degree for alternatives, such as apprenticeships, entrepreneurship, and microcredentialing. While overall college enrollment numbers have roughly rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, surveys indicate that more of today’s high schoolers are valuing on-the-job training over a traditional four-year college degree. Polls also show that Americans overall have soured on higher education in recent years, with only 36% saying in a recent that they have a “great deal/quite a lot” of confidence in the sector, compared to 57% in 2015. 

Connor Boyack isn’t surprised. He is the new president of , a decade-old apprenticeship preparation and placement program that his free-market organization, the Libertas Network, acquired last month. Boyack believes the future of postsecondary pathways lies in creating more opportunities for teenagers and young adults to explore their interests and gain career-related skills and knowledge outside of a conventional college classroom. Boyack’s 2019 book, Skipping College (to which I was a contributor), offered strategies and suggestions for finding personal satisfaction and career fulfillment without higher education. “Since then, the problem has worsened,” Boyack told me, explaining that mounting debt, changing economic realities, and higher education’s perceived progressive ideological leanings is prompting more young people to forgo a college diploma. 

“There have never been more reasons and more opportunities to build a successful life without spending the time, money, and mental energy pursuing that piece of paper,” Boyack said.

Buffington says both he and his friends are seizing these opportunities to gain on-the-job work experience immediately after high school by reaching out to local business owners, who have been enthusiastic about hiring them. They start with a part-time apprenticeship role and join the company full-time after high school graduation. Mike Harris, who owns Cardigan Mechanical where Buffington works, says there are ample opportunities for young people to gain job skills and explore different career paths through apprenticeships. “I would love to hire more ambitious apprentices like Chase,” said Harris, who has an engineering degree from Vanderbilt University but says he wishes he had discovered the trades earlier on in his career. “College is one path but there are so many more options. I think kids today see that and are being more thoughtful about what they want their life and work to look like.” He also encourages parents to support their children in considering the trades and related occupations.

In her new book, , Kathleen deLaski looks more closely at the college alternatives currently available and why more students are interested in them. She says debt is the biggest reason, but young people are also more eager for practical, “just-in-time-learning” options connected more closely with career possibilities. 

A senior advisor to the Project on Workforce at Harvard University, and an adjunct professor at George Mason University, deLaski is a strong proponent of higher education, as well as high-quality alternatives. She urges colleges and universities to explore creative ways to be more responsive to the needs and interests of students. “Some colleges are creating ‘micropathways’ that provide a six month fast track to professional employment,” said deLaski, adding that workplaces also need to adapt. “Employers beyond the trades need to consider apprenticeship and they need to provide certifications in a broader number of fields so that learners can demonstrate skills mastery without a degree.”

As colleges and universities, as well as employers, respond to the changing preferences of a young workforce, a college degree can become one of many meaningful options to career success and individual satisfaction. Buffington, whose parents both have Bachelor’s degrees, holds open the possibility of going to college in the future if he thinks it is necessary. 

For now, though, he says he loves his apprenticeship work and hopes more people his age will research the wide range of pathways to adulthood, including but not limited to college. “I would say if you’re confused or pondering what you want to do, the trades are a great thing that you can try out,” he said. “It’s risk- and pretty much money-free, and you can very easily start working with a company and learn a skill. You can find out if you do or don’t like it, and then make a further decision.”

In my semi-weekly , I interview the everyday entrepreneurs who are creating affordable, innovative schools and learning spaces all across the U.S. I reached out to 10 entrepreneurs who recently appeared on the show to see what encouragement or advice they would offer to aspiring founders. Each of their programs is distinct, representing an assortment of educational models and methods; but they share a common commitment to building individualized, low-cost learning solutions that provide an increasingly accessible alternative to traditional schooling. 

If you have been feeling the tug toward educational entrepreneurship, the following insights from these 10 founders may be just the nudge you need to take your own enterprising leap this year:

1. Listen to Families: “Network and learn from families within your community. Build your model in a way that meets needs while also staying true to your vision. Lastly, tap into others who have had success in breaking educational barriers. We are out here to support you and watch you thrive!” (Mercedes Grant is a former public school teacher and founder of , a K-8 microschool in Yorktown, Virginia. She launched her program this fall with over 30 learners and a long waiting list)

2. See Beyond the Existing System: “If you’ve spent any time working in the traditional school system, you’ve seen it fail students simply for not fitting into the required boxes. Consider your values, be bold, separate yourself from that system, and build a new box for some of those young people.” (Josh Pickel is a former public school teacher and founder of , a full-time self-directed learning center for teens in Canton, Illinois)

3. Don’t Ignore Your Instincts: “If you are hearing a voice inside telling you to open a school, whether it’s a whisper or a scream, please listen to it! That voice is the sound of little humans begging for something different; that makes more sense; that prepares them for life (and lets them enjoy it)! They need you — now more than ever. It might not be easy, but it’s worth it! So get to it. I’ll be cheering you on.” (Heather DiNino is a former public school teacher and founder of , a learner-directed PreK-12 microschool in Braintree, Massachusetts)

4. Break the Mold — It Might Be Scary But Will Be So Much More Fulfilling: “There will be days that feel as though this is an experiment and the temptation to return to the status quo is real. That former place may not have been fulfilling, but at the very least, it was more predictable. On days like that, don’t give in. The work you will embark on is breaking generational cycles, and you are a trailblazer in your own right. You will guide, mentor, inspire, learn, unlearn, adventure, discover, and transform the way education is experienced. You will connect and move past your fears, inspiring the next generation of world changers to dream big and take action. You won’t settle for standardized ways of being and will never ‘fit the mold.’ You were never meant to and that is what makes what you’re doing worth it! You have a vision that our kids need. You have a vision that our world needs. Run with it! I’m cheering you on and so are the many other founders who wake up each day knowing that this community belongs to all who are daring enough to dive in!” (Lizette Valles is a former teacher and school librarian who founded in Los Angeles, California in 2021. It is an experiential, learner-centered microschool embracing holistic, trauma-informed educational practices)

5. Be Part of the Change You Want to See: “Traditional education may be the mainstream but our children deserve innovative options. Listen to the calling for education reform! Your unique vision and mission to meet the educational needs of all children will have great rewards.” (Sharon Masinelli is a physician associate and founder of , a K-12 hybrid homeschool program in Kennesaw, Georgia with 120 students who attend full-day classes with hired teachers two to three days a week)

6. Seize This Innovative Moment in Time: “I think now is an energizing moment for visionary education entrepreneurs to push forward on a new frontier in education. The seeds for new ideas in education were planted years ago by strong and relentless school choice advocates in states such as Arizona. As a founder of an all-male microschool, I’m grateful for the waves of support from parents and others in Arizona. The future is here.” (Jack Johnson Pannell founded a public charter school in Baltimore, Maryland before launching a private microschool, , this fall in Phoenix, Arizona)

7. Know Your Limits:“Know your strengths, know your passions, but most importantly, know your limits. When I finally realized that by trying to serve everyone I would only end up recreating the system we are all trying to leave—a system in which the highest priority is efficiency, not quality or the health of the educator—it freed me to create the school I knew I could sustain based on my unique talents, passions, and limitations.” (Devan Dellenbach is a former public school teacher and founder of , a home-based K-12 microschool in rural Abbyville, Kansas that launched earlier this year and continues to expand to meet local demand)

8. Keep Experimenting:“The world is ready for new education models. We know things have to change, and our young people deserve change. Keep experimenting, keep moving things forward, and keep listening to the young heroes.” (Danelle Folz-Smith founded in Venice, California in 2013. Her K-12 school is part of the fast-growing, learner-driven Acton Academy microschool network that began with one school in Austin, Texas in 2009 and now includes more than 300 schools serving thousands of learners)

9. Maintain Confidence While Swimming Against the Current: “A big part of this is actually just the deschooling process from a lifetime spent in the conventional school system. Then there’s also the uneasy feelings you have when you’re stepping out of line, going against the grain, and bucking the system… which is exactly what you’re doing. I’m mid-way through my second year and while I’m much better about all that now, I still regularly turn to all the great literature on self-directed education for reassurance! You’re NOT alone and it’s good, needed, and purposeful work!” (Troy Salazar is a former public school teacher and founder of , a full-time K-12 learning center for homeschoolers in Des Moines, Iowa)

10. Always Remember You’re Helping to Change the World: “A little progress towards building alternative education ends up changing the world.” (Tara Cassidy is a former public school teacher who launched in the Kansas City area as a full-time K-12 microschool that provides maximum curriculum choice and customization within a project-based, collaborative learning environment. Cassidy launched her program in August 2022 and is now at capacity with over 30 students and a long waiting list)

“It was the most beautiful tapestry of people I have ever seen in my life,” said Shiren Rattigan, co-founder of the Innovative Educators Network (InEd) that hosted the event in late June. “We only expected about 450 people, but there was a lot of buzz around HB 1,” she said, referring to Florida’s universal school choice legislation that enables all K-12 students to access approximately $8,000 in funding for a variety of approved education expenses, including private school tuition, tutoring, and some homeschool programs. 

The majority of attendees were families with students currently enrolled in public schools. “That was not something I had anticipated and it was really exciting,” Rattigan added. Indeed, it is something that would also likely surprise opponents of Florida’s school choice efforts, who insisted that HB 1 would exclusively subsidize the tuition of affluent families with children already enrolled in private schools.

A former Chicago Public Schools teacher, Rattigan led a Montessori-inspired “pandemic pod” in 2020 in Fort Lauderdale with a small group of students. That evolved into Colossal Academy, a low-cost private school with about 30 students that emphasizes individualized learning and entrepreneurship. 

Colossal is now one of approximately 120 private microschools and related out-of-system educational models included in the InEd network, serving an estimated 8,000 students throughout Broward, Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade counties.

“All parents want their children to succeed and are realizing that traditional schools may not cater to their child’s individual learning styles and passions,” said Toni Frallicciardi, a homeschooling mother who co-founded InEd with Rattigan in 2021 to provide grassroots support to the entrepreneurial parents and teachers who are reshaping education in South Florida. Frallicciardi has seen interest in her weekly, STEM-focused homeschool program, Surf Skate Science, skyrocket since 2020. She currently serves 350 students during the academic year, with a long waitlist. 

Everyday entrepreneurs like Rattigan and Frallicciardi are building new schools and related learning models across the U.S. From the bustling boroughs of New York City to the rural corners of southern Oregon, I have visited and interviewed many of these founders. Geographically, demographically, and ideologically, they are astonishingly diverse; but they share a common commitment to creating alternatives to the schooling status quo.  

Like all entrepreneurs, they are also responding to market demand. The Covid school shutdowns and prolonged remote learning prompted many parents to question the educational default and consider other, often less conventional, options such as homeschooling or microschools, which are intentionally small, mixed-age, inexpensive private schools with a personalized curriculum approach. 

That openness to different ways of teaching and learning has lingered and, in some places, even accelerated as conflict intensifies over curriculum requirements in public schools. “Politics and a desire for more control over curriculum and instruction have influenced parents’ interest in unconventional models,” said Frallicciardi. 

In Florida and elsewhere, entrepreneurial educators are creating programs that are pedagogically and philosophically varied, allowing more parents to choose education options that better reflect their preferences and values. From faith-based programs and classical microschools rooted in the traditional liberal arts, to Waldorf-inspired learning pods and self-directed homeschooling centers, families are increasingly able to select their ideal learning environment. 

These decentralized offerings can reduce the political conflicts that inevitably come with one-size-fits-all schooling. School choice policies aid this process. “With school choice, I really think that families are going to find their community and they are going to find a model that works for them, aligned with their values,” said Rattigan. “For me, that’s being forward-thinking and entrepreneurial. And for other people, it could be that they really want to be Christ-centered.” 

School choice policies like HB 1 are not only fueling entrepreneurship and expanding access to abundant educational possibilities. They are also showing that more freedom and choice can lead to greater social harmony. 

Kerry McDonald is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Economic Education and host of the LiberatED podcast. She is also the Velinda Jonson Family education fellow at State Policy Network.

“When I was a kid, the superpower I’ve always wanted was to fly,” she said. “Aviation was the closest thing I could get to that.”

But her journey wasn’t easy. Obtaining a pilot’s license costs thousands — if not tens of thousands — of dollars in coursework and flight time. To fund her training, Angela put a lot of energy into searching for scholarships. The more time she spent in aviation, however, the more she started to notice that most people in the industry don’t look like her.

So she sought to help aspiring pilots, especially women and people of color, gain access to aviation by developing an app, , to connect them with a marketplace of scholarships to offset the daunting cost of flight training.

Another one of her apps, , is an Apple Watch product that provides a real-time guide to administer CPR, and it won the 2022 Apple Swift Student Challenge, which tasks students with creating an “.” She was invited to Apple headquarters where she met Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Angelina says she wants to continue working on projects that make the world a better place. 

“Global problems have local roots,” she said. “And by tackling a small problem within your general community… you can impact a global problem.”

Click here to see & share Tsuboi’s story — and check out this other recent coverage of teenagers breaking new ground in STEM: 

Watch: 17-Year-Old Makes History By Sequencing Genome of Pet Fish

A Teen’s Research on Bees’ Memory Is Helping Avert Colony Collapse Disorder

Florida Teen Invents World’s First Sustainable Electric Vehicle Motor

14-Year-Old Wins $25,000 Prize For Robotic Hand He Built For Less Than $100

Meet the 16 Under 16 in STEM Achievers

—Produced & Edited by Jim Fields