Welcome To Current
At Current Education Center we believe that all people are born with an innate curiosity and that education is not something that needs to be coerced. What is important for you to know and study may not be relevant to someone else. Education here is individualized to fit your unique needs.
At Current Education, we support teens as they discover their own paths and act as guides in their educational journey. Our goal is not to help you jump through hoops or pass some arbitrary tests, but to help you build a life that has meaning and purpose.
Students here don’t show up because they’re required to (you’re not). Students show up because they want to. They’ve invested in their own education because it is purpose-drive, with each student’s individual needs creating a common bond of curiosity.
Current Education is a member of Liberated Learners, a national network of centers that support children and youth to self-direct their education, with member programs across the United States and Canada.
Ken Trautwein
Founder
Why Choose Us
Ken Trautwein-Founder and Mentor
Ken is the founder of Current Education Center, a space that has been in the works for over 10 years. As a high school physics teacher, Ken believed that students would learn much more if they were actively participating in the content. He began dreaming of an education through nature connected adventure activities. Years later he worked on developing The Nature School of Philadelphia. During that process he learned about self-directed education. The dream of The Nature School faded until the fall of 2023 when Ken reconnected with Liberated Learners. He looks forward to continue educating in a more natural way after 23 years teaching grades 6-12 science in a local public school district.
Melody Tash – Advisor & Mentor
Melody is the founder of Cinema Quilt, a full-service video production company that crafts commercials, documentaries, and short films for clients. She is also a Barrymore Award winning Teaching Artist who has worked for The Philadelphia Theater Company, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Philadelphia Young Playwrights, The Wilma Theater, and Raising Delco, teaching students in K-12 about acting, writing, directing, and filmmaking. Melody is self-educated herself, and a graduate of Upattinas School and Temple University.
Debbie Ghrist – Advisor & Mentor
Debbie is a former high school school librarian (M.L.S. Syracuse Univ., 1994) whose love of history and literature (B.A. Medieval History, Univ. of Toledo, 1992) inspired her to homeschool her own children so they could explore connections across subjects in their learning. After 20 years of homeschooling and 15 years teaching in co-ops, she loves teaching and creating community among students of all ages. When she’s not driving her teens somewhere, Mrs. Ghrist enjoys reading about far-flung times and places, gardening, and engaging in armchair archaeology.
