UnCollege

Stephens is a self-described "elementary school dropout", as he was homeschooled with emphasis on real-world experience for the majority of his childhood.[6] He briefly attended Hendrix College. While there, Stephens had a night-long discussion with a friend regarding the disconnect between the theoretical subject matter taught in college and its real world applications.[6] This discussion would become the basis for UnCollege, which Stephens founded in 2010.[6]

In 2010, Stephens also applied for the Thiel Fellowship, a program founded by Peter Thiel which grants fellows US$100,000 to forgo college for two years and focus on their passions.[7][8][9][10] After his initial proposal was rejected, Stephens was encouraged to reapply in pursuit of his work as an educational futurist through UnCollege. His second application succeeded and he was in the first batch of Thiel Fellows.[11][11][12]

UnCollege provides resources for students who wish to define their own educational paths, whether in or outside of traditional higher education models.[13] The site is inspired by Stephens' background in unschooling and his frustrations with the college experience.[13] He states that his goal with UnCollege is not to take down universities, but to encourage more people to consider the opportunity cost of attending college.[14][15]

UnCollege features resources, forums, and workshops designed to help students, both in and out of college, gain useful skills.[16] The site also hosts the UnCollege Manifesto, a 25-page document written by Stephens that covers subjects like "The value (or lack thereof) of a college degree" and "Twelve steps to self-directed learning."[17] Additionally, the site matches students with mentors, and encourages students to collaborate and learn outside of the classroom.[18][19]

The UnCollege movement is founded on these principles:[1]

• Many people pay too much for university and learn too little.
• You can get an amazing education anywhere—but you’ll have to stop writing papers and start doing things.
• You need an excellent education to survive in a world where 50% of the population is under 30.
• Subjects taught in traditional universities are often contrived, theoretical, and irrelevant, promoting conformity and regurgitation rather than innovation and learning.
• You don’t have to decide what to do with your life at age 18.
• You can contribute to society without a university degree.
• You cannot rely on university to give you a complete and relevant education when professors are often more interested in researching than teaching.
• If you want to gain the skills requisite for success, you must hack your education.[20]

The UnCollege movement believes that college, while not itself adverse, needs significant changes because:[1]

• Tuition is rising at twice the rate of inflation.
• Students are not learning.
• Students are incurring high levels of debt to finance their educations.

Through his work with UnCollege, Stephens was named as one of Splashlife's 30 Under 30: Social Media Titans.[21] UnCollege has been profiled in world publications like CNN, The New York Times, The Asia Times, ABC, Fast Company, Mashable, NPR, CBS, Inc., TechCrunch, and The Huffington Post.[22][7][8][12][13][23][24][25][26][27][28]

• Academically Adrift
• In the Basement of the Ivory Tower
• Real Education: Four Simple Truths for Bringing America's Schools Back to Reality

• Official website