🐴 Skip College? These Teens Already Have Their Degrees (#130)

Good morning, open educators!

Wonder why Ed, the OpenEd mascot, is wearing a crown in today’s banner? No, he didn’t win the Youth Entrepreneur Award!… You’ll have to read on to find out.

If you enjoy this edition, forward this email to a friend! First time reading? Subscribe and learn more at OpenEd.co.

💡 DEEP DIVE

The New Fast Track: Earning College Credits – One Project at a Time

Recently, two brothers enrolled in OpenEd – a freshman and a junior in high school – earned their associate's degree through SNHU's competency-based program. Unlike traditional college, where you wait until the semester's end for credits, SNHU’s model lets students earn credits cumulatively, at their own pace, by demonstrating mastery through projects. All with professor feedback available whenever needed.

Meet Riley and Carson Smith from Spanish Fork, Utah. While their peers are stressing about college applications, these brothers have already earned their associate's degrees through this self-paced approach. Riley, the older of the two, is now working on a bachelor's degree in communications with a concentration in business.

"With other colleges, you have to take classes the whole entire semester and then get your credits at the end," Riley explains. "But with this one, you can complete one project, get feedback, make adjustments, and earn that credit right away." This immediate feedback loop transforms the traditional college timeline.

The key to success, they say, is a combination of clear goals and consistent effort. "Going from zero to one is harder than going from one to 10," Carson says. "But once you start, as long as you're consistent and keep going, it's going to be easy. Because no matter what you do, you're doing something that pushes you forward."

For these brothers, early college isn't just about getting ahead - it's about creating options. Riley, the older brother, is already thinking beyond the degree. "I want to write books and sell them," he says, adding that both brothers are interested in e-commerce. They've already started experimenting with online retail and exploring different sales channels.

"You can pretty much sell anything online," the younger brother Carson explains, who has already started testing the waters with specialty magic products that he buys wholesale and sells via Amazon.

"It's definitely about mindset. There are so many opportunities - you just have to have the willingness to go that route."

While most students are preparing for college, these ambitious teens are preparing for life after it. They're not just earning degrees - they're building businesses, developing skills, and creating their own paths. For the Smith brothers, beyond the knowledge their learning in the program, the degree is a backup plan.

This shift reflects a broader trend: According to recent data, 63% of young people believe self-employment is the smartest choice in uncertain times. With 1 in 4 college graduates over 25 earning less than $30k/year, maybe these teens are onto something.

Want to follow a similar path? Here's what the Smith brothers suggest:

1. Set clear goals and calculate backward (Riley does 5 credits per week to finish his bachelor's this semester)

2. Find an accountability partner (the brothers keep each other on track)

3. Make progress visible (they color-code courses and track completions)

4. Start small but stay consistent

NOTE: Two timely opportunities await ambitious teens like Riley and Carson. StoryCon's writing conference in Salt Lake City (February 21 - 22) features authors like Jeff Kinney (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) and Christopher Paolini (Eragon), while the Youth Entrepreneur Award offers a $5,000 prize for innovative young business leaders.

📊 TRENDS WE’RE FOLLOWING

• The Self-Employment Surge → Entrepreneurship jumped 29% during the pandemic. 95% of self-employed are planning to stay self-employed.

• The Safety Shift → Safety now outranks academics as #1 priority for private school parents (50%) and #2 for public school parents (32%)

• Movement Over Meds → Movement-based schools report 90% of previously medicated ADHD students succeeding without medication

• The Paper Edge → New meta-study confirms we learn better on paper than screens.

• Baby Agency → Research shows even 9-month-olds thrive when allowed to initiate and direct their learning

• The Tech Sweet Spot → When given learning autonomy, students naturally shift from passive screen consumption to active digital creation

• The Micro Revolution → Parent interest in microschools and hybrid learning nearly tripled since 2022 (5% to 16%) as affordable options emerge

🛠️ TOOLS & RESOURCES

• Mentava → This AI reading app claims to teach 3-year-olds second-grade reading through adaptive software. Includes phonics focus and 15-minute lessons, but at $500/month and mixed reviews, try the 7-day trial first.

• StoryCon 2025 → Over 90 authors including Jeff Kinney and Christopher Paolini, plus a free expo hall with reading specialists and writing workshops. February 21-22 in Salt Lake City.

• Youth Entrepreneur Award → Win up to $5,000 for innovative teen business leaders. Open to entrepreneurs 18 and under worldwide. Apply at yea.education before March 15.

• Children's Entrepreneur Market → Kid-run markets now operating in 44 states, giving 43,000+ young entrepreneurs their first taste of real business. Find a market near you.

SURVEY RESULTS ARE IN…

Last week, we asked which version of Ed the Horse OpenEd Daily readers preferred.

It was a close race, but in the end 34 of 58 went with the photograph version.

The cartoon version may make a cameo from time to time, but the people have spoken and the banner will feature the iconic photograph going forward.

That’s all for this week!

– Charlie (the OpenEd newsletter guy)

P.S. If you’d prefer to just receive the weekly edition, you can change your subscription settings here.