Degrees of Freedom

We are building a new kind of college experience that is affordable, flexible, and inclusive. The Problem Higher education is failing too many students. Many four-year, residential colleges do not offer the funding, flexibility, and cultural responsiveness needed to set their students up for success. Online-only and lower-cost community colleges graduate far too few students with the skills and knowledge to succeed. Our Model Degrees of Freedom is an early-college, late-high school program that offers students in grades 11-14 a fully-funded, flexible, and career-targeted degree. After two years of purposeful coursework and compensated internships, students will have the skills and knowledge to begin their careers or pursue further education. Learn More Sign Up Here to Receive Updates In the News boston-globe-white.png “Seth Andrew, who founded a network of more than 20 charter schools spread across the country, has been on a strange sort of mission over the past couple of years: to purchase a bucolic yet dying New England college campus and repurpose it as a new sort of educational institution…” Read More vpr-logo-white.jpg “Marlboro College has a deal in place to sell its 500 acre campus to a group that wants to start a combination online and residential college. The group is called Democracy Builders. Seth Andrew is the founder of the nonprofit that wants to bring low-income and first generation students to the Marlboro Campus…” Listen to the Story inside-higher-ed-white.png “Founding a new institution during a global pandemic might not seem like the right move, but Seth Andrew thinks this is the perfect time for change. Andrew, the founder of social venture incubator Democracy Builders, announced Thursday that the nonprofit is purchasing the 500-acre campus of Marlboro College…” Read More thecommons.png “Seth Andrew talks fast. He has a lot to talk about. Andrew, 42, is the founder of Democracy Builders, a nonprofit educational organization aimed at building civic engagement. He is also the force behind Degrees of Freedom, a new hybrid two-year college-level degree program...” Read More npr.png bennington.png brattleboro.png vtdigger.png Democracy Builders Partners with FCC, Comcast, Cox, Facebook and Qualcomm to bring high school debate to VR Read the Blog Post