Academic Approach

Real Life Counts

Because your child is unique, we believe that his or her education should be too. At Choices we honor that learners need creative freedom, trust, and hands on experiences to fully invest and engage in the world around them. We know that your child does amazing things every day and we build from those passions and interests to create an individualized educational experience that reflects your child's strengths.

Choices practices a holistic, community based educational approach informed by the work of Growing Without Schooling founder John Holt, by the passion of educator activist, John Taylor Gatto, and from the Developmental Immersion-Mastery theory utilized in Enki alternative education. We focus on the whole learner – mind, body, and heart – and foster each learner's confidence by guiding her through intellectual exploration, discussion, practice, and concrete application

We believe that intrinsic motivation is the engine of learning. The primary purpose of traditional public educational systems is not to motivate the student. The lock-step “bell system,” with its restrictive, structured environment, and attendance-based, mandatory curricula cannot create an atmosphere conducive to motivating anyone. Our approach is decidedly different from the mainstream. We believe that learning is a lifelong process, and one that requires lots of freedom and self-direction if it is to be truly rewarding and satisfying.

In the various learning opportunities we offer, we deliberately sought out educators and mentors who enjoy helping children become self-motivated, independent learners. Our educators guide students through options, resources, and academics much like a travel agent. We look at where the learner is and where he or she wants to go and collaboratively make a map of how to get there. Through an authentic, personalized approach that promotes high standards through self-confidence and mastery, we create learning opportunities grounded in the world that reflect individual needs and desires

Learners and their parents work with our staff to design classes that reflect the learners’ interests, goals, and learning styles. Learners are encouraged and supported in the process of determining what they want to learn, how they will learn it, and at what pace. We have found that freedom in learning, when given with support and mentorship, is the best motivator of all. Students who have been stifled in the public system can become happy, successful, and highly motivated when allowed to pursue their educational goals in a student-centered program, totally free of restrictions and restraints on how and what the student is allowed to learn

Package For Choices Learners:

Voyager, ages 8-18, $2900/year

• Personalized academic support from an educator 1 hour per week online or in person
• Follow up communication (up to one hour) with the mentor to support the personalized academic learning plan
• Academic work record keeping and organization, 3 term reports which include narrative assessment, recording of the level of academic work and credits earned
• Online Choices community

Recognition

• Access to record-keeping tools to assist families in organizing their child's academic history for college application portfolios
• Graduation

Will Choices Work for You?

Learners who have diagnosed learning differences may or may not be successful in the Choices Program at Village Home Education Resource Center. Everyone has learning differences, and we at Village Home, wouldn’t have it any other way, but we also recognize that our unique learning environment and program structure is not appropriate for everyone. The Village Home community learning environment and the Choices Personalized Education option are best suited for self-directed, intrinsically motivated, lifelong learners who actively participate in their educational plans with their families. Not all learners are able to function successfully in a classroom environment that demands a certain level of social and emotional skill to navigate. In addition, the faculty in Choices and at Village Home are not specifically trained to accommodate learners with learning differences. For these reasons, Village Home and Choices staff reserve the right to make decisions regarding suitability of a learner for our programs. Non-discrimination policy: All learners are welcome at Village Home regardless of race, age, religion, creed, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disabilities, or education philosophy.

We are currently nationally accredited by NALSAS. Please note that most universities do not recognize national accreditations.