Alternative Schools

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Below are some examples of alternative schools within our network. Our database of over 13,000 educational alternatives will be online shortly! Contact Jerry Mintz for more information.

Looking for alternative school for your child? Call (800) 769-4171 or e-mail info@educationrevolution.org.

Are you an alternative school? List your school here.

Albany Free School - The Free School is a process which must be experienced to be fully appreciated. The kids themselves make the choice to join us, after a week's visit (we do not leave that decision to parents alone) and since the changes they may want and need to make occur only over time and the space to discover for themselves who they really are, we ask parents for a commitment to allow their children to stay in the school for at least a year, so that the value we have for them can be fully realized.

Academic Community for Educational Success - ACES is the winning hand your student can hold.
Alpine Valley School- Based on the Sudbury Valley School (see below), Alpine Valley is a place dedicated to freedom, respect and the joy of learning. Here, learning occurs as that magical state of being fully engaged and freely exploring your interests, gifts and talents. True freedom and responsibility emerge from trust and respect. Every student is a part of all school decisions and stands on equal footing with the staff and each other.

ALPHA Alternative School
ALPHA (A Lot of People Hoping for an Alternative) is the oldest elementary alternative school in Toronto, created in 1971. It is comprised of children aged 4-12, their parents, and staff who share the values of child-centred, cooperative, democratic, community-driven, open, arts-infused, non-coercive, and social justice oriented ways of living and learning.
Alternative Community School (Ithaca, NY) - ACS is a small middle school/high school, grades 6 through 12. There are about 260 students, who are accepted to ACS through random draw from the applicant pool. ACS is a public school, and there are no fees or tuition. We are an alternative to traditional schools, in our curricular and school governance philosophies. We believe in being both a community within our school and being part of the larger Ithaca community.

Australian Correspondance School - "Established in 1979, ACS has educated thousands of full and part-time students, many of whom have gone onto successful employment, both in industry or in their own businesses. Others have used their courses to develop a hobby, or simply broaden their general education. We currently have over 2500 students enrolled from Australia and around the world." (quoted fromtheir web site).

Blue Mountain School - Blue Mountain School is a democratic learning community - an innovative environment designed to foster the education and development of free and responsible citizens. At BMS, students have the right to grow naturally and learn in a non-coercive environment. We're a publicly funded, non-profit school open to students age 5 to 19; we're located near Cottage Grove, Oregon, in a beautiful rural setting.

Brazos Valley Sudbury School Group (Houston, TX) - a group of families and individuals in Northwest and West Houston who are using the Sudbury Valley School in Massachusetts as a model on which to base an alternative learning community to open in fall 2002.

Brockwood Park School " A school is a place where one learns about the totality, the wholeness of life." Founded by educator and philosopher J.Krishnamurti in 1969, Brockwood Park is an international community residential school, situated on a large English country estate, with 60 students aged 15 -19 the school has the feel of a large family. Students and teachers live, work, play and inquire together, caring for the estate and each other.

Burke Mountain Academy - BMA is a pioneer in developing scholar athletes. Started in 1972 by educational visionary Warren Witherall, the school seeks to combine a rigorous ski racing program and college preparatory curriculum to develop well-rounded students that have achieved healthy bodies, sound minds and lively spirits. The school currently enrolls around 65 student athletes in its four year 9-12 grade program.

The Circle School - From their philosophy statement, "We believe in the wisdom of each person to know what's best for him or her. We believe that in maturing we grow toward that wisdom discovering, accepting, and becoming ourselves. When we talk of 'wholeness' we mean the fullest expression of that wisdom inour lives. We believe that we can best support the maturing of persons by modeling the highest values we know, and offering exposure, resources, and guidance in the exercise of body, mind, and spirit."

Christa McAulliffe Academy - Christa McAuliffe Academy is an accredited global private school, dedicated to bringing first-class learning experiences to learners of all ages, backgrounds, abilities, and circumstances through innovative use of technology

Clearwater School - What happens when children direct their own learning? They become creative confident capable people. The Seattle Sudbury Valley School for ages 4-19 years old.

The Community School - The Community School has been approved as a Private Secondary School by the Department of Educational and Cultural Services since 1974. The school is located in the small town of Camden, Maine (USA). The school has two main programs: The Residential Program, which focuses on high school dropouts between the ages of 16 and 20, and the Passages Program, which focuses on parents between the ages of 15 and 20 who have not yet completed their highschool education.

The Farm School
The Farm School is a non-profit educational farm in Western Massachusetts. Our goal is to promote farming -- and the teaching of farming -- through educational programs for school children and through a yearlong practical training program for adults.
Keystone High School - Keystone High School is an independent, innovative fully accredited and privately licensed online and correspondence high school.

Heartlight DFW (Arlington, TX) - incorporates CWG philosophies into the Sudbury School model. Our environment fosters the innate love and independence children naturally hold and supports numerous spiritual community activities for the CWG Center in Arlington.

The Hoboken Charter School - "a preK-12 school deeply committed to community building and democratic citizenship through its program of service learning." Located in Hoboken, New Jersey, USA.

Hudson Valley Sudbury School (West Hurley, NY) - The Hudson Valley Sudbury School will open September 2002 in Woodstock, NY, based on Sudbury Valley School in Massachusetts.

Jefferson County Open School (Lakewood, CO) - Jefferson County Open School is an alternative school available to students pre-kindergarten through twelfth grades from throughout the district. The Open School is a school of choice by students, parents, and teachers who want an emphasis on self-directed learning and active participation in the learning process in and out of the school setting.

The Learning Center An at-risk alternative in North Platte, Nebraska.

The Learning Exchange (Greenfield, MA) - The purpose of The Learning Exchange in Greenfield, Massachusetts, is to provide a center for youth and families who choose not to participate in formal schooling; public or private. It is our belief that each of us is endowed with a natural born curiosity and an ability to nurture those interests in a manner conductive to personal development and sense of collective identity.

Liberty School - The Liberty School of Blue Hill, Maine, offers students in grades 9-12 a diverse and innovative educational program that merges challenging academic skills with artistic work and other educational opportunities that will enable young people to meet the demands of the 21st century.

The Manzanita School

Manzanita School cultivates each child's ability and desire to learn, to create, and to participate in the community.

Manzanita School is a private elementary school located in San Luis Obispo, California. Enrollments are being accepted for children in grades K-6.

The Meeting School (Rindge, NH) - The Meeting School is an alternative boarding school for high school aged students with a Quaker philosophy. Located in Rindge, New Hampshire, USA.

The Met (Providence, RI) - A small high school in which each student has an individualized curriculum and all students are involved in internships in the real world. There are several Met Schools located through Providence.

Moo Baan Dek (Kanchanaburi, Thailand) – Moo Baan Dek is a living alternative education and a community. Its environment is arranged to help poor children from even the most difficult backgrounds to learn to love themselves and society. They grow up in a warm and loving atmosphere in which they find understanding and freedom plentiful. The school's underlying philosophy is very close to that of A.S. Neill's Summerhill School in England, although Buddhist elements are incorporated.

New Dimensions School (Burke County, North Carolina) - A community based charter school which uses children's interests and assets to promote a "love of learning" in every student. Our curriculum builds on the curriculum that was developed and evaluated by Project Spectrum and is based on Howard Gardner's theory of Mulitiple Intelligence. We also offer students the option of participating in English/Spanish immersion classes. There are four locations, building to pre K-5.
The New School (Newark, DE) - Education for the courageous, inquisitive, and independent-minded. The New School is a coeducational, private, day school in Newark, Delaware, USA, enrolling children ages 6 to 19 who are willing to take responsibility for their own actions and education. The New School is a liberty-based school democratically governed by its students and staff. Learning is self directed, animated by interest and grounded in personal responsibility.

The New School of Monmouth County is a small, private, ungraded elementary school in Holmdel, New Jersey. It is a family school with innovative teachers and much parent involvement. Up to 20 students are enrolled in each of three "family" age groups: with sometimes a 4 year age range. The emphasis is on each child as an individual learning how to learn, and how to be a responsible member of the group in an informal, non-competitive atmosphere.

The New School of Northern Virginia - They write, "The New School of Northern Virginia is a small, holistic school that seeks to educate the whole child for the twenty-first century. The New School's student body is inclusive, co-educational,and reflective of the diversity and richness of the Northern Virginia community.Our school seeks students and families who support our philosophy, who feel that the school can make a significant contribution to their child's growth, and who can contribute to the life of the school.

North Star Center (Amherst, MA) – Supporting unschooling teens and their families since 1995. North Star is a resource center open 5 days a week and has helped hundreds of teenagers make the transition from schooling to unschooling. North Star provides services for families and activities for teens which help make teen unschooling a practical choice for any interested family. Former North Star members can be found at Ivy League colleges, running successful businesses, traveling the world, and involved in a variety of other meaningful pursuits.

Open Connections
Open Connections is a non-profit organization that has created The Open Connections Village, a resource center for open education in suburban Philadelphia, PA. Over 100 families with unschoolers/homeschoolers/self-directed learners from age four through high school are involved in a wide range of programs based on interests, age, learning styles, and personal goals.
Pacific High School (Sitka, AK) is a small school situated in the Tongass National Forest on a mountainous island in southeast Alaska. Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound (ELOB) is used as the school model. It emphasizes learning by doing, with a particular focus on character growth, teamwork, reflection, and literacy. Teachers connect high quality academic learning to adventure, service, and character development. Courses are taught through challenging projects that are connected to real-world experiences. Our students learn the value of contributing selflessly to their community, while the service leaders share their knowledge and experience. Pacific High will develop lifelong learners with strong community connections who have a desire, purpose, and ability to learn and succeed in life.

Pacific High School
509 Lincoln Street
Sitka, Alaska 99835
Phone: (907) 747-0525
Fax: (907) 747-7310

Director: Karen Martinsen

Our website: www.pacifichigh.org E-mail: pacific@mail.ssd.k12.ak.us
Play Mountain Place - Play Mountain Place was founded in Los Angeles by Phyllis Fleishman in 1949, to further the philosophy of self-motivated learning. For over fifty years, Play Mountain has encouraged children to discover the joys of creativity and learning on their own schedule, at their own pace.

Portland Cooperative School - Portland Cooperative School is an independent elementary school located in SW Portland’s Hillsdale neighborhood. In our unique cooperative environment, parents are privileged to directly participate in their children’s classrooms, enabling students, parents and teachers to form deep, enduring relationships. In our small, mixed-age, classes, children learn from peers and mentor younger classmates.

Puget Sound Community School - The Puget Sound Community School's web page is an example of how one school is making use of the World Wide Web. It not only includes links to other educational resources, but includes links to student and staff home pages, the school newsletter, and is used to disseminate information to enrolled students and their families. PSCS believes the best education ensures the freedom of students of all ages to think for themselves and to control their own destinies, structuring their time and activities as they best see fit.

Sands School (Ashburton, Devon, UK) - Sands is a day school for people from 11 - 16 years old. It is governed by the school meeting of students and staff, has very few rules and offers a varied programme of lessons and other activities from which the students may take their pick.

The School Around Us - The School Around Us (SAU) is committed to providing a holistic learning community for children 5years to 14years which encourages the growth of mind, body and spirit, and which is actively involved in the local and global community. SAU is a fully democratic parent/community run organization based on the coast of Southern Maine in the charming town of Arundel. At SAU we translate our mission into daily practice by persuing the following four educational goals: 1. Learn how to learn, for life. 2. Discover your whole self. 3. Live with respect in your natural environment. 4. Practice responsible, knowledgeable citizenship.

The School Down Under - An international semester or year abroad program located in New Zealand for students aged 16 to 19. We seek to share our program with alternative educators feel that there would be a resonance in philosophy, educational intention and planetary vision. Our school offers a unique chance for students to travel abroad while still in high school or directly after, deepening their global perspective, adding to the depth of their experience and preparing them in countless ways for greater group awareness and world service. We have had students from various alternative schooling backgrounds participate.

Schumacher College - an international centre for ecological studies which welcomes course participants from all over the world, from a wide range of ages and backgrounds. The College runs short residential courses on ecological issues, led by teachers and writers with an international reputation. It also runs a one-year MSc in Holistic Science.

Second Foundation School Minneapolis, MN - A small, independent school where students learn at their own pace in their own way.

Shackleton School, Boston, MA. - Learning becomes exciting when it takes off in unexpected directions. At Shackleton, you will learn in more ways and in more places than you ever imagined you could in high school Your education starts in the classroom and deepens through expeditions that can take you across the country and around the world.

Stonesoup School Crescent City, Florida - Accepting male students ages 10 to 18.

Sudbury Valley School - Sudbury Valley School is a private school in Massachusetts where students (from age four on up) are free to do as they wish during the day, as long as they follow the school rules. The campus is "open" and people may come and go as they please, without having to check with an office or other such nonsense. No one is required to attend classes and, indeed, classes are rare and bear little resemblance to the usual notion of a "class". There are no tests or grades of any kind. Students and staff (teachers) are equal in every regard. The students and staff refer to each other by first name, and the relationships between students and staff can't easily be distinguished from the relations between students.

Summerhill - Most are probably familiar with Summerhill. If not, here is a snippet from the introduction on their homepage, "Summerhill School is unique. It is a progressive, co-educational residential school, founded by A. S. Neill in 1921; in his own words, it is a 'free school'. This does not mean, alas, that it is state funded. The freedom Neill was referring to was the personal freedom of the children in his charge. Summerhill is first and foremost a place where children can be free."

Tamariki School (Christchurch, NZ) – Tamariki is a Special Character State school, established in 1967, for children aged 5 to 13 based on the Summerhill model. Children make the rules in the Whole School Meeting, called whenever wanted, and have voluntary attendance at classes.

The Tutorial School (Santa Fe, NM) - We are devoted to three simple, but important, concepts: freedom, respect, responsibility. Students from 7 to 19 years old pursue their interests in a comfortable, non-threatening environment. As a community the students and staff cooperatively run the school and implement the ideals and ideas that are generated. In this way young people prepare for life as a whole.

Waldorf Schools Waldorf education was conceived by Rudolf Steiner. He believed that modern Western society had placed too much emphasis on external, matrialistic values, at the expense of the imaginative, creative innermost spirit of the human being.

Windsor House (North Vancouver, BC, Canada) - for over 25 years, the Windsor House Parent Involvement School has evolved as a public alternative, learner-centered school for ages 5-18, with a plethora of activities and academics for satisfying all levels and ranges of curiosity. Currently, it is academically non-coercive and has democratic structures and committees similar to those of Sudbury Valley.

Youth Initiative High School A Waldorf Initiative

Contact Info: Tel: 1-800-769-4171 & 1-516-621-2195
Fax: 1-516-625-3257 / E-Mail: info@educationrevolution.org
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