School Around Us

Mission: We bring together young people, educators, families and our extended community to create a participatory, learner-driven environment grounded in meaningful relationships, which expresses the world we would like our children to live in—a world where all are supported to be self-aware and engaged global citizens.

Student-driven, Family-Centered, Community-Oriented Learning

At School Around Us, now in our 50th year, we are embracing the pioneering spirit once again as we join the movement of independent learning centers and co-learning communities that are creating educational worlds that disrupt the status quo of existing approaches to public and private schooling. 

Other organizations that we have been inspired by (which are education innovators in this style) are often called Learning Centers, Learning Cooperatives, and Co-Learning Communities. Most of them don’t call themselves “schools” and while they don't share a common philosophy or methodology, they do share these common traits:

• All students who attend are officially registered as homeschoolers in their state.
• The educational programs and courses offered are non-compulsory.
• Students receive weekly individualized support and mentorship as a foundation of their learning journey.
• There are full-time and part-time attendance options.
• The learning environment is  student-centered, and designed to support self-directed learning.
• The learning experiences, courses, projects, and offerings are a reflection of the values and interests of students, educators, families, and community. 

In 2020, we evolved from identifying ourselves as a “school” to a “Co-Learning Community”

A core value in Co-learning is that it focuses not only on students, but on families and communities together as ecosystems of learning. When children come together in small groups, to create and discover together,  guided and supported by talented educators and mentors, with the support and involvement of their parents...an ecosystem of learning begins.

As a Co-Learning Community, School Around Us serves Youth ages 5 - 13  who are registered (or will be) with the State of Maine as homeschoolers. Learn about how we support our families with this here. 

We do this through Full-Time (5 days per week) and Part Time (2+ days per week) enrollment options.