Exit The System Without Leaving School
I talk with parents every week who feel trapped.
They aren’t in a place to take their kids out of school.
Nevertheless, they still see the major problems with the traditional system. They want something better for their kids. But homeschooling takes lots of time.
The good news is that there are other options which can give kids an off ramp out of the system.
Here are 8 ways kids can exit the system without leaving school:
1. Self-Directed Learning Communities
Programs like Galileo help kids make friends with peers who share their interests and design their own curriculums together. They can learn coding, game design, art, writing, and entrepreneurship in over 100 classes.
2. Forest Schools
Forest School programs put kids at the center, connect them with each other and nature, and challenge them to take responsibility and make meaning for themselves.
You can lead forest-school sessions yourself or sign kids up for a program.
3. Team Problem-Solving
Synthesis School empowers kids to solve the world’s hardest problems.
They compete in teams to win simulations by debating ideas, testing tactics, communicating decisions, taking ownership, and drawing out the best in each other.
4. Cultivate Creativity at Home
Kids can learn to build, make, and create from home—and it doesn’t require parents to give art lessons.
Here are 10 tips to create an environment that helps creativity take root and flourish.
5. Project-Based Learning
Programs like Arduino challenge kids with projects that teach them chemistry, physics, electronics, coding, and more.
They ship all the components to your door, provide online training and support, and let kids learn by doing.
6. Online STEAM Classes
Many schools struggle to offer quality classes in science, tech, engineering, art, and math.
Thankfully, platforms like Brilliant Org, Skillshare, and Khan Academy offer a plethora of amazing courses on all of these subjects.
7. Foster a love for reading
Let kids read freely and wildly. Let them try books and abandon them. Let them skim through books, and dive deep into what interests them.
Poems. Comic books. Nonfiction. Magazines. Cookbooks. The same book over and over.
Choice is the secret recipe to foster a love of reading. And once they develop a love for reading, they'll be able to teach themselves anything. Here are 6 tips I use to pick a good book.
8. Alternative Schools
If you can move your kids into a better school, consider exploring alternative programs based on these methods:
Here’re some other alternative schools that I’m exploring as well:
Microschools
Microschools are also wonderful options, like those available through Prenda and other networks.
To find a good one, look for these features:
mixed age groups
child-centered curriculum
project-based learning
For little kids, check out platforms like Weekdays Microschools
.Look for programs focused on free play, where kids explore and create on their own. Avoid ones that talk about "play" but really mean adult-led activities. Read more here.
Alternative schools give families options outside of the traditional system. But even if moving schools isn’t in the cards for your family, there’s still hope. Ultimately, what you do together at home is what matters the most.
Kids need parents with skin in the game.
They need caregivers who love them, know them, challenge them, and personally invest in their education.
The options I shared above are only a few of many opportunities.
What are you and your kids using to exit the traditional system?
I explore ideas like this in Fab Fridays, my newsletter on childhood education with a twist + new ways to learn.
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