Step 1: Research
Read about the ALC model and browse the FAQ page to learn more about self-directed education at Agile Learning Centers. You may also want to familiarize yourself with the “What is SDE?” explainer page from the Alliance for Self-Directed Education. Visit our Resources page for even more learning, including a deeper dive into articles, videos, books, and aligned organizations!
Step 2: Attend an Info Session
Info Sessions help interested families explore what self-directed education looks like specifically at Heartwood ALC. They include a brief introduction followed by time for answering attendee questions, both hosted by current facilitators, students, and other community members. Let us know you’re interested in attending an info session by filling out this form.
Ready to apply? Our application has questions for both incoming student/s and their adult/s. After attending an info session, you can access and fill out our application using this link. Your answers will be sent to the facilitators and other members of our Admissions Working Group, current community adults and kids who have volunteered for the role.
Alongside the application, we ask families to submit a tuition offer. Your offer will be sent to administrating facilitators and other members of our Finance Working Group, current community board members and advisors who have volunteered for the role. Tuition is based on a tier system that corresponds to family income. Our tier program relies on trust, access, and responsibility. By trusting families to be generous and reasonable, we increase our accessibility. Read more about tuition and calculate your recommended amount here. Mid-year enrollment is prorated based on your student's start date.
Step 3: Submit an Application and Tuition Offer
If your application and tuition offer are both accepted, a facilitator will reach out to schedule a five-day visiting week for your student. Visiting weeks allow interested students to experience the daily rhythms of Heartwood and for their family to get a feel for the school community. Visiting weeks ultimately help all of us gauge whether or not we are a good match for each other. Before the first day of your visiting week, you will need to have attended an info session, completed an application and tuition offer, and then submitted relevant student records requested by the facilitator team. These will include basic releases and important emergency information, as well as an invoice for the visiting week fee. Visiting week fees are $165 for one student, $250 for two students, and $335 for three students.
Step 4: Schedule a Visiting Week
At the end of the visiting week, facilitators will check in with all students — those currently enrolled and those visiting — to ask about their experience of each other. They’ll then share a summary of those responses, as well as their own reflections, with the Admissions Working Group. The Admissions Working Group will consider what’s shared and determine whether the school can offer enrollment or not at this time. If the student is accepted and the family wishes to move forward with enrollment, parent/guardian(s) will sign an enrollment agreement, complete the remaining student records forms, and make their first tuition payment.