Unschooling is the concept that children are lifelong learners and will steer their own path of self-directed learning based on their interests, in their own time. Rather than following a set curriculum, they promote learning through living in real-world settings.

• Unschooling Littles: Non-Coercive Homeschooling & Unschooling
• Unschooling Mom2Mom
• Almost Unschoolers
• Stark Raving Dad; a beautiful account with inspiring words and encouragement for unschooling and home educating families

Worldschooling

Worldschooling is an educational movement centred around travel and immersing the kids in worldly experiences and culture. This can be done through travel alone, or by participating in curated worldschooling hubs, joining travelling schools, or spending time in camps / activities around the globe.

• Worldschoolers – a beautiful facebook community full of worldschooling families
• Worldschool Hubs & Events Community – events held all over the world where worldschooling families travel and meet up for cultural immersion, academics, and unique experiences
• Worldschooling pop-up hubs and global schools – a list of schools and events around the world that support transient enrolment and worldschooling families
• The Travelling Circus – a micro travelling school for travelling families
• Boundless Life – a flexible, forward-thinking education programme for children in different hubs around the world

Homeschooling

Homeschooling is education in the comfort of your home following a set curriculum or meeting educational benchmarks. this can be done by a parent, a private tutor, or by joining a joint homeschool hub or co-op.

• Homeschool curriculum finder
• The Homeschool Mom – a list of local homeschool groups and resources you can search in your area
• The ultimate list of Facebook support groups for homeschoolers

Outdoor Education

Usually called forest school or nature school, most often for preschool-aged children. which takes places entirely outdoors in nature. kids learn through play, exploration, and supported risk taking to build confidence, resilience, and a connection to mother nature.

• The ultimate list of forest schools, outdoor-based and nature-inspired schools in the USA
• Outdoor school directory – an interactive map of all the outdoor-oriented schools across the USA and Canada (over 1200 schools listed!)

Montessori

Self-paced education in an environment adapted to children’s needs which allows them to follow their own curiosity and direct their learning. They are guided by age-appropriate hands on activities which emphasises independence and practical life skills.

• International Montessori Society – a list of Montessori schools across America and a few international options
• American Montessori Society – a searchable database of registered Montessori schools across America
• Montessori homeschooling – a Facebook support group for parents wanting to adopt a Montessori approach to homeschooling

Waldorf-Steiner

A holistic style of education intended to develop pupils’ intellectual, artistic, and practical skills. Imaginary play is seen as the catalyst through which the child grows and develops. Children are grouped in multi-age cycles, there’s lots of artistic activity and physical movement to unify the spirit, soul, and body.

• What is Waldorf education? – learn more about the Waldorf-Steiner pedagogy
• Waldorf world list – a PDF list of of over 1000 Waldorf schools available internationally sorted by country
• Association of Waldorf Schools North America – an interactive map and searchable database of Waldorf schools across North America
• Seasons of Seven – an entirely online school that promotes Waldorf philosophies

Reggio-Emilia

Open and free-flowing learning spaces that enable uninterrupted exploration, and play. children are encouraged to pursue their own interests and participate in self-directed learning while in relationship-driven, collaborative environments. They believe in an inclusive, village-style approach that engages children, parents and the community as all being essential components to the learning process.

• Reggio-Emilia approach – the history and pedagogy behind Reggio schooling
• North American Reggio-Emilia Alliance – a list of registered schools across North America

Homeschool co-ops

A group of likeminded families that come together to share joint classes, outings, or activities among their homeschooled kids to provide resources and support to one another.

• The Homeschool Mom – local homeschool groups, co-ops, umbrella schools, field trip groups, and more, listed by state and city
• Time4Learning – state specific homeschool regulations and links to support groups and co-ops organised by state (click on your state and then click on ‘homeschool groups and coops’)
• The ultimate list of homeschool support groups on Facebook

Microschooling

A small, privately run school that’s often described as “outsourced homeschooling” or a “mid-point” between traditional schooling and homeschooling. They’re run by local guides / instructors within the community. This style of community pod education became popular during the pandemic and now there are hundreds available in communities across the states.

• Microschool coalition – a directory of several microschools across the USA
• Prenda – learn more about Prenda microschools; one of the most unique approaches to small scale, home-based community schooling. led by community guides in small mixed-age groups
• Freedom Prep Academy – an interactive map of over 200 microschools run by Prenda guides across the USA
• National Microschooling Center – they do not publish a list of schools for privacy sake but if you fill out the form they will connect you with local guides in your area
• Acton Academy – ‘one room schoolhouses for the 21st century’ a list of hundreds of microschool academies across the world

Charter Schools

A public school that operates as a school of choice. They commit to obtaining specific educational objectives in return for a charter to operate a school. They’re exempt from significant state or local regulations related to operation and management but otherwise adhere to regulations of public schools.

• Charter school FAQ
• Charter schools USA – school locator
• A list of charter high schools in the USA

Online Schooling

An online school teaches students entirely through virtual classes following a curriculum from home. Great for self-directed learners and those looking for ultimate time flexibility.

Blended Learning

Considerations for College

Education requirements are different in every country / state. So I can’t give universal advice on unconventional schooling and how it paves a path for a child’s potential college enrolment (should they choose that route). But here are some helpful resources to look into.

• This article shares a few ways that unschooled highschoolers can enrol in college
• Unschooling Mom2Mom – writing high school transcripts for unschoolers for college admissions and 3 paths to a college degree
• Homeschooling laws by state