Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Social-Enterprise: Real Life is Our Curriculum.

​A Unique Self-Directed Program

​Instead of a school with age-defined and delineated classrooms, the Centre will be a mixed aged learning community with leading edge equipment and expert teachers and facilitators, catering to the following areas of interest:

• Technology, science, innovation
• Entrepreneurship, idea-incubation and social-enterprise
• Arts, language and culture
• Indoor/outdoor physical activity and engagement with the natural world
• Reflection, reading and quiet study
• Community building, governance and conversation

 
In addition, the Centre will offer:

• Individual Program Plans (IPP) based on learners’ interests, goals and preferences
• Personal Advisors to meet with each child and closely follow their progress
• Open access to grade 12 credits with focused diploma exam preparation
• Interest-specific academic support for courses/instruction/tutoring
• A year round calendar with flexible scheduling for families and the real world
• Extended hours that align school hours with business hours, as and when required
• Continuous ‘Gap-Year’ experiences to enrich and enhance life at the Centre
• Resident artists and experts to bring Calgary’s diverse community into the school
• Job shadowing, volunteering and work experience to bring kids to the community
• An ongoing child-constructed outdoor adventure playground
• A playroom, games room and nature-centre

Our Core Belief: Trust Biology

Children are biologically driven to learn through play and curiosity. Young people don't need to be force-fed, they need fertile conditions to educate themselves. Self-directed, interest-driven education creates self-motivated lifelong learners.

Learning in Action: Connor's insatiable appetite to create

People who Love Learning Become Lifelong Learners 

The skills and knowledge gained in self-directed activity will give our learners the confidence and wherewithal to shine in any challenge, exam or assessment they choose to take. Even better, they will leave the Centre with a love of learning. 

Entrepreneurship in action: Kennedy’s 900 t-shirt order

Choice

The Centre will give learners age 5 to 18 choice, full choice, as to how​ they spend their day. They will be surrounded by opportunities to do real things and naturally build foundational skills in a community that emphasizes the  the joy of learning. 

Preparation for Life
Standard K-11 schooling is designed to prepare students for Grade 12. It is not the content and curriculum that matters in the earlier years as much as it is the preparation. So why not let kids prepare in a way that works for them?

The Centre will pilot an alternate pathway for Free Learners to prepare for adult life and, if they choose, to excel in grade 12 and the diploma exams. In addition, the self-directed pathway will more effectively position them for productive participation in the economy while ultimately engaging in a healthy and active adult life.  

To register your intent to enroll your children or for more information, please contact:
​
Monica Truong
​freelearners@outlook.com
ChinookFreeLearners

Heather MacTaggart
hm@changeitup.ca