The Pearl High School is a remote, democratic learning experience. This means that students are self directed and our curriculum adapts to what they want to learn. During this course, students will work on creating their individualized educational plan and learn about what it means to study at a democratic high school. Here they will develop the tools they need to thrive in The Pearl! This class is required for all new Pearl students.
What is the Point of Self Directed Learning?
Self directed learning is a great learning style for students who are motivated in ways not traditionally supported by standardized schools. This can include neurodivergent students, students with an interest in the arts, students interested in activism, and many others.
High school is a hard time for many. Learning who you are and where you fit into the world can be overwhelming. As a result, teenagers can find it hard to put the energy into learning about things they feel don’t matter. By utilizing self directed learning we can tap into students natural curiosity and help revive their love of learning.
You can learn more about the foundations of democratic education on our YouTube channel.
About the Class – What is our Foundations Course?
The Pearl High School’s Foundations Course is taught by Robin Harwick, Ph.D, the founder of The Pearl High School! Robin is an author, scholar, and consultant. She has also earned a Master of Science in Special Education and a Doctorate in Secondary Special Education and Transition from the University of Oregon.
We teach our classes online, using Zoom and Google Meet, and they are open worldwide! Homeschool students who take classes at the Pearl are eligible to earn a WASC-Accredited US high school diploma. Even homeschool students who attend The Pearl from outside the US are still eligible to receive a US diploma.
The Pearl has a different type of curriculum than what many students are used to. We created the foundations course to help students adapt to a new style of learning. By getting to know our students through this course, we learn what interests them and help them create their desired curriculum and educational plan. Additionally, we keep our class sizes to a maximum of 10 students, assuring that every student gets our attention.
As always, students can enroll for one, several, or all of our online classes as part of a complete education. Schedule a free consultation with our founder to see if The Pearl Remote Democratic High School is right for your family!