FreedomHill Cooperative, founded in March 2007, is an unconventional educational cooperative situated on farmland, close to both Montgomery and Frederick counties in Maryland.  FreedomHill Cooperative’s program is closely modeled after Sudbury Valley School in Framingham, Mass. Built solidly on Sudbury’s model of democratic education, FreedomHill’s primary goal is for students to develop the ability to think expansively about themselves and their place in the world.

Members of FreedomHill Cooperative are children ages 5-17 who meet daily to spend as much time as they desire on pursuits important to them within a supportive, democratic community. Activities can range from fort building to investigating math to reading, creating art, putting on performances, building with Legos, playing computer games, or writing, as just a few examples. Most importantly, members engage in dynamic and thoughtful conversations as they go about their day.

At FreedomHill, all pursuits are considered equally valid, and the needs of each member are recognized and met. A hallmark accomplishment of our members is their success at taking responsibility for their individual needs and then balancing those wants with what’s best for their community.

Daily, members of our community have an opportunity to “practice life.”  As a result, each member of our community is likely to:

• Develop interpersonal, leadership, and communication skills;
• Become enthusiastic, life-long learners with interest in both academic and nonacademic subjects;
• Have a positive outlook on life;
• Learn excellent problem solving and conflict-resolution skills;
• Be comfortable with people of any age, including adults;
• Know how to negotiate and compromise;
• Understand the democratic process;
• Have a strong sense of belonging; and
• Develop a sense of justice and compassion.

“Every day I learn how to deal with people and how to get things done, how to organize all the things I learn.  Some of it you learn from adults, and a lot of it you learn from other kids.  Much of what you learn comes from talking with other people.”

— a member of FreedomHill Co-op

“The time for freedom and absence of discipline was much earlier in life when a bit of rampaging could do no harm and children could learn that orderly behavior ultimately arose out of living together and not from the commands handed down by the authority of parents and teachers. Democracy could only spring from practicing it early and democratic action was not to be expected from young people brought up under a closed authoritarian system. Freedom given and understood early enough would result in the natural evolution to maturity and self-discipline.”

—Dora Russell in her autobiography, The Tamarisk Tree, reflecting on the founding of the progressive Beacon Hill School in Sussex, England, in 1927