What is the philosophy of The FreedomHill Cooperative?

The FreedomHill Cooperative believes giving children the trust and responsibility to pursue their interests at an early age ensures that they will grow to become effective and joyful members of adult society.

Students at the FreedomHill Cooperative are given the opportunity to understand what they want in life, why they want it and how to achieve it.  The program provides an environment that allows students to establish and realize individual goals for themselves through experimentation and discovery combined with unhampered contemplation.

Every day, students determine how they will manage their own time and are free to request instruction on any subject that appeals to them or talk to any adult in our community about anything they find interesting. The community does not evaluate or assess one activity as being more or less valuable than any other.

The FreedomHill Cooperative is a homeschooling group that follows the philosophy of The Sudbury Valley School in Framingham, MA.

Will my child learn the “right” things at The FreedomHill Cooperative- what about the “Basics”?

Learning to Read

There are certain skills or traits that are indeed important to develop in our fast-changing and increasingly fluid society.  First and foremost students need to be flexible and independent thinkers and learners.  At FreedomHill Cooperative, what students learn is determined by their own unique individual set of interests and skills, developed on their own accord.  Students do learn to read, write, and do mathematics in a natural and organic fashion because these skills support their passions and interests.

The FreedomHill Cooperative believes there is not one set of “right” or “basic” things one must learn to be successful in the world.  For example a musician does not need to develop the same professional skills as a physician, but they need to interact with one another so communication is an important skill for both to explore.

The FreedomHill Cooperative does not set out for the students to learn in particular way or within a set time frame. We believe children have an innate and unstoppable momentum to learn.  The FreedomHill Cooperative trusts students to stay alive to the world around them, self organize their time on a daily basis, and learn what they need to without anyone insisting on any particular bits of knowledge.

Is your philosophy similar to Montessori?

Both philosophies believe that children are naturally curious and do not need to be forced to learn.  Both programs give children the freedom to make decisions about their time and what interests them.  The difference is, while children meet at the FreedomHill Cooperative there are no pre-determined activities considered developmentally appropriate that they are guided towards.  Interest is the only criterion for choosing an activity and success is only measured by interest.

Are your activities similar to Waldorf?

Waldorf schools and the FreedomHill Cooperative both believe in providing a learning environment that supports the whole child.  The overall happiness and ability for each child to recognize his or her full potential is equally important in both philosophies.  However, Waldorf schools move children in a particular direction and follow a specific curriculum while the FreedomHill Cooperative gives children access to the full complexity of life, and encourages the curiosity, confidence, and competence to participate in it.

How is The FreedomHill Cooperative different than unschooling my kids at home?

Families who choose to unschool their children see the family environment as the best place for children to learn and grow.  The FreedomHill Cooperative agrees that children need home as a fundamental place for learning and also that children learn best about their place in the world by participating in a democracy with additional peers and adults.  That participation gives them the skills to tolerate a diversity of ideas and opinions, speak out against inappropriate behavior, and become an active contributor within group projects.

Being involved in the democratic process at The FreedomHill Cooperative allows children the opportunity to discover an expanded sense of independence by being part of a diverse community while at the same time having their family as a central place of learning.

Can my child learn if there is no set curriculum?

Creative Writing

The FreedomHill Cooperative maximizes learning by providing an environment that responds to children’s interests and goals.  Children are natural learners and actively learn all of the time.  The children involved in the FreedomHill Cooperative freely choose their educational pursuits, and because of that opportunity their learning is generally deeper, more satisfying and more enduring than what they might gain from regular curriculum activities.

What if my child is not motivated?

The FreedomHill Cooperative believes that when left to their natural instincts and drives all children are motivated.  This natural quality urges them to learn to walk, talk and explore the world around them.  When this inner drive is given freedom to “be”, it is strengthened and developed and carried into adulthood.

Some children that have attended traditional schools may have lost a good bit of their inner drive and motivation.  When they transition to homeschooling and have a chance to participate in the FreedomHill Cooperative, they will have the chance to regain their knowledge that the world and all its possibilities are open to them.  The FreedomHill Cooperative provides an ideal environment for these students to recover their innate sense of inspiration and self-motivation.

How will my kids learn what they need to if they play with their friends everyday?

The FreedomHill Cooperative believes children learn much of what they need to through play.  The program does not try to modify it, interfere with it, or qualify it.  Play is a child’s main educational mode and place to learn to concentrate, imagine and communicate.  Through play they can learn what their aptitudes and affinities are and through play they can acquire the skills they need to be successful adults. Play is the work of young people.

In addition to playing, children in the FreedomHill Cooperative may spend a lot of time in conversation with others.  While many schools limit the amount of time children converse with each other and with adults, the FreedomHill Cooperative believes that time spent socializing is invaluable to a student’s education and growth.  This awareness also meets the needs of many homeschool students who greatly appreciate the opportunity to interact with children or adults outside of their families.

What will my child learn?

Many adults go through life without truly discovering their passion or determining whom they are, what they want, or how to pursue their goals.  Students attending the FreedomHill Cooperative are free to gain that knowledge and are able to discover early on in their lives, what their passion is.  This is an intense learning process.  When children and teens are allowed to pursue this process directly they become eager to learn the academics needed to support their goals.

At the FreedomHill Cooperative students pursue their own interests and determine the course of the days they are here with us along with their friends.  The ebb and flow of activity depends upon individually pursued directions.  Students often join and share an activity initiated by someone else thus there is a constant interpersonal transfer of information, communication, and enthusiasm between members of the community.  In such a flexible and egalitarian context, interpersonal and communication skills become very important.  Children will learn everything they need to in order to become responsible and motivated adults.

If students are not “exposed” to knowledge, how will they find out what they like or know about what is available in the “wider” world?

Children are innately curious and are exposed to a tremendous variety of information on a daily basis from their friends, family, schoolmates (younger and older), media, and the world around them.  At the FreedomHill Cooperative students do significantly more exploration of a greater variety of topics and subjects than they would have the opportunity to in a traditional school setting, and when a student finds a particular area of interest they are not limited by whether or not there is a course offered on that subject, nor are they restricted in the amount of time and effort they can expend learning about that interest.  As a result they are able to delve much more deeply into a path of learning and obtain significantly more knowledge and understanding.  In addition, all staff members, other students, and parents at the school are free to offer a class in any subject or topic that interests them.  The FreedomHill Cooperative has the flexibility and mission to establish numerous ties with local organizations and individuals for in-house visits and workshops, and to take trips to many locations of interest to the students on short notice.

What happens if my child comes to The FreedomHill Cooperative and doesn’t do anything?

It is actually impossible to do nothing.  What most people are concerned about is students doing what looks like nothing; for example playing video games, playing cards, reading all day, etc.  The truth is that everything the students do has value, particularly to them.  The evidence is that when a student appears to be doing nothing, by simply observing the activities of others, for instance, they are actually paying close attention and learning tremendously from what they are observing.

Is there evidence that this approach to education works?

Absolutely.  Studies in homes, schools and workplaces of children all show the same result: the empowerment of people to make their own decisions about their activities and performance leads to higher satisfaction and better quality results.  Children who are encouraged to develop socially, emotionally and academically in a natural way at their own pace, are able to assume whatever challenges await them in the adult world. It is not that the rest of the world does not know about this phenomenon, it is that most are not willing or comfortable letting go to allow this level of freedom.  What we find most telling is that several studies of students coming out of this kind of program report that students consider their lives to be happy and satisfying.  What more could we ask for?