Our kindergarten to grade 12 educational program places your child at the centre of their learning journey with support and resources to help them succeed every step along the way.
With over one-third of our learners at SelfDesign® Learning Community having special needs, we integrate our support services into every grade level of our kindergarten to grade 12 program and offer significant support for learners with special needs, whatever their age or ability.
We provide learners with Indigenous learning opportunities so they can understand the world and its relations through a framework of Indigenous wisdom and philosophy.
Our integrative and inclusive program is partially funded by the B.C. Ministry of Education and Child Care as a Group 1 Independent Online Learning School.
You have access to the SelfDesign Learning Experiences Library, a dynamic collection of resources, questions, suggestions and inspirations sparked by the curiosity of our learners and offered in integrated interest-based experiences.
From kindergarten to grade 12, your child and you work one-on-one with a B.C. certified educator who will support your child in achieving their goal of completion in a way that best suits them – B.C. Certificate of Graduation (Dogwood Diploma), Adult Graduation Diploma or School Completion (Evergreen) Certificate.
Out of province learners can enrol in our kindergarten to grade 12 program, including residents of the United States, through our partnership with Cognia. For more information, please send a message to info@selfdesign.org.
How our school works
What to expect in each grade
KINDERGARTEN – GRADE 7
From kindergarten to Grade 7, we have developed a B.C. certified educational program that allows the unique spirit of your child to evolve naturally, today and into the future. Our offerings speak both to the playful spirit of the child and the emerging maturity of the young person.
- You and your child work with a B.C. certified educator to create a personalized learning plan that maps your child’s interests and curiosities, specifying resources and activities that will be used to facilitate learning and meet B.C. educational requirements.
- You’ll work one-on-one directly with your educator, who will guide you through your child’s learning plan. As your child grows older, their direct relationship with the educator grows as well.
- Grade 6-7: additional offerings include optional drop-in real-time meetings which are playful, low-pressure opportunities for your child to enter into a collaborative online learning environment, to develop foundational skills to support them in their growing independence as an online learner at SelfDesign.
- Grades 8-9: In addition to live offerings, learners have access to a variety of resources and prompts for artifact creation available throughout the learning year through the SelfDesign learning platform which will support them as they move into their highschool grades.
GRADES 8 – 9
Grade 8 and 9 at SelfDesign Learning Community follows a similar program to kindergarten to Grade 7 with the addition of workshops that are either theme-related or personal development-related:
- Workshops that are either theme-related or personal development-related:
- These drop-in workshops offer playful, low-pressure opportunities for your child to enter into a collaborative online learning environment, to develop foundational skills, and to interact with the curriculum through the themes.
- Your child can participate in the workshops as observers or actively participate in sharing stories, laughter, and sharing perspectives on their themes.
Grades 10-12
- Grade 10 to 12 learning follows B.C.’s new curriculum and SelfDesign Learning Community’s personalized learning approach.
- We support your child in achieving their goal of completion in the way that best suits them, whether it’s their B.C. Certificate of Graduation (Dogwood Diploma), Adult Graduation Diploma or School Completion (Evergreen) Certificate.
Click below to view the Commencement Ceremony 2023:
Click below to view see what parents have to say:
What a calendar year looks like
Check out some important dates throughout the learning year.
[events-calendar-templates template=”carousel-view” style=”style-3″ category=”all” date_format=”default” start_date=”” end_date=”” limit=”3″ order=”ASC” hide-venue=”no” time=”future” featured-only=”false” columns=”1″ autoplay=”true” tags=”” venues=”” organizers=”” socialshare=”no”]
Parents/guardians are vital members of the learning team at SelfDesign
You know your child’s needs best and often have the clearest ideas about what types of learning activities will best facilitate your child’s development. Our educators will take this input and work closely with your family to develop a learning plan that meets the learning needs of you child.
Being a parent/guardian of a SelfDesign learner does have a time commitment and it varies for each learner. Parents/guardians of learners in kindergarten to Grade 9 support learners at home and in their community and provide weekly communication through a process we call Observing for Learning.
Learners in grades 10-12 take a larger role in their own learning process and often do their own communicating through Observing for Learning, with support from their parent/guardian for home and community-based learning. Parents/guardians of learners receiving support services are required to provide additional supports for learners and engage in additional communication with educators.
Who are our educators?
You and your child will choose from one of nearly 170 B.C. certified educators, called learning consultants, who guide learning in your home, online and in your community. They work with you and your child one-on-one to co-create individualized goals, interacting on a weekly basis with curiosity and inspiration. They provide direction and resources to the learner while validating learning for academic credit.
The role of the educator evolves as your child develops, from providing direct educational support for parents/guardians of younger learners to being a mentor and guide for youth as they enact their personalized learning.
Educators are matched with learners and families in the following ways:
- Educators agree to work with your family based on the information you provide, and consideration of whether it’s a good fit for both parties.
- Your family and the educator work together, potentially over the course of multiple years, until one or both parties decides to leave or a switch is made to another learner/educator.
- If your child needs support services, a learning specialist is chosen for you based on your child’s needs, and you work together until one or both parties decides to leave or a switch is made to another learner/educator.
SelfDesign Learning Community educators, service providers and contractors are required to submit a criminal record check for working with children, youth and vulnerable adults in order to provide services to SelfDesign Learning Community learners.
Our educators work with you and your child one-on-one to co-create individualized goals, interacting on a weekly basis with curiosity and inspiration.
Opportunities for deeper connections
A course for parents/guardians
A SelfDesign Path is a unique course designed to guide new and current parents/guardians through our unique approach to learning.
This course can lead to supportive conversations between you and your learning consultant, as well as contribute to richer family conversations.