our approach
We believe
Learning happens naturally. That's why everything we do is guided by the desire to preserve and encourage young people’s natural curiosity and love of learning.
Protect Childhood
When children are happy and content, their natural curiosity is able to flourish. That's why we’ve created an environment where kids can be kids. We take care to preserve this special time by not burdening them with the cares and conflicts of the adult world that are beyond their ability to fully understand.
Learn at Your Own Pace
We are all born curious and, if not discouraged, learn continuously and naturally. Enabling our children to learn at their own pace and make choices about what and how they learn means better academic outcomes—higher quality learning in less time with less stress and anxiety.
Know Each Learner
Getting to know each learner is the most important part of helping every one advance. Small class sizes and a culture of 1:1 support allow us to get to know each learner’s needs and how to help them progress.
Be Flexible
Learning should fit the needs of the child, not other way around. Our offerings adapt to work for each person. We also offer a flexible schedule that accommodates families' varying needs. No attendance requirements means families can customize their learning and spend more time together.
Keep it Simple
By not trying to do too many things, we're able to spend more time getting the essentials right. We focus on creating a great place for kids to be curious, playful, and social and leave the rest out!
"A child has no stronger desire than to make sense of the world, to move freely in it, to do the things that he sees bigger people doing."
John Holt
Happier, Healthier, Smarter
It's no secret that modern institutions are failing our children. More children are falling behind academically and struggling socially and emotionally than ever before. According to a recent article, students did not make the academic gains hoped for last school year (2023), with test scores in key subjects showing lagging progress and in some cases further backsliding since the pandemic. According to another article, groups of pediatricians and emergency medicine providers are pleading for more support and resources as the number of children and teenagers with mental health concerns overwhelm emergency departments nationwide.
Traditional schools may be struggling because they've lost sight of how learning really happens. At The Village Electric, our guiding principle is that the prerequisite for real learning is already hard-wried into each and every child: curiosity. That's what led us to go back to the basics—we've combined the personalization, flexibility, and child-led approach of unschool with the accountability, support, and community of in-person school. Because when young minds are allowed the freedom that honors their curiosity and individuality, they grow into adulthood with greater joy, confidence, resourcefulness, and self-understanding.
We offer optional academic core skills throughout the day as well as open-ended play and a variety of enrichment activities. The learning opportunities we provide are based on common sense and observation of children as they move through their day. For example, we've done deep research into the history of education to find inexpensive, simple, curriculums and tools based on traditional time-tested approaches that had been abandoned by the big business of education, but that showed proven results. The magic happens when we allows children to come to these opportunities in their own way and at their own time.
We have flexible plans that fit any budget and learners are welcome to join us for as much as or as little of the day as they'd like—there are no attendance requirements or tardiness penalties.
It all adds up to a happier, healthier, smarter place to learn.