A Unique Approach to Education
Chance Academy provides a cooperative program for academic and personal growth in which parents, staff, and children work and learn together. It is a refuge for individualized learning; a slice of compassion; a community that values building character as well as building intellect; an anchor for communal and individual support. We also embrace holistic, arts-integrated learning in a world where these experiences are hard to come by, especially in the high-stakes, test-centered education system.
• Who we serve: we are a homeschool cooperative dedicated to families in DC and nearby Prince George’s County.
• What does it cost: no family is turned away because of inability to pay our moderate tuition.
• How is participation determined: we work together with families to decide if our of values of deep learning, peaceful practices, and involvement in the Chance community offerings are a good fit.
How do we do it?
• Individualized learning: academic staff are trained to help guide learning in ways that are sensitive to each child’s intellectual and socio-emotional readiness. Classes average no more than 12 students, with multi-age and flexible groupings.
• Compassion: we employ the Restorative Circle Process to deal with all interpersonal challenges, be they with staff, parents, or children. No automatic suspensions. No arbitrary punitive consequences. All consequences are achieved through dialogue at small group or community-wide levels.
• Character: the adults and children practice elements of mindfulness, meditation, kindness and patience together daily. We strive to encourage personal accountability by providing a safe place in which to make mistakes, accept consequences, and be genuinely forgiven and forgiving. We apply this practice across the board- to students, parents, and staff.
• Communal support and individual support: Chance works with a number of partners trained in Peace Making, psychology, and Restorative Process to support parents and children.
• Arts-integrated and experiential: We incorporate theater, music, movement, visual arts, and frequent off-site trips that enhance and reinforce academic content. These emotional and physical memories help the children retain and appreciate more effectively what they have learned.
Notice of nondiscriminatory policy as to students: CHANCE Academy admits students of any race, color, gender, affectional orientation, and national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded to or made available to students at CHANCE. CHANCE does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, affectional orientation, national ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.