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By Molly Macek
Michigan’s education landscape is evolving in response to parents’ growing demand for more diverse learning options. Innovative, alternative educational models are emerging to give parents more choices for meeting their children’s unique needs.
In West Michigan, families can find unconventional learning approaches for their children thanks to a variety of models that have opened in recent years. Blue Bridge School, founded by Candis Ogilvie, provides flexible programs for students who are homeschooling or looking to supplement their learning with real-world, hands-on experiences. Ogilvie uses a community-based educational framework that fosters skill-building through collaboration and self-directed learning.
Thrive Learning Center, founded by Melissa VanTil and Amanda VanderWall, offers a student- centered, play-based model for children in grades K through 8. Its flexible schedule and mixed-age classrooms attract families seeking unconventional approaches that address their particular needs.
Parents of young children who love exploring the outdoors can also send their kids to TreeSchool, where learning takes place year-round at a park. This multi-age program for kids ages 3 to 8 uses nature and exploration to develop students’ skills and cultivate a love of learning.
In Kalamazoo, high school students can learn valuable career and life skills at Education in Action, a project-based learning model at Heritage Christian Academy. Ninth graders learn to run a sustainable business by operating a greenhouse, marketing their plant products and engaging with the community. The innovative A+ Greenhouse program is run by a teacher with an engineering background. She integrates the core subjects of science, math, economics and English.
In Detroit, homeschooling parents can receive free coaching and access to community resources by joining Engaged Detroit, a co-op foundedby Bernita Bradley. They can also enroll their young children in Every Child is a Genius, an affordable early learning center founded by Highland Park’s Boniswa Brock. The school’s evidence-based approach fosters problem-solving through a hands-on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) curriculum.
Across the state, educational options are expanding as parents demand better choices for their children. The Mackinac Center is committed to ensuring greater access to alternative learning models for families who want flexible and individualized approaches that help their children thrive.
