We are in the midst of an Education Revolution and many families are now looking for alternative education options for their children. Orange County is full of diverse education options and it is our goal to help every family find a program that will help their child flourish!
As long-time homeschool parents, and school choice advocates, we know that every child has unique needs and should have an educational experience that encourages their natural curiosities and supports them in their learning journey.
We've compiled a collection of resource pages for each of the main alternative education options for families in Orange County, California. We've included a brief description of that particular educational option, along with a link to its separate page on our website.
Non-traditional educational options included on this page with separate links include:
Charter Schools that serve Orange County students.
Homeschool Programs offered by School Districts & County Offices of Education in Orange County.
Homeschooling & Unschooling Learning Centers in Orange County
Non-Traditional Private Schools that Serve Orange County students.
Nature Schools & Programs in Orange County
Please take some time to read about these options, and visit the websites for the programs that seem like the best fit for your child. We recommend you contact each school or program, ask plenty of questions, and take an in-person or virtual tour of their facility/program, to help you determine if it's going to be a good fit for your family.
If you need more hands-on help, we offer School Choice Consulting Services where you can work one on one with us to determine the program that will work best.
*Please note that these resource pages are not comprehensive or complete. We'll continue to add more resources as we find them. These are living documents that will be updated periodically. If you have any resources to share with us, please email them to us at info@homeschoolconcierge.com
CHARTER SCHOOLS THAT SERVE ORANGE COUNTY STUDENTS
Charter schools are publicly funded independent schools established by teachers, parents, or community groups under the terms of a charter with a local authority. They are technically public schools and as such, they have to follow the rules governed by the school districts that establish the state law. However, they are usually designed with the needs of their learning communities in mind, and provide unique programs and flexibility not typically found within traditional district-run public schools. The charter school model empowers schools to provide innovative, high-quality programs and gives teachers the autonomy to design a classroom that fits their students' needs.
We've created a separate page for our list of charter schools that serve Orange County students. Please view that list here: https://www.homeschoolconcierge.com/single-post/charter-schools-that-serve-orange-county-students
What you'll find on our Orange County charter school page:
Full-time site-based charter schools
Full-time site-based charter schools whose mission is to serve unique populations
Part-time site-based programs offered by charter schools
Full-time independent study charter schools.
HOMESCHOOL & ALTERNATIVE ED. PROGRAMS OPERATED BY SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND COUNTY OFFICES OF EDUCATION IN ORANGE COUNTY
Many school districts and county offices of education offer alternative programs to students in their districts. These programs may include independent study as well as hybrid school options.
We've created a separate page for our list of charter schools that serve Orange County students. Please view that list here: https://www.homeschoolconcierge.com/single-post/alternative-education-programs-operated-by-school-districts-in-orange-county
HOMESCHOOLING & UNSCHOOLING LEARNING CENTERS AND COMMUNITY CENTERS IN ORANGE COUNTY
Homeschooling and unschooling learning centers and community centers are privately run organizations that serve their local homeschool communities in a variety of unique ways!
We've created a separate page for our list of homeschooling and unschooling learning centers and community centers that serve Orange County students. Please view that list here: https://www.homeschoolconcierge.com/single-post/homeschool-learning-community-centers-in-orange-county
NON-TRADITIONAL PRIVATE SCHOOLS THAT SERVE ORANGE COUNTY STUDENTS
A private school is a private business or nonprofit entity that offers or conducts full-time instruction with a full complement of subjects at the elementary, middle, or high school level. Private schools function outside the jurisdiction of the California Department of Education (CDE) and most state education regulations. Private schools do not participate in California’s educational accountability system and are directly accountable to students and their parents or guardians, based on the terms of the private school enrollment contract.
We've created a separate page for our list of non-traditional private schools that serve Orange County students. Please view that list here: https://www.homeschoolconcierge.com/single-post/private-schools-psps
What you'll find on our Orange County private school page:
Non-Traditional Site-Based Private Schools
Homeschool Private School Satellite Programs (PSPs) with Onsite Classes
Administrative PSPs (those with high-school specialization listed separately)
NATURE SCHOOLS & PROGRAMS IN ORANGE COUNTY
Nature schools and programs may be full-time or part-time. They may or may not change locations depending on the season and the topic of outdoor study. They are a unique alternative schooling option that is growing in popularity, so we opted to highlight them separately from other site-based programs.
We've created a separate page for our list of nature schools and programs that serve Orange County students. Please view that list here: https://www.homeschoolconcierge.com/single-post/nature-schools-programs-in-orange-county
Misc Resources, Including Non-Traditional Educational Resource Lists/Websites
Tutoring Services based in Orange County
TLP Education (Aliso Viejo) - Started in 2012 as The Language Planet and specializing in foreign languages, TLP Education has now grown to offer tutoring and college prep packages in addition to language instruction. They offer after-school language classes, private and group tutoring sessions, and international student camps to encourage and inspire confidence and learning. Their college counseling program helps parents and students prepare and plan for college. They can meet in your home, coffee shops, libraries, and rec rooms. Online tutoring and classes are available.
Non-Traditional Educational Resources Lists/Websites
AERO - Alternative Education Resource Organization - Visit this link to view a listing of schools and organizations that are members of AERO’s international network of education alternatives. These schools and organizations generally have in common a learner-centered approach to education. Members include K-12 schools, colleges, homeschool resource centers, and other organizations.
Please contact us at Info@HomeschoolConcierge.Com if you have any questions or information to share about any of the resources we've listed here. And thank you for being a valued member of our community!