Check Out Emily Maeda and Samantha Alvarado’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Maeda and Samantha Alvarado.

Hi Emily and Samantha, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
We were homeschooling and found the need for community and a shared educational vision, so in 2015 we pursued a classical hybrid model where we and several other homeschooling families worked together to resource and develop a curriculum for our community to enjoy together. When it became clear existing curriculum did not fit our needs, we began to write a curriculum to meet the needs of students from pre-k through high school.

In the lower school, the curriculum centers around to delight and wonder through singing, chanting, and observing not just the world around us but through time. With an emphasis on embodied learning and the liberal arts, we worked to extend wonder through the upper school where we pursue discussion-based learning with the hope of growing in wisdom through an integrated liberal arts program.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road. The reality of the work it takes to develop a school and the differences in philosophy and implementation proved to be challenging, especially among a group of independent homeschooling parents.

Developing the curriculum has been a massive undertaking as we have written a comprehensive program including 96 history songs chronicling world history, an interactive English grammar curriculum, and developing instructors to teach the material. We also experienced rapid growth which provided its own challenges.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
In the education world, Paideia is unique. There are plenty of co-ops where parents informally offer elective classes, there are part-time schools for homeschoolers with a la carte selections, and there are options for a liberal arts education in a traditional setting.

A full-bodied education in the liberal arts is difficult for homeschoolers to accomplish at home among a single family, and we provide the benefits of homeschooling and the benefits of community such as group discussion, debate, and presentation. Paideia’s cohesive curriculum builds upon itself from kindergarten to twelfth grade.

We are proud that Paideia has produced students who are curious, lifelong learners, thoughtful members of their larger communities, and humans who are able to respectfully engage in dialogue with others.

How can people work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
Paideia currently offers enrollment for homeschooling families at its Fort Collins location. Visit www.paideiacc.org for more information.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.paideiacc.org