Homeschooling is awesome.
homeschooling in community is a life-changing experience where education, travel adventure, growth, connection, and discovery all converge.
Cottonwood NYC is home to a tight-knit group of homeschooling families. who value community-oriented, hands-on experiences and project-based learning. We currently host two cohorts, a primary group ages 5 - 10 and an upper group of learners ages 11 - 14. We are always looking to expand our community!
We have part-time options, in-person classes and a virtual platform. Contact team@cottonwoodnyc.org with any questions and to get involved.
Elements that ground our work together:
Scholarship
Academic work at Cottonwood is pursued daily via a number of curated curriculums to support learners in mastering academic skills at their own pace.
Genius Hour
Learners choose a project to pursue over the course of a six week period. At the end, everyone showcases their work to their peers.
Long Term Project Work
Each semester, facilitators lead learners through an independent project on a shared topic and framework. This in-depth project work covers curricular areas such as entrepreneurship, research, scientific inquiry and history.
*to see some examples of long term projects click here
Open Studio
Learners pursue an intention or project of their choosing in our resource rich learning environment.They have access to sewing machines, computers, art materials and more.
Classes
Learners have access to experts, sometimes through a recurring class offered at Cottonwood and others by going into the community to find the right space and educator.
Field Experiences
Learning happens everywhere! We intentionally leave the familiar grounds of our community and pursue experiences in the natural and cultural landscape around us. Field Days are some of the most exciting and valuable days for connection and learning.
Community Caretaking
Our community shows great respect for ourselves, each other and our space. Each learner plays a role in caring for their community members and the spaces they occupy. Our mantra is to “make it beautiful for the next person.”
Culture Building
Our culture building tools support young people in being curious, kind and self-aware.
Cottonwood is founded on the belief that humans are naturally curious and the drive to pursue our own interests should be at the heart of our learning experiences. Facilitators foster that curiosity, trusting the learner will gain the skills they require when they are fueled by their passions. Each young person has the opportunity to fulfill their own creative ideas everyday and learns to know, trust and communicate their individual limits.
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
Our Cottonwood community is focused on the principles of trust, access, and responsibility. As a nonprofit, we are primarily supported through the membership fees paid by our families.
Cottonwood NYC
Monday-Friday
9:00-2:30
(doors open at 8:45)
Annual Tuition = $17,000
(September - June)
Part-Time Options:
2 Days per Week = $8,500
3 Days per Week = $12,500
Out of our commitment to maintain an inclusive community, the learning center provides a tuition range for financial equitability. In order to maintain and diversify access to our community and its resources, we depend on families that have the means to pay full tuition and other funding sources that allow us to offer reduced tuition prices. Reduced tuition will be offered as funds are available.
As we grow, we try to balance accessibility with sustainability. We are always looking at our tuition process to make sure we’re being responsible to our current families and to the future health of the program. There is a space on the application for you to share details about your membership offer.