Middle Age Homeschool Enrichment Program
Students will develop their own SMART goals. The group of children will collaborate and develop community SMART goals that are set by all the children through simple democratic majority. That is the fast and simple foundation of the program. The only time ANY screens are allowed is when they directly correlate to a SMART goal. Phones, computers, personal devices, video game systems are all prohibited unless they are providing a pre-approved SMART goal task. The community will be choosing books to read by simple majority for the book club. These are recommended for community building but not required. This is encouraged through "peer pressure" for all parents and students to try to participate in as many books as possible.
Sonder Life Learners is a self-directed enrichment program for homeschooled students ages 9 to 14, meeting Thursdays and Fridays, 11am–4pm, at Orca House in downtown Everett. Tuition is $65 per day, billed monthly. The program is designed to encourage the students to meet more often on a regular basis. As they learn how to manage schedules and plan ahead for needed social and learning time together.
Sonder is not a school, but an enrichment space for registered homeschoolers, with no assigned curriculum, grades, or assessments. Students direct their own learning through SMART goals, manage a shared budget, and make democratic decisions on real projects. Miss Christel facilitates, with voting shared among regular parent volunteers. Some boundaries, especially around technology use, are firmly set.
Each day includes free play and independent work in the morning, followed by self-directed individual time and collaborative group projects in the afternoon. Students eat on their own schedule and help manage a shared snack supply. The rhythm is predictable and flexible.
Optional community days offer students the chance to organized outings and social events, find chaperones/parent volunteers. Miss Christel is available every other Tuesday on a regular basis and will highly enourage the Students to organize a community outing on this day.
Skill-sharing and parent and student presentations are encouraged. This helps students practice public speaking and get to know the passions of the parents in the community and the other children.
Safety protocols for off-site activities are developed collaboratively by families and students through a shared committee. Plans are communicated to all families in advance.
Miss Christel does not assess or grade students. Students share their goals and progress with parents, and families handle all required homeschool assessments. Support is available for transcripts and graduation documentation as needed.
Consistent parent volunteers earn a vote in the group’s decisions. Family involvement in community days is valued but not required.
Sonder is best for any person who wants to learn how to direct their own time in a way that helps them be proud of themselves. Interest and willingness to participate are essential; mistakes are part of the process.
To inquire about enrollment, read the website, then email sonderlife4u@gmail.com with your child’s name, age, a short introduction, and what draws you to Sonder. Miss Christel will follow up to schedule a visit if it’s a good fit.
List of a few resources parents can read/watch/listen to in order to understand what Miss Christel uses to form the foundation of her knowledge that she uses to help student learn:
Math:
author: Jo Boaler (Limitless mind, mathematical mindset)
Reading/writing
Author: Penny Kittle (Book Love, write beside them)
Kelley Gallager
Building a system for Educating:
Author: John Holt (how children learn)
Democratically ran schools
A bit more poetry about this program:
Ages 10 to 14 are a hidden crossroads in childhood, a time when the brain is busy wiring up for big thinking, and social identity begins to bloom. Here, kids discover what they can do, who they are, and whether they can trust themselves.
This program is crafted with those pivotal years in mind.
Every Thursday and Friday, the Orca House in downtown Everett comes alive from 11am to 4pm. The heart of the program is simple: young people thrive when their work matters, when choices are real, and when the outcomes count. Instead of being shepherded through a rigid curriculum, kids here are given the reins to their environment, and, in the process, learn to trust themselves.
Here, democracy is not just a word, it is a daily practice. Students manage the budget, keep the lights on, and tackle the unglamorous jobs that come with a century-old building. They solve problems with creativity or elbow grease, organize parent volunteer days, and take on real projects. The first decision will be whether the children want a name for their program to set them apart from SLL or ORCA house. The first big project this summer will be replacing the shop roof. Some children, with parental consent, may want to physically help Jeff Hino (our resident maintenance man); others will help with the budget and finding the right place to purchase the supplies. Some kids may want to help organize and budget the food and drinks; there is a job for everyone who wants to participate. Miss Christel is a guide and a voter, not a ruler. Governance becomes a living skill, shaped by discussion, mistakes, and the pride of making things work.
Learning here channels the spirit of Miss Frizzle: dive in, get your hands dirty, make mistakes, and discover the answers. The approach is gentle and welcoming, but never shy. STEM pulses through every project—building, tinkering, and unraveling how things work. Storytelling stands shoulder to shoulder with science. From timeless tales to modern novels, stories are woven into hands-on adventures. The aim is for kids to think deeply, speak clearly, and craft a story about their journey and why it matters. To work together, sometimes submitting to the group's decision on what novel they will read or listen to this month, sometimes leading the debate, and getting their favorite book recognized and read.
Entertainment is genuinely valued here, and during program hours, it is protected from screens. Learning to entertain ourselves, pursuing mental happiness, not masking symptoms, and enjoying life without a device are skills that take cultivation and time. This generation, especially, needs this skill, and the program takes it seriously. Screens and technology are used only when they support real learning, like watching a YouTube tutorial to build a play structure or a film adaptation of a book the group just finished. Kids are encouraged to present proposals to the council of elders :) that fully presents their case, explaining how and why they need a specific program or technology and how it will be applied to their active goals. They need to understand what technology is, how it connects to their learning, and why it matters. This kind of explanation is part of the education. Entertainment screens during program hours are not up for a vote; that decision is Miss Christel's firm, dictatorial ruling….There will be very few of these… but more may be needed to keep the Flys from becoming little Lords. lol.
The program is designed to naturally extend into the rest of the week, while also allowing time for the kids to schedule their own lives outside this community and into the wider community. I am not working every other Tuesday and Wednesday, so gatherings supervised by me are optional, and student-led, not subject to tuition rates. A trip to a museum, on an off day, will be part of the home budget. A museum trip during Thursday and Friday class time will be included in the children's budget from the school fund. A budget and proposal will be prepared that ties external visits to a current project or educational need, and a written notification will be given to parents. Maybe the kids want to organize a Halloween party at someone's house, on an off day, or a community party at the school, a hot-tub hangout, a fundraiser, or a library deep-dive. Parents are welcome and encouraged to be part of this. Families who open their homes or volunteer consistently earn a vote in the democratic process alongside the students.
If you want to see if this program is right for your family, contact Miss Christel at sonderlife4u@gmail.com or text 360-556-3152.