This diploma program serves out-of-school 15-to-20-year-old parents living in Waldo or Knox County. Students hear about us from a social service agency, public school, friend, teacher/counselor, or brochure. There are no set terms or semesters. Openings occur throughout the year when students graduate or leave the program. Meetings are initially held in students' homes and may move into the community as lessons are developed. New students complete an initial interview covering all aspects of their life experiance. We also assess their math, and reading skills.
The program is modelled after the Walkabout Curriculum created by Maurice Gibbons of Vancouver and used in several American public and private school programs designed by Arnie Langberg. The metaphor of the walkabout compares high school to the rite of passage in aboriginal Australia. The outback becomes the greater commmunity in which those making the journey to adulthood practice the core skills of the culture. Isolated in rural or town settings by limited mobility, our students have had to develop skills in order to survive and to nurture their children. Capabilites acquired in other schools, agencies, and life experiences are translated into credits for academic, personal, and life skills.
Students work at their own pace to demonstrate twenty-two core skills, meeting with a Community School teacher at least once a week and with tutors and other support people and services. Finally in The Passage students self-design, conduct, monitor, assess, and present individualized learning projects that challenge themselves. In this stage, students direct their own learning with the teacher serving as an assistant. After successful completion of a Passage a student graduates. The Passages Program is designed to be experiential with lessons built on what is going on in a student's life. Students benefit from extreme flexibility in scheduling and lesson design. They experience long-term, caring relationships with their teacher, who is instructor, guide, resource provider, and trusted ally. Most importantly, school comes to them along with reimbursement for child care and transportation. Eventually, students spend increasing time in the community at large and meet monthly for workshops and group events at the Community School.
