Mission Statement
We help students and families experience the joy of learning and create meaningful change in the world.
Core Values
- We recognize and honor the unique and diverse capacities and interests of each student by offering a compassionate and personalized educational experience that nurtures the joy of learning and the unfolding of one’s true self.
- We are committed to cultivating diversity, inclusion, and equity within our community, and we aspire to an environment where each person is heard, valued, and engaged.
- We empower our students, families, and employees by providing an inspired and authentic approach to learning and work that fosters collaboration and creative problem solving.
- We cultivate wonder and appreciation of the natural world in order to inspire and support an understanding of how all life is interconnected and interdependent, and to create purposeful, innovative, just, and wise action.
- We strive to create financial stability and opportunities for the organization through equitable business practices that create value for the families we serve, foster the growth and fulfillment of our employees, and support the sustainability of local and global environments.
History
Lawrence and Bonnie Williams started Oak Meadow in 1975 when their own four children were young. With a dedicated group of parents and teachers, they opened a day school based upon a simple philosophy: Children are sensitive and intelligent, and learning should be enjoyable. For years everyone learned together, and the children developed creatively and intellectually.
After three years, the property Oak Meadow was leasing was sold to a developer, and the school community suddenly found itself without a building for the school. Lawrence and Bonnie began homeschooling their own children and developed homeschooling courses for parents and children based upon the same philosophy that had worked successfully in the day school. Their homeschooling approach was simple and natural, yet it proved to be very effective: give children a safe, nurturing environment; provide creative activities for head, hands, and heart; offer each student respect and time to unfold naturally. Parents followed this approach and found that it worked, and they told other parents.
For over 40 years, Oak Meadow has expanded considerably. Our homeschooling courses for preschool through high school are now used worldwide by thousands of families, and our original philosophy hasn’t changed. We believe that homeschooling can play a significant role in creating a better world by helping children become strong, creative, independent human beings. We are honored to be a part of the thriving homeschooling movement and to have been involved in the education of thousands of students from around the world.
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