Yellowwood Learning Community

What is Yellowwood Learning Community?

Yellowwood Learning Community is a homeschool enrichment program, with classes for students ages 4 years old to high school.

What is homeschooling?

Homeschooling is when your child is registered as a student that learns at home, under the supervision of their parents, instead of in a public, charter, or private school setting. In a homeschooling situation, parents are fully responsible for their child’s education, grades, transcripts, and graduation.

You can learn more about North Carolina homeschooling requirements here.

What is homeschool enrichment?

Homeschool enrichment is a program that offers academics, support services, socialization, extra-curricular activities, specialty classes/workshops, etc. to families who choose to homeschool. This is supplemental to any schooling you do at home.

Is Yellowwood a school?

No, Yellowwood is not a school and is not a substitute for school. It is a program that supplements your schooling at home.

If Yellowwood is not a school, what is it?

We are a membership program/homeschool community that provides classes, events, workshops, and enrichment activities for the homeschool community.

What is a membership program?

Our membership program offer rates for semester or yearly programs that allow parents the flexibility to join in classes and events during the time they are a member. You choose the membership tier that is best for your family. We do not have class or attendance requirements.

Is Yellowwood a homeschool coop?

A homeschool coop is a group of parents who come together to teach their children together. Parents often share teaching duties, meet at each other’s homes or church, and combine efforts to provide a shared educational philosophy with their children.

Yellowwood is a membership-based center that offers classes and activities for homeschooling families. This is different from a coop.

Is Yellowwood a charter school?

Yellowwood is not a charter school. Charter schools, while specialized, are public schools and are funded and governed as such.

Are parents required to volunteer?

We have no volunteer requirements, but do have many parents who provide specific services and come to volunteer at events.

Does Yellowwood offer scholarships?

Yellowwood has a small scholarship programs for our families who have fallen on hard times. Additionally, we offer a barter/pay program for parents that wish to lower their membership costs by offering their service to Yellowwood programs.

Is Yellowwood a secular or religious-based program?

Yellowwood is a secular program and has no affiliation with any religious organization.

Does Yellowwood offer trial days?

All of our programs offer trial days. Trails are offered up to the last week of class and start again at the end of September. If you are interested in a trial for the following school year, we strongly suggest you schedule one prior to the end of the current year. Trials are not offered during the first month of class.

What programs does Yellowwood offer?

Yellowwood has three programs for students and families. Whimsical Wonderings is our elementary program, Branch Academy is a middle school program, and Yellowwood Teens is our high school program. You can learn more about each by following the above links.

Do middle and high school students meet together?

Understandably, middle and high school students want their own space. However, we often find that in the homeschooling community, attendance at homeschool programs drops in upper elementary and middle school, and even more so in high school. This leaves an age discrepancy when planning offerings.

Through Yellowwood’s Branch Academy, middle school students are given an option to attend Whimsical Wonderings, Yellowwood Teens, or both, bridging the gap between childhood and the teen years. At Yellowwood Teens, middle and high school students do meet on the same day, but offerings are divided to allow a separation in ages. Centers are offered for middle school students only, high school students only, or both. Centers for both groups are generally enrichment in nature, opposed to academic.

As our program grows, we look forward to having enough students and funding (for teachers and space) to provide classes for middle school and high school students in separate environments.

What kind of academic classes does Yellowwood provide?

In all of our programs, lead teachers curate curriculum, projects, hands-on activities, group work, and individualized learning around current students’ interest and needs. We are not your typical classroom, nor do we wish to be! Students are immersed in themes and units that incorporate language arts, math, history, social studies, sciences, nature studies, mindfulness, and more. Specific information on each program can be found by following the above links.

What is the Yellowwood’s philosophy on education?

We adhere to the following principles:

• A happy child, who feels safe and seen, learns best.
• Students who are exposed to core content will learn it when they are emotionally and academically prepared to do so.
• Students crave structure.
• Play is an important component to learning (especially in the early childhood years).
• Teens need time to be seen, heard, and to socialize.
• Children and teens need clear expectations.
• More lectures and/or homework does not necessarily make students learn faster or learn more, and often deters them from wanting to learn.
• Children (and teens) thrive with boundaries.
• Intrinsic motivation is the only motivation that works long-term.

Does Yellowwood give grades?

As a general rule, Yellowwood does not give grades or test students. As an enrichment program, we are here to enrich the educational lives of homeschooling students by introducing new ways to learn, build community, develop self-esteem, be mindful, and plant the seeds of life-long learning. As educators, we also know that grades and testing (as it is in today’s world) do not motivate students, but often hinders them. Yellowwood Academics classes, in our teen program, offer grades and work product based on certain criterial. Visit Yellowwood Teens to learn more.

How is student progress evaluated?

Students are evaluated on output, class participation, activities, projects, through conversation, and by a monitoring of their motivational efforts as engaged learners. We are always available to help you navigate the evaluation of your child’s progress and to provide feedback on how they are doing in our programs.

Who are the teachers and facilitators?

Our lead teachers are highly-qualified, certified, teachers with over 50 years of combined educational experience. They have a solid understanding of child development, curriculum, student needs, learning styles, homeschooling, and differentiation.

Facilitators bring specific skills to the classroom, with a background in the content they teach, as well as a solid history of working with students.

Additionally, we have staff on site that provide therapeutic support so that students’ emotional and academic needs can be met in a way that is most beneficial to their individual needs.

To learn more about our team, please visit our Team Page.

How do parents know what is going on at Yellowwood?

We are big on communication and we are here to answer questions. Parents receive numerous communications throughout the semester/year on what is happening in each of our programs. Additionally, our teachers are always available for a conversation (on the phone, at drop-off/pick-up, or in person). Additionally, projects and work product that can come home, will come home or be accessible to parents. Student work is kept on-site or sent home upon completion.

How does my child get “credit” for work done at Yellowwood?

How you track your child’s progress is completely up to you. That is one of the many joys of homeschooling. We suggest keeping a portfolio each year, of student work from all programs and home studies they complete, as an overview.

Homeschooling transcripts should be kept for teens with parent/program produced grades to show completion of courses and work-product during high school years.

Is Yellowwood right for my child?

If you are unsure of if Yellowwood is right for your child, please reach out. We are happy to schedule a call or visit so you can get your questions answered.

Why is the cost to join so expensive?

We have been told that cost has hindered people from joining, so we wanted to address the question, as well as explain where your money goes.

We work hard to keep prices low, and are actually a fraction of the cost of comparable programs. Additionally, we are one of the few programs that rents space (i.e. does not meet on family land or in homes). We do not rely on parent volunteers, and do our best to pay our teachers a livable wage.

Yellowwood requires no material fee or additional fees, so all pricing includes everything you need to enroll. There are not hidden fees. Your non-refundable deposit goes to the overall cost of membership.

What you are paying for:

• Our beautiful space!
  • 5 beautiful, private acres conveniently located in West Asheville
  • 2-story education building
  • Private, gated, parking lot
  • Nature Area with a 400 year old oak
  • Indoor and outdoor classroom space
  • Garden (in the works)
• Separate Elementary and Teen Programs/Days
• All materials included
• Certified lead teachers with over 50 years of combined experience
• Teachers and Staff with homeschool experience
• Staff that is well trained, versed, and experienced with students of all backgrounds and learning styles
• Extracurricular events
• A community-minded staff (Yellowwood community and WNC community)