About LEAD
Empowering tomorrow’s leaders through faith-based educational enrichment and service
LEAD is a two-day-a-week drop-off program developed to come alongside and lighten the load of home educators while enriching the educational journey, unique giftedness, and spiritual development of each and every child (ages 4 through 11). The program meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:45am to 3:15pm from the end of August through mid-May (34 weeks).
At LEAD we seek to educate the whole child by incorporating the philosophy of education of Charlotte Mason, an English educator from the turn of the twentieth century. In her words, “Education is an Atmosphere, a Discipline, a Life.” She advocated the use of “living books” rather than what she called “twaddle,” books written by committee, devoid of all passion and story. She used narration, the telling back of pertinent facts in the child’s own words, making the story his/her own. Ms. Mason knew the value of the outdoors, the freedom to run and play, noticing nature around us. She emphasized the habits of full attention, best effort, and learning for the sake of learning. She believed that persons yearned for things beyond themselves, recognizing their need for a Savior.
More information about this approach to education can be found in the book, For the Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay.
Our program currently offers three classes: 4-6yo (Listos), 6-8yo (Lucidos), and 8-10yo (Lectores). As you can see, these are not hard and fast divisions but are determined by each child’s academic and emotional development. Currently, our Listos class only meets for half-day; however, that could change in future years.
Our instructors have among them over three decades of home and public teaching experience. In addition to arranging educationally enriching experiences and service projects, they provide a hands-on science and history curriculum (with extra subject reading recommended or assigned at home). They also are readily available to assist parents in curriculum decisions and provide encouragement as desired.
For maximum effectiveness, our typical student/teacher ratio is 12:1, with assistance from college interns, as available.
LEAD is tuition-based; however, we endeavor to keep tuition low to accommodate as many families in the valley as possible. Following the example of many home education enrichment programs, charter schools and Christian schools, we seek to defray costs by incorporating an annual mandatory volunteer requirement with a buy-out option. Parents of full day students donate ten hours per child or buy out of their volunteer time by paying an annual fee of $200 per child (10 hours valued at $20/hr.). Parents of half-day students donate five hours per child or buy out of their volunteer time by paying an annual fee of $100 per child (5 hours valued at $20/hr.).
Tuition for parents contributing volunteer hours for the 2023-2024 academic year is $2,400 per full-day student and $1,350 per half-day student. No sibling discounts are possible at this time; however, a parent-led fundraising team has been assembled to help with this concern.
Please feel free to contact LEAD at leaddirector.lfm@gmail.com for more information