This information is for the Homestudy Pathway. To learn more about Cottonwood College Prep Academy’s Hybrid High School Pathway, please visit the CCPA website.
At Cottonwood you get to choose the learning methodologies, curriculum, and activities — all funded through your child’s Instructional Fund Budget.
1. We Take Time To Learn About You
Our in-depth intake process helps us get to know your entire family — family members, family structure, individual students. At Cottonwood, it is not “one size fits all.” We understand that every family has its own values and educational goals and that no two students are the same.
That’s why your homeschool teacher (HST) will work closely with you to curate the best curriculum for each child. You have options, and we help you shape up a learning program and approach that builds on your learner’s interests and needs. We meet your child where they are and help guide their learning appropriately. From subject matter to enrichment activities — we ensure holistic education that is the best fit for your child.
2. We Match You To A Credentialed Teacher
A whole-person education requires understanding and commitment. Once you’ve been partnered with an amazing, qualified, and experienced homeschool teacher (HST), your HST will learn all about your child, family, interests, and goals to partner with you to design a curriculum and approach that best meets your child’s needs and fits your family structure.
Our Cottonwood team of teachers are fully credentialed experts across a variety of subject areas. Even better, they are specially trained in homeschooling. In fact, most of our teachers have homeschooled their own children. They are not only experts in their field, they have firsthand insight into the challenges and benefits of learning outside the traditional classroom.
3. Use Instructional Funds With Our Easy Online System
The Cottonwood School allocates an instructional funds budget for each homeschooled child — $2400 for TK, $2,800 for grades K–8, and $3,200 for grades 9–12. You can use your budget to order many different enrichment tools, resources, and curriculum. Your child’s teacher will work with you to plan your spending to support your child’s educational goals.
The Cottonwood School offers hundreds of stimulating, engaging, and instructional resources, such as technology, access to sports, music, and many more types of classes and enrichment activities. Plus, our online ordering system makes it easy for you to request resources that will be delivered to you in the mail. We also have a huge selection of used curriculum materials available to borrow from our Lending Library at no cost.
4. You Choose Your Child’s Enrichment Activities
At Cottonwood, we believe that nourishing a natural interest in learning and developing whole-learner life skills sets the foundation for a successful future. We provide you with hundreds of stimulating resources, tools, and activities to keep your learner engaged and moving steadily forward toward your family’s educational goals.
Does your child want to play piano? Master horseback riding? Learn computer coding? Write poetry? With your Instructional Fund Budget, you can choose from hundreds of vendors to develop a curriculum that feeds your child’s mind, body, and spirit. And we’re here to help you each step of the way!
5. Our Homeschool Teacher Works With You
Cottonwood has hundreds of credentialed experts. What’s more, most of our homeschool teachers have firsthand experience homeschooling their own children. You can count on your child’s HST giving their best to ensure your young learner is getting the maximum benefit from their curriculum and make sure goals are met.
At least every 20 days or sooner, you meet with your teacher to find out specifically what’s working, what challenges are coming up, and where your child or family needs support. Our teachers are dedicated to each child’s education and you can reach out to them whenever you need them. You are not alone while homeschooling through Cottonwood.
6. Take Advantage Of Community Activities
An individualized homeschool program can make learning joyful, but you can also feel isolated. That’s why The Cottonwood School’s holistic educational approach emphasizes community. We offer multiple opportunities for students, parents, families, and educators to interact around mutual interests.
Through weekly virtual and in-person field trips, park days, special events, parent education workshops, and wellness programs, to name a few, the Cottonwood community grows stronger. Not only do children form friendships, families connect, and parents find like-minded people to share the homeschooling experience, but our large, supportive community contributes deeply to the confidence and kindness that each child brings into their future.