You've explored our website.

You believe the Spokane Learning Co-op is a place where your child will thrive.

It's time to...

JOIN THE SPOKANE LEARNING CO-OP

The Fine Print right up front 

How to Join

EXPLORE our website in depth to see if we might be right fit for you and your child.

REVIEW the information on this page.

VISIT the Co-op during one of our Gatherings. Meet our members and facilitators. Spend time with us to get a feel for the atmosphere. Schedule your visit by contacting Katy at hello@spokanelearningcoop.org or 971 363 0792.

BEGIN the application process by filling out & submitting 2024-25 SLC Family Registration From.

We are Outdoors, Off-grid, and Screen-Free

The Spokane Learning Co-op gathers outdoors on ten acres in northeast Spokane. We provide families with a detailed required clothing list. Appropriate outdoor clothing is essential. You can also view our recommended clothing list here.

Ours is a very physically-oriented and active space. Kids run, jump, dance, dig, hike, climb, slide, balance, throw, bounce, and are overall very physically active every day.

Facilitators and participants will honor family boundaries but will not stop a child from climbing trees, wrestling, or other physical activities (as long as children are not hurting themselves or others) that some parents may find worrisome. We cultivate space to explore that allows children to learn how to trust their bodies and keep themselves safe. This requires adults to let go of their fear, worry, and anxiety about kids getting hurt beyond what is reasonable.

We recommend the book There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather: A Scandinavian Mom's Secrets for Raising Healthy, Resilient, and Confident Kids by Linda Åkeson McGurk.

Our Culture

We are a Self-Directed Education center. We do not use a curriculum, give grades, give assignments, give homework, or give exams. We do not separate kids by age or grade level. Kids are free to play and learn naturally, by pursuing their own interests according to their own development. We offer opportunities to try new things, but these are not required. Kids learn to trust themselves in a way that does not happen in conventional schools.

All programs are built on a culture of sociocracy, non-violent communication, and alternatives to violence. These practices are woven into how we relate to one another. Kids learn to express and communicate their feelings in healthy ways. Kids learn how to work together to solve any conflicts that arise.

The adults in our community are committed to unlearning our adultism and coercive “power-over” ideas that we absorbed during our own days in coercive schooling environments.

Most of our families are homeschoolers. If your children are 8 or older, you can become a homeschooler by filing a Declaration of Intent. Get your simple one-page form and easy instructions here. If your kids are under the age of 8, they are educationally free.

Who can join

We welcome children and teens if they, their parent(s)/guardian(s), and our program believe that the child or teen will thrive here.

Children being dropped off must be able to use the bathroom independently.

Children must be able to understand and follow Co-op and family boundaries (using some gentle reminders are fine). Examples of Co-op boundaries include: participating in creating and following our community rules. Examples of specific family boundaries include: using sunblock and not sharing food/specific food guidelines.

Registration may happen throughout the year, depending on availability.

Options, Schedules, & Tuition

We offer four options:

At the Spokane Learning Co-op, we are committed to an economically diverse community. As an co-op, we strive to provide financial aid to those in need. Please know that every dollar that we give in aid reduces the amount of resources we have to spend on salaries, improving our space, and/or purchasing resources for our members/students.

Keeping expense management and long-term pedagogical and financial sustenance in mind, the Spokane Learning Co-op is able to consider need-based scholarships on a case-by-case basis. If you love what we do, but our tuition would create a hardship, please reach out to hello@spokanelearningcoop.org.

Homeschool Co-op for Kids ages 0 to 18

Parents of kids ages 0 to 4 stay on site the entire time. Parents of kids ages 5 and up stay for a minimum of once a month.

Schedule Options:


Parent Participation Includes:


2024-2025 Tuition: 

Preschool Co-op for Kids 0 to 4

Parents stay every time and have a co-op job. Families bring their own snacks. Older siblings can join in at the same per child price.

Schedule Options:


Parent Participation Includes:


2024-2025 Tuition: 

Rolling Admission.

Kindergarten Co-op for Kids 5 to 7

Parents stay at least once a week and have a co-op job. A meal is included.

Schedule: Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.


Parent Participation Includes:


2024-2025 Tuition: $700/month for 10 months September-June (needs-base scholarships available). 

Rolling Admission.

Drop-in Sundays for Kids ages 0 to 18

Parents of kids ages 0 to 4 stay on site the entire time. Parents of kids ages 5 and up may choose to stay or drop-off.

Schedule: Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.


2024-2025 Tuition:


No need to register in advance. 

Why are we only offering part-time options, and when we'll be able to offer full-time options

Once we become a state-approved independent school, we will be able to also offer a full-time, Monday through Friday option. This process can take a year or longer. We plan to continue to offer our part-time programs once we become a full-time school. In the meantime, we're pleased to be able to offer part-time options. 

We are a Co-op so you get to join in on the fun too

In our talks with parents, the one thing we keep hearing over and over again is that we are all starved for community. The Spokane Learning Co-op is built on the idea of building a strong community with each other. That means that as a community, we are all committed to the successful operation of our program and to the ongoing creation and growth of our learning space. We are an intentional community committed to our collective learning and liberation. Family participation is required to create a healthy and strong community.

As we are a co-op, you as a parent or guardian get to participate too. Parents of children ages 0 to 4 stay on-site the entire time. Parents of children ages 5 and up stay on-site 25% of the time. For example, if your child attends the co-op once a week, we ask you to stay on-site to assist once a month. Wednesday and Friday families rotate cooking responsibilities.

All participating parents must pass a background check.

We are pleased to offer a family-friendly registration experience: just one Registration Form and one Registration Fee ($35) per family, regardless of the number of children.