The Open School

Specialties

The Open School is unlike any other school. We begin with the reality of the student: what are their passions, what motivates them, what creates meaning in their lives? We don’t seek to change students; we know how amazing they already are. We facilitate their growth by sitting along side them.

We describe our curriculum as the practice of freedom and responsibility. Freedom means that students are never coerced to think or behave in a certain way. They are free to live according to their own conscience and interests, and design their own curricula and daily routines. Responsibility means that students learn self-​discipline by practicing it daily. They focus deeply on their passions, set their own pace, and are responsible for their own outcomes. They are held responsible for their decisions, expected to take care of themselves and their environment, and given the power to truly have a voice in the school.

This is learning by living in a community of respect.

History

Established in 2015.

Beginning in 2012, a group of educators came together around the dream of a free democratic school in Orange County. Over three years of founding, the Open School’s philosophy coalesced, influenced by free democratic models, restorative justice circles, world-​schooling philosophy, and a fundamental belief in the dignity and agency of young people. In 2015, the Open School opened its’ full time program for the first time ever, and is working towards expansion and a larger campus in the central county area.