So my dad and I have been granted an amazing opportunity. It’s a really long story, but in short, for the 2016-2017 year- we have the opportunity to travel. Most likely we’ll be at refugee camps around Europe, and some in Africa. I’m a junior in high school, so this would have to be when I’m a senior…Is it possible to do this and still graduate with the class of '17? And also, is this even possible? How would I work this out?
Thanks!
I am not an expert, but I homeschool and do know quite a few homeschoolers, including a couple of traveling families. I think you would need to contact homeschool programs and see if you can enroll for your senior year and get your diploma through them. They would probably want your HS records and then they would issue you a transcript and diploma after senior year. With these types of programs, you will need to submit work online to be graded and recorded for credit. I think it’s possible, but you’ll have to do your homework. If you want to apply to colleges you will need a transcript and also to take standardized tests. Among the HS kids I know, there is a national merit scholar and tons going to college. It can be done, but you have to make sure you research and plan. Good luck!
One thing you might try is to find a distance program that would allow you to work outside of the country. For example, you might look into Oak Meadow, which is distance education, but not online, so you can work from abroad. I know there are other schools as well, but I mention Oak Meadow because they have been around a long time. I use their curriculum for my 8th grader.
I am sure there are other programs as well. Other folks might be able to suggest some.
Thanks guys! I’ll definitely look into oakmedow…are there any other distance learning programs that are reputable?
The short answer is, yes, it is possible. But there are multiple issues you need to consider. First, do you want or need an accredited diploma. Most homeschoolers do not have one and have no issues when applying to college. If you want your coursework overseen by an accredited program, you are going to have to have access to either the Internet or reliable mail service (which based on your description sounds doubtful.) There are other programs besides Oak Meadow which offer accredited classes. Kolbe, Seton, Abeka, Laurel Springs, Calvert are just a few. But you really need to see if you can meet their requirements for having your work assessed.
You can homeschool independently and complete your credits unaccredited and then your father would be responsible for assessing your work, providing your grades, and your 12th grade transcript as well as having to act as your guidance counselor for college apps. Any boxed curriculum can be used this way (meaning any provider. There are so many homeschool curriculum providers that a Google search will give you pages of options. Sonlight, Kolbe, Seton, etc can all be used independently.
Another option is to build your own high school courses independently. Know the classes you would have planned on taking and then find the resources to use to satisfy the course. This is how we homeschool. Self-designed courses with no accreditation. To simplify, you might want to use pre-planned courses interchanged based on your needs for example Kolbe’s history and lit, but Oak Meadow’s science and math, etc.
Another issue to keep in mind is how this will impact applying for college. You might need to plan on a gap yr afterward and apply during the gap yr. (sounds totally worth it for the experience!)
There are also different regulations depending on state of residence. Some states have more regulations than others. You might want to post which state you are in to see if any parents on the board can offer you specific information on regulations.
You also may want to consider if you want to look into religious or secular curriculums or programs. For example Oak Meadow is secular while Abeka is Christian. If looking into boxed vs distance, there are also differences in secular vs Christian options.
Just some more thoughts.
If she is living internationally, she will not be under the law of any US state. since she will not be forming a permanent residence in any one place and moving from location to location, she most likely will not be under any local countries’ laws either.
Kolbe is fairly easy to use secularly. Many of Sonlight’s selections are secular. Abeka is most decidedly not. I don’t about Laurel Springs.
Another thing the OP might want to consider is if living overseas might impact instate residency requirements for colleges. I am not sure how that works.