From Homeschool to University (Céline's story)

From Homeschool to University (Céline's story)

In 2017 Céline graduated homeschooled high school.

Céline did not follow a school-at-home approach to high school, nor did she have any particular post-secondary goal. Because of this unique situation I defined some graduation requirements when she was 16 to provide a framework for her last two years of high school and to make sure she'd have the minimum academic requirements for future studies, should she choose that route. In many areas her skills and experiences far exceeded "minimum requirements" - in design & textiles, computer programming, and literature, for example.

Those graduation requirements were a list of certain projects and experiences we wanted Céline to have; habits and disciplines for her to work on; required reading (of a certain scope and subject matter); and the acquisition of fundamental math, history, science and technology, written communication, and civic skills necessary to function and participate in a 21st century Canadian context.

Many of these requirements had been fulfilled already with her previous work, studies and play, but the rest were completed (more or less, some of my ideas were a bit ambitious and unnecessary) by the summer of 2017, and thus she graduated.

And then she started working as a self-employed web developer and designer, work she had trained for during her high school years under her Dad's mentoring.

This series of posts is the story of what happened next.


Here are a selection of posts from Céline's high school and post-high school years.

The portal to all my homeschool posts and homeschool resources, including courses and teachings I offer, can be found on Homeschool Help.


As we finish homeschooling 3 kids through high school

As we finish homeschooling 3 kids through high school

I don't have the same sparkly idealism. (It's fun! It's easy!) What I have instead is years of experience that have confirmed what was once just theory - it's possible to do something different with education and to build the kind of relationships I envisioned for family life.

A portfolio application to university

A portfolio application to university

The portfolio (not to be confused with the artistic portfolio) explained and showcased all the elements of Celine's high school education - projects, courses, hobbies and personal pursuits, and employment-related learning.

On her way to university

On her way to university

We didn't have an expectation that Céline would start university straight out of high school, or that she'd go to university at all. But last year she set a course for costume design programs.