The SelfDesign Enrolment Blog Series Part 1

Enrolment for SelfDesign®’s 2020/21 learning year has begun. As of March 19, families of learners who are participating in the current learning year can apply to continue their SelfDesign journey in September. Families of learners who will be new to SelfDesign in the new learning year can begin the enrolment process on April 2, 2020.

With SelfDesign, learners from kindergarten through grade 12 join in designing their own learning – customizing how and what they will learn based on their own interests, curiosities, and goals. Our program is inspired by a model of inclusivity and diversity, and we provide the right mix of individualized learning planning, support, and adaptations to enable all learners across the program to succeed.

As SelfDesign Enrolment Team member Michelle Quesnel-Tosney says, SelfDesign is “a community that offers such a unique educational experience to all types of learners…. It is amazing to be a part of such a nurturing and supportive program.”

Because of our unique approach to learning, our programs are popular. In the current learning year, more than 2,000 learners from across B.C. enrolled with SelfDesign Learning Community, and we expect a similar number in the 2020/21 learning year. To avoid disappointment, we encourage you to submit your SelfDesign enrolment application as early as possible.

We know there’s a lot to prepare to get an application together. We know the application process can be long, with multiple steps. We know families have to consider many different things to determine if SelfDesign is the right fit for their children and their families and to prepare for a SelfDesign learning year. To help you sort through it all, we have prepared a series of blog posts about the things families have asked us to provide more information about earlier in the enrolment process. Please stop by the SelfDesign Blog and our Enrolment webpage over the next few weeks to learn more about enrolling at SelfDesign, about preparing for the new learning year, and about the opportunities and people you will encounter.

To get you started, please note the following important information:

Enrolment at SelfDesign is staggered. Learners who were enrolled in SelfDesign in 2019/20 can re-enrol immediately. Families of learners who are new to SelfDesign can start enrolling April 2, 2020. You can enrol here.

If you plan to enrol for the 2020/21 learning year, please do so as soon as possible. We expect enrolment to fill quickly, and learners on our waitlists have priority.

Our grade 10-12 program is very popular and often fills up by the end of August. If you have a learner who will be starting grade 10 in August, be sure to enrol as soon as possible. You can enrol by visiting our enrolment page.

Our Support Services currently has a waitlist. SelfDesign Support Services for kindergarten to grade 12 has been shown to be very effective at helping learners and families who need additional supports to achieve their learning goals. The Support Services team includes over 65 B.C. certified educators with training ranging from advanced university degrees in special education to certifications in specific learning techniques. Because the number of available qualified educators limits the number of learners we can accept in Support Services each year, we recommend that you initiate the Support Services Intake process for your child as soon as possible. Start the process here.

Please submit complete enrolment applications. Incomplete applications or applications missing required documents will hold up your application process. If a member of our Enrolment Team contacts you for more information, please respond as promptly as possible.

The 2020/21 learning year begins August 30, 2020.

For answers to more frequently asked questions about SelfDesign, please visit our FAQ page.

If you have questions about enrolment, please contact enrolment@selfdesign.org.

For information about the SelfDesign Learning Community kindergarten to grade 12 program, SelfDesign’s inclusive and fully integrated Support Services for learners with special needs in kindergarten to grade 12, or the SelfDesign HomeLearners’ Network, please explore our programs and services here.

And remember to check back with the SelfDesign Blog next week for part 2 in our series about enrolling at SelfDesign.