If you’re exploring learning options for your child, you might be looking for something that feels more personalized than the public school approach. Maybe your child learns best through curiosity, conversation, hands-on experiences and real life. Or maybe your family is ready for a learning path that feels more flexible and connected.
At SelfDesign, learning is deeply personal, evolving through relationships, reflection and real-life experiences. Because every learner and every family is different, SelfDesign offers two learning pathways: SelfDesign® Learning Community (SDLC) and SelfDesign® Home Learning (SDHL).
Both programs are rooted in learner-centred values, but they are different in structure, support, assessment and outcomes.
What is the SelfDesign Learning Community (SDLC)?
SelfDesign Learning Community (SDLC) is our online school, which offers your child a personalized and flexible approach to learning. It is a designated independent B.C. Provincial Online Learning School (POLS-I) l for learners in Kindergarten to Grade 12. SDLC operates under the BC Ministry of Education and Child Care and is recognized as a school under the School Act.
That means SDLC offers the flexibility and learner-centred approach SelfDesign is known for, while also providing the structure and requirements of a school program.
What is SelfDesign Home Learning (SDHL)?
SelfDesign Home Learning (SDHL) is our home learning option for families who want to homeschool independently.
In SDHL, families register as homeschoolers under the School Act, but SDHL is not a school program. The Ministry of Education is hands-off, and families take full responsibility for their child’s learning.
SelfDesign still offers optional resources, community connections and enrichment opportunities, but SDHL does not include formal assessment, educator oversight or graduation credentials.
Who leads and supports your child’s learning?
One of the biggest differences between SDLC and SDHL is who supports the learning journey.
In SDLC, families learn with support from an educator
In SDLC, learners and families work with BC-certified educators, called learning consultants. Learning consultants build relationships with the family (or more-so the learner in later grades), support learning plans and help families observe and document learning over time.
This creates a shared approach: families are deeply involved, but they are not doing it alone. SDLC is designed to support learners with both freedom and guidance, especially as learning becomes more complex in the later grades.
In SDHL, families learn independently
In SDHL, learning is fully parent-led. There is no learning consultant overseeing learning or assessing progress. Parents take full responsibility for guiding learning, choosing resources, and supporting the learner’s growth.
SDHL is often a great fit for families who feel confident leading learning at home and want maximum flexibility without school-based requirements.
How is learning assessed in each program?
Assessment is another major difference between the two programs, and it often shapes how learning feels day to day.
SDLC includes formal assessment and curriculum mapping
Through ongoing communication, observation and reflection, learning consultants work alongside families and provide formal assessment mapped to the BC curriculum.
This can be especially supportive for families who want regular feedback, documentation support and a clear learning pathway, especially if graduation or post-secondary goals are part of the plan.
SDHL does not include assessment or curriculum requirements
In SDHL, there is no formal assessment, no curriculum mapping and no reporting to a school. Families can follow the learner’s interests without needing to meet school-based outcomes.
For many families, this is the heart of SDHL: learning can be guided by curiosity, family values and everyday life rather than deadlines or formal requirements.
What is the final learning outcome for each program? (And what is commencement?)
If your family is considering long-term goals, such as post-secondary pathways, it’s important to understand the differences in outcomes between the programs.
SDLC includes commencement and graduation credentials
Commencement is the celebration that marks a learner’s completion of their learning journey through SDLC. Depending on their path, learners may earn one of the following credentials:
-
- BC Dogwood Graduation Certificate
- Adult Dogwood
- School Completion Certificate
For many families, commencement is meaningful because it recognizes a learner’s journey and achievements while also supporting future steps, like college, university or career training.
SDHL does not include graduation credentials
In SDHL, there is no commencement, and learners do not earn Ministry-recognized credits through SelfDesign. SDHL is designed for families who do not need school-based credentials through this program.
Lori Bender, SelfDesign Home Learning Coordinator, explains this clearly for families planning ahead:
“As a home-schooling option, SelfDesign Home Learning does not lead to a Dogwood Diploma. The way grades 10 to 12 are set up in SelfDesign Learning Community supports this path to completion, so if the diploma is important to your family, I recommend checking out the SelfDesign Learning Community full-time program beginning in grade 9 to support this goal.”
What supports and services are available?
At SelfDesign, inclusivity and accessibility matter. We know learners thrive when they feel safe and supported, not only academically but also emotionally and socially.
SDLC supports can include:
SDLC offers access to educator guidance, inclusive learning support, and additional services to meet diverse learning needs. Families can also receive support for building long-term learning plans and exploring post-secondary pathways.
SDHL supports look different:
In SDHL, families are responsible for finding and organizing extra supports independently. SelfDesign may offer optional resources and community activities, but SDHL does not include formal school-based supports in the same way SDLC does.
What does learning feel like in each program?
Both programs support learner-centred, self-directed learning. The difference is the level of structure around that learning.
In SDLC, learning is self-directed, with tailored support
In SDLC, learners follow their interests and passions, while staying connected to their learning consultant and the wider learning community. Learning can include individual projects, community learning opportunities and optional group activities (sometimes even in person!).
SDLC is designed to support long-term learning pathways, including graduation and post-secondary planning, while maintaining meaningful, relationship-based learning.
Former learner, Madelaine, describes how SDLC offered both freedom and structure:
“At SelfDesign, I always felt supported by my learning consultants and by the wider community. There was always a way to create the kind of learning experience I wanted while still meeting the requirements to go on to university after graduation, as was my plan.”
In SDHL, learning is family-led, with maximum flexibility
In SDHL, parents guide the learning path and families have full flexibility to shape learning around their lifestyles, interests and values. There is no pressure to align learning to curriculum outcomes or prepare for commencement.
Home Learning parent, Sylvia, shares what that flexibility made possible:
“We have enjoyed the gift of time, having the flexibility to volunteer in our community, join clubs, build things, play music… or just sit in the treehouse and muse on a sunny afternoon,” Sylvia shares. “We have had the freedom both to dabble and to dive deep, to partake of the buffet of knowledge in the way that best suited each child.”
Homeschooling parent, Christina Hagemann, also values the freedom and low-pressure pace of home learning:
“From an academic standpoint, I love that [my children] can go where they want to go. If my son wants to learn a program in Python, there’s nobody there saying no, and my daughter doesn’t have to wait to be in the right grade [to do specific lessons or activities].”
So which program is best for your family?
Choosing between SDLC and SDHL depends on what kind of support, structure and outcomes your family wants.
SDLC may be the best fit if your family wants:
-
- A self-directed learning approach with the support of a BC-certified educator
- Ongoing formal assessment and feedback
- A pathway towards commencement
- Support planning for post-secondary goals
SDHL may be the best fit if your family wants:
-
- Independence and freedom in how learning happens
- Maximum flexibility and control over learning pace and structure
- Learning without formal assessment or credentials
- A parent-led learning lifestyle built around interests and family rhythms
How both programs align with SelfDesign’s values
Both SDLC and SDHL are rooted in SelfDesign’s learner-centred philosophy. In both pathways, learners are encouraged to explore their curiosities, follow meaningful interests and build a learning life that reflects who they are.
Most importantly, SelfDesign values learning that is grounded in relationship. That relationship might be between the learner and their learning consultant, within the wider learning community, or between parent and child through home learning.
There is no single “right” way to learn. The best choice is the one that supports your child’s growth, your family’s values and your learning goals, now and in the years ahead.
