The connection we share is stronger than our internet connection.
Quotes from our seniors (taken from video above)
When I think of this school, the first thing that pops in my mind is definitely friendship.
I have never received this kind of support from schools, and this makes it easier for me to excel or try my best in whatever I’m doing.
People always ask, what would happen to your social skills if you attend an online high school. To be honest they have improved 100%
About academics, in the past I used to compare myself with other people and value myself in accordance with how other students were. But now I don’t do that at all, and that’s mainly thanks to the school. I realize it’s pointless and senseless. For sure, there are other people who are better than me in doing something, but that doesn’t mean I’m not good enough or valuable. -H.S. Senior
Why Join Us?
- Broaden your horizons by connecting with like-minded teens from around the world (current students come from Europe, India, Iran and the United States)
- Study in small, live interactive groups (average 5-8 students per class)
- Balance and personalize the normal academic curriculum with activities like service projects and personal expertise
- Participate in annual, in-person Service Adventures
- Obtain an accredited high school diploma that can be used to attend colleges around the world
- Learn from teachers who are trained in the Education for Life principles
- Take advantage of an individualized approach that accommodates your interests, strengths and challenges
Personal and Academic Excellence
Personal Effort in a Chosen Discipline
We make sure that each teenager puts in the effort to attain a level of excellence in some part of life. Everyone has different talents, and it should be the role of the high school to help students identify these areas of interest and then provide the support to develop these talents. In this way, each teen can establish a meaningful basis for self-confidence and respect, tools that are essential in contending with the strong currents of peer pressure they face. The possibilities are as varied as the students and have included everything from singing, to cooking, to mathematics, to caring for animals.
Academics
Education for Life (EFL) is based on a balanced development of the four Tools of Maturity: the body, feelings, will, and intellect. In contrast, mainstream education with its one-pointed focus on obtaining higher test scores has increasingly emphasized the training of intellect at the expense of activities that promote growth in the other areas. It is interesting then to compare the results of these two very different approaches.
Test Score Averages 2004-2020 (Living Wisdom High School
Scholastic Aptitude Test Scores | ||
EFL Averages | National Averages | |
Language Arts | 640 | 533 |
Mathematics | 608 | 527 |
Total | 1248 | 1060 |
We also assess student progress using the IOWA Test of Educational Development. Our senior class average score with this test for the 2020/2021 school year ranked in the 97th percentile as compared to high schools in the United States.
Service and Adventure
Become Part of the Solution
Along with the teenager’s growing awareness of larger realities comes the realization that our planet is filled with problems such as wars, lack of food and water, and homelessness. Left unaddressed, this realization can easily lead to cynicism and a rejection of the adult society that allows these conditions to exist. A key element of a high school curriculum is to provide opportunities for students to get involved in solving these problems. On a local level our students have helped at places like animal shelters, homes for the elderly, and preschools that serve special needs children. Farther afield, our students have helped at orphanages in Mexico, protected endangered Sea Turtles, and attended an international conference on Climate Change and Consciousness.
An-Out-of-the-Box Experience
By Shanti Pollacek,
Sophomore year at Living Wisdom School
A school that takes two weeks out of the year to go traveling is extremely rare and many people don’t understand the incredible learning experiences that happen during these trips. The service adventure trips offer education from experience rather than from a teacher or a textbook. Here is a look into my personal experience from this past trip to an orphanage in Mexico and what I learned.
1) Cultural Experience
Being immersed in the Mexican culture for two weeks was beyond different from the lifestyle I was used to. Their food, their language, their customs, their beliefs and their qualities were all different from that in California. I found it incredibly humbling to be in a position where I knew nothing. (read more)
Self-Discovery
The years from twelve to eighteen are a crucially important period in a person’s life. The simpler, more limited realities of childhood are being rapidly outgrown as the young person is challenged to construct a psychological and spiritual foundation that will support them as they begin to interact with the adult world. One dimension of this process is the increasing awareness of events in the broader world with the accompanying challenge of learning how to relate to them. An even more important component is the awakening sense of self. Both of these avenues of growth can be supported through regular opportunities for reflection, introspection, centering and meditation – all practices that are embedded in the structure of an EFL high school. As one frequent observer of teens commented after interacting with some of our students, “Your students are different, they know who they are.”
Examples of Living Wisdom
Here are some excerpts from papers the students wrote on the topic of Truth.
“It’s not about telling the truth but being the truth.” -Carlotta
“To forgive yourself and learn from it; that is what truth should be – a way for us to grow, a way for us to lay the foundations of trust, not only with others, but with ourselves as well.” -Varsha
“I think that the truth is very useful because without it there can be no real morality, justice, equality, unity, success, freedom, love, security, peace, spirituality or even survival.” -Chiara
“The majority is not always necessarily right, following the majority like a sheep without thinking by ourselves beforehand is suicide in my opinion.” -Mahnoush
“Truth is the basis of a successful relationship, and if you lose the trust, you lose the relationship.” -Nitika
“Karma will catch up.” -Sanika
International Online High School Curriculum
Sample Schedule
Empowered Heart: a course that focuses on themes such as empathy, humility, critical thinking, and restorative justice that prepare students to help the world
Performing Arts: producing and performing podcasts on the internet
Chinese: introduction to Chinese language and culture
US History: an Experiment in Democracy and Human Rights
Anatomy: understanding how your body works and how to keep it healthy
Self-Expression & Communication: literature and composition
Tea Time: a chance to play together
Math: individual 1-on-1 tutoring at student’s own pace & level
Advising: Co-Curricular Activities & Life Skills
- Co-Curricular activities include Service Projects, Personal Expertise, Reading, Physical Exercise, and Earning Tuition
- Life Skills include such themes as Working with Others, Finding Peace, and Choosing Happiness
Typical Student Week
Literature & Composition: 2.5 hours online with 3-4 hours of homework
History and/or Science: 2.5 hours online with 2-3 hours of homework
Math: 1 to 2 hours online with an individual tutor, with 3-4 hours of homework
Foreign Language: 2.5 hours online with 1-2 hours of homework
Arts: 2 hours online with about 2 hours of homework
Personal Advising: 1 hour online with personal advisor to go over extra-curricular activities and personal well-being
Personal Growth: 2.5 hours with about 1 hour of homework
Independent Study: 5 hours of personal expertise/independent study monitored by advisor
Service Projects: 3 hours monitored by advisor
Physical Exercise: 5 hours monitored by advisor
Earning Money: 3-5 hours to finance Service Adventure trips
Alumni and Online Student Testimonials
Graduates from our school have continued to pursue their passions after graduation. Those who chose to further their education were accepted at the following colleges and universities: UC Merced, UC Davis, UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, UC Santa Barbara, Mills College, Berea College, Evergreen, Occidental, St Mary’s, Lewis and Clark, Humboldt State, Reed, Linfield, Whitman, Puget Sound, Maharishi University of Management, Ithaca College, and many more. (view alumni page)
“The online high school is one of the best schools. This school teaches us how to really live our life and how to enjoy it, besides that, it also teaches us the theory subjects. For me it is an angel. This school is filled with love, calmness, and friendship. All of the teachers are lovely, and they are so nice. I haven’t been sad in this school even once. Its one of the best experiences i had as an online student. They care for their children. I think of my teachers as my best friends who teach me new things everyday. I try to be a better person in my life every single day, and this is all because of them.” – M.M. high school student
“What I chose to take with me from my years with Living Wisdom High School is that, if you can learn to accept who you are and love yourself, you can face any challenge that lies ahead. The things you do (at Living Wisdom High School) and the people you meet will reside among your fondest memories. Even though my life now is far away from the people I met there, they are always in my thoughts, and I am sure that should we meet up on the street somewhere, it would be as though no time had passed at all.” A.R. Alumni
Tuition and Application Process
Application Process
- Contact us at: info@livingwisdom.org if you have general questions about our school.
- Arrange for the prospective student to observe one or more of the online classes.
- Fill out the application that is available at this link.
- Schedule a formal interview that will be based on the completed application.
Annual Tuition: $9,000
Payment Process
- At the time of acceptance, a $200 deposit is due: to be credited against the year’s tuition.
- Tuition may be paid in one payment or by semester. Contact us if other arrangements need to be made.
- Is financial aid available? Yes, we work with families on an individual basis, especially if you are from a country with a lower per capita income than the U.S.A and it is obvious that your child would be a good fit with our school. The application for tuition assistance is available at this link.