Don’t drop out. Rise out!
Rise Out supports teens who want to leave school
and take charge of their own education.
Are you unsatisfied in high school and seeking a way out? Are you already homeschooling and looking for new opportunities?
Rise Out is a nonprofit organization that offers classes and consulting to teenagers who have elected to leave traditional school and pursue alternative education paths. Formerly serving the Boston/New England area, Rise Out is now all-virtual and serves students all over the United States and around the world.
our CLASSES
You’ve left high school. Congratulations! Now stop replicating school circa 1954 by taking dull courses with boring titles like “Intro to Biology” or “Survey of American History.”
At Rise Out we have re-designed the high school curriculum to meet the urgent needs of students who will be facing 21st-century challenges such as climate change, globalization, human rights, rapid technological innovation, and global inequality. All of our classes — whether 3 weeks or a full school year — are organized thematically around subjects such as “The Cold War,” “Climate Change and Climate Justice,” “The Enlightenment Revolutions,” or “Science Fiction and Social Issues.”
Our core teachers are current or former college professors with Ph.D.’s in their subject matter. They lead Rise Out classes on the side of university teaching or professional consulting because they love working with high school students who are curious, enthusiastic, intense, and (to be honest) a little bit quirky (much like their teachers!). Other Rise Out instructors have graduate degrees or are experts in their fields (e.g. working artists, published authors, and in one case an Olympic athlete — hi Caitlin!)
We offer a wide and ever-changing variety of classes but all of them have the following things in common, regardless of topic or instructor:
1) our passion for the subjects we teach, a passion we hope will be infectious!
2) a commitment to creating an anxiety-free learning space, especially for neurodivergent students, shy students, and students with a history of school-related trauma
3) a commitment to making our classes available to all students, regardless of the family’s ability to pay
We offer both live classes on Zoom and asynchronous/self-paced options. See below for more information.
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View our current offerings
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See the full catalogue!
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Description text goes here
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We know, we know. As homeschoolers there can be a fine line between a “class” and an “activity.” If I build a robot to clean my room, is that a bona fide math and physics credit, or is that merely my super nerdy hobby? If I write a novel set in 16th-century Scotland, do I file that under “creative writing” and call it an English credit, or do I label fiction-writing my extracurricular passion?
Homeschoolers applying to college — like all high schoolers in the U.S. — need BOTH challenging coursework AND a track record of extracurricular activities. At Rise Out we are happy to help students organize and facilitate virtual “afterschool” activities. READ MORE
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Want more information about how our classes work and how they compare to other homeschool providers? Our FAQ List describes our teaching philosophy, how our classes work in practice, our approach to neurodiverse students, our input/output expectations, our payment plan and waiver options, concerns about accreditation for students who might be returning to high school, and other questions you might have.
become a MEMBER
This is the best way to get access to full scope of what we offer. Join Rise Out as a monthly member and you get:
Full Membership comes with the following benefits:
Self-paced access to past and present Rise Out classes (read more)
50% discount on live classes*
The opportunity to create and teach mini-courses to other students, similar to homeschool co-ops
Free enrollment in all student-created courses, as well as free participation in any student-led activities (example!)
Twice-a-week online study halls facilitated by a Rise Out staff member, where students can meet virtually to socialize, exchange ideas, and get help with homework
Accountability partners: between September-November and February-May, students can sign up for free weekly one-to-one meetings with a Rise Out college intern who will help them stay on track with their academic goals
Access to the Rise Out Slack (for “official” stuff) as well as Rise Out’s student-run Discord
Premium Membership comes with all of the benefits of Full Membership, as well as:
Quarterly sessions with Laura or Michael to discuss the college application process, high school portfolio development tailored to the needs of homeschoolers, dual enrollment, gap year options, study abroad opportunities, and alternatives to college
Full Membership is $75/month per student or $100/month per family.
Premium Membership is $125/month per student or $175/month per family.
(And because we actually get this question quite often: YES, a “family” membership includes parents, so parents are welcome to enroll in our self-paced classes!)
If a membership is not right for you at this time, students may sign up for classes individually.
Costs too high? Rise Out waives fees for families in certain circumstances. See our waiver policy. (Note that the payment plan policy does not apply to memberships, since memberships and payment plans are functionally equivalent.)
+ our full catalogue of online classes -- take as many as you like, on your own schedule
+ invitations to our twice-weekly study halls, where you can hang out with other Rise Out students
+ accountability partners: between September-November and February-May, students can sign up for free weekly one-to-one meetings with a Rise Out college intern who will help them stay on track with their academic goals
Full Members have free access to all the classes in our self-paced catalogue -- take as many as you like! Members also receive a 50% discount on live classes (*with a few exceptions, such as SELFIE), as well as other perks listed below.
Premium Members receive all the benefits of a Full Membership PLUS quarterly guidance sessions with Laura or Michael to discuss portfolio development, college planning, dual enrollment, gap years, study abroad, and other opportunities.
Just like the "Full Membership - Student" plan, but for families who wish to enroll more than one sibling
Just like the "Premium Membership - Student" plan, but for families who wish to enroll more than one sibling
book a CONSULTATION
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