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We are here to support your family's unique needs, offering encouragement, extra services and supports, and expert advice as you need it.
Steps:
- Submit your notification via our parent portal (we will ensure all the information is correct and create your enrollment).
- Start homeschooling! There's no need to wait for an official go-ahead.
- A member of the team will send you a welcome email and will phone you to go over things.
- Create a home education program plan (EPP) draft (we can help you finalize it if needed).
- We will match you with a facilitator, who will make contact and assist you in your planning and implementation. (They can help you set a vision for your home school, as well as help you tailor a unique program that fits your students' individual learning needs.)
- In high school, we'll discuss the education choices you might consider (see High School for more).
- One your EPP is finalized and approved, you will receive an acceptance letter. Enrollment is complete.
WISDOM does our best to meet you at your needs. Some families prefer more interaction with our office staff, PAC, and facilitator, while others feel confident in their path and prefer more independence. Please do let us know what you prefer. Remember to keep the lines of communication open to help us to serve you best.
The funding deadline is September 29. However, on October 3, Alberta Education stated that because of the teacher strike action, there would be some (50%, or $450.50) home education funding available to support those families who may choose to home educate in response to the strike. We are working on creating processes and capacity to support these families.
WISDOM exists solely to serve home schooling. Join us!
Though the funding deadline is September 29, we will accept un-funded families throughout the year, pending an approved education program plan. We do appreciate donations to help cover the cost of service, even if it's just a small portion of the $901 student support amount.
Note: WISDOM Home Schooling is the home education department of The Gilbertine Academy. When you join us, you will see the school name or association name (The Gilbertine Institute) listed on various documents and resources.
The WISDOM Home Schooling community began in 1995 when two home educating couples saw the need for parents to be supported with maximum freedom over their own schooling at home, deciding what is taught to their children, as well as how and when it is taught.
As a result of the founders' promise to uphold parents as primary educators, all decisions and policies are developed with the intent of supporting parents as they educate their children. Because the members of our facilitating team, our office staff and our Parent Advisory Council are home schooling parents or were home educated themselves, their responses and service reflect this insight and commitment. We support all teaching methods from highly structured to unschooling, classical to eclectic to world-schooling.
We are Christian, serving families with a wide variety of religious beliefs, as well as families who do not profess any particular faith. Our mandate is to build culture through supporting home education and family life, whatever that looks like for you. We serve home schooling families everywhere in the province of Alberta, Canada.
Looking for more information? Attend an Open House event.
WHAT IS REQUIRED
To home educate with WISDOM, a family must:
- Notify us of your intent to home educate with the WISDOM Home Schooling department of The Gilbertine Academy.
- A parent must conduct an evaluation of the progress of the student at regular intervals and maintain a record of the methods and dates of those evaluations, and must maintain dated samples of student work and a general record of the student’s activities, (Alberta Home Education Regulation 4(1)(a))
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meet for two facilitator evaluations each year, either in their home or in a mutually agreeable location.
We work with individual issues and extenuating circumstances as best we can. Every situation is unique, and we desire to serve our families at their individual needs.
Note: when a family does NOT meet minimum requirements above despite best efforts, The Gilbertine Academy is unable to meet the minimum requirements of Alberta Education. In this case, we would not consider enrolment for the following year, and may make a note in the student file recommending a program with higher levels of accountability. This policy protects the freedom of all home educators.
WHERE ARE WE?
- The Gilbertine Institute operates an associate private school, The Gilbertine Academy, supervising and supporting home education programs under the banner of WISDOM Home Schooling. Our society board, in-school and home education administration and staff are wholly supportive of home education. The Gilbertine Institute and Gilbertine Academy campus program are based in Calgary.
- WISDOM is made up of home schooling families all across Alberta, so in that sense, WISDOM is "everywhere"! Some of our families, while Alberta residents, are living temporarily (military, travel or ministry) all over the globe. Our magazine has subscribers from all around the world as well.
- You can find the WISDOM office staff working out of the home education office near the small town of Derwent, Alberta.
- Your facilitator probably lives somewhere reasonably near you, as we do try to keep them closer to their home (and their own home schooling family). Our facilitators live all over Alberta. They visit your home twice a year, and are also available via phone and email at all times.
- Our in-person events span the province, wherever there is enough interest and a suitable location.
- Our Mediated Learning Program holds workshops province-wide as well as in 3-session online modules.
We are also on Facebook, Instagram and X - join us!
Our office is usually open Monday through Friday, from 9am-noon and 1-4pm.
Chat: during office hours, click the chat button in the lower-left corner to talk with us. If no one is available, you can leave a message and we'll follow up as soon as we can.
Phone: 780-741-2113 or toll-free 1-877-425-8546
Email: office@wisdomhomeschooling.com
Family Funding department: finance@wisdomhomeschooling.com
Mail:
Box 78
Derwent, AB
T0B 1C0
We are also on Facebook, Instagram and X - join us!
For contact information for specific members of the team, go to their bios:
We have compiled a list of popular curriculum suppliers. Please find them listed as Albertan Suppliers, Canadian Suppliers and followed by United States Suppliers. If you have a favorite supplier that is not on this list and you want to share, please email the information and we will gladly add to the list.
Many of the Canadian vendors listed will direct bill us and sell you material via purchase order.
** Indicates suppliers that carry Catholic curriculum and/or books
Albertan Suppliers
Canadian Suppliers
| Accelerated Christian Education Canada (ACE) – Manitoba | 800‑976‑7226 | info@acecanada.net |
| Christian Light Publications – Ontario | 519‑462‑2220 | orders@clp.org |
| Classical Education Books – British Columbia | 604‑505‑2194 | |
| Heritage Resources – Manitoba | 204‑745‑3094 | len@heritageresources.ca |
| Homeschool On Enterprises Ltd / Gather ‘Round – British Columbia | 250‑794‑8003 | support@gatherroundhomeschool.com |
| Joy Center of Learning – Ontario | 800‑653‑4231 | mail@joycenter.on.ca |
| The Learning House – Ontario | 866‑875‑5550 | |
| Living Waters Book & Toy Store – Ontario | 877‑595‑7585 | |
| Math U See – British Columbia | 888‑854‑6284 | admin@mathcanada.ca |
| Northwoods Press (Donna Ward) – Ontario | 519‑456‑0470 | |
| Tree of Life – New Brunswick | 506‑328‑6781 |
American suppliers
Note: Purchase Orders are not available through American suppliers.