Junior Program

Junior Program Overview (Ages 0–12)

Our Junior Program supports families with children ages 0–12 and is designed to strengthen both parents and children during the Core Phase. The purpose of this program is to help you, as a parent, actively engage in your child’s learning while rekindling your own love of learning by preparing lessons and teaching alongside other families.

As Oliver DeMille explains:

“If you think these principles are primarily about improving your child’s or students’ education, you will never have the power to inspire them to do the hard work of self-education. Focus on your education and invite them along for the ride.” (Leadership Education: The Phases of Learning)

An added benefit of the Junior Program is the opportunity for children to interact with other families while beginning to learn leadership principles in a community setting. 

Commonwealth Commitment

Being part of the Rise Up commonwealth means contributing your time and talents for the good of the whole. Participation in the Junior Program includes the following commitments:

• A parent must remain on campus with their children for the full school day.

• If a parent or child is ill and stays home, all Junior Program children in that family must remain home as well.

• Each parent will either:

  • Teach a Scholar Project, or

  • Serve as a co-lead teacher for one Junior Program session (2 hours) and prepare 30–60 minutes outside of class each week.

• Parents will follow a rotating schedule, assisting lead teachers during sessions they are not teaching.

• Lead and assistant lead teachers participate in a monthly in-school debrief for the class they teach.

• Each family will fulfill an additional volunteer role to support school operations.

• Families without children currently enrolled in the Junior Program are still expected to participate in Junior Program rotations to serve the broader commonwealth.