About MEC

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 The Mindful Education Consortium (MEC) Philosophy

At the heart of the Mindful Education Consortium (MEC) lies a commitment to innovation and a passion for transforming education. We believe in challenging conventional teaching methods to offer something truly special for your child.

What Sets Us Apart

MEC is a proud participant in the micro-school movement, blending the best of traditional education with forward-thinking approaches. We understand that every family deserves options and a voice in their child’s education. That's why our vision emphasizes valuing the collective wisdom and autonomy of our families, students, and MEC educators, over broadly centralized educational policies and curriculum that does not honor the communities' nor individual child's needs. Beyond this, we focus on continuity in the learning process, both between content and across grade and age-level spans. Learning, like the world, should be connected and relevant to the individual learner.    

Empowering Educators

Our educators are free from the constraints of traditional bureaucracy, allowing them to focus entirely on your child's best interests. They are highly trained professionals, continually engaging in monthly professional development sessions on the science of learning and experiential education. This ensures they remain knowledgeable about the latest research and developmentally appropriate strategies for their respective age groups.

Personalized Learning Pods

Our students thrive in small, close-knit learning pods, each with a maximum of 8 students. Led by a primary instructor and an assistant, these pods maintain an exceptional 4:1 student-to-teacher ratio, from TK all the way thru high school graduation. This setup fosters strong, lifelong relationships among students as they learn and grow together over the years.

Fun and Engaging Learning

Learning at MEC is designed to be fun and engaging. We understand that students thrive when they are excited about what they are learning. Our core curriculum is carefully crafted to be relevant and interconnected, allowing students to build on their knowledge and skills in a meaningful way. By tying our lessons together across multiple conent areas while giving ample opportunity for student choice, we create a cohesive learning experience that keeps students motivated and curious. We work to extend this curiosity towards the community and real-world learning, as MEC pods take a community field trip every week, where the intent is to expose them to various learning opportunities that are also tied direclty to the weekly core academic learning. In addition, students at MEC explore other non-traditional learning that is often lacking in current school settings, such as hands-on nutritional exploration, gardening, proper use of tools, exploration of art techniques, speech and debate, learning and playing of critical thinking games such as chess, hands-on building of computers and curcuit boards, exploration of musical instruments and theory, just to name a few.   

 Accelerated Learning

Our focus on individualized instruction and innovative teaching strategies enables students to progress at their own pace, often surpassing traditional academic milestones. We place a strong emphasis on differentiated approaches to teaching and learning, which is reinforced by our small instructor to student ratios. Your student(s) will engage in collabrive group work, but also receive 1:1 support on a daily basis. As they progress in one academic subject or area in interest, they will be encouraged to continue to excel. Our program is structured so students are constantly challenged and supported wherever they are at in their learning. As a result, learning time is maximized.   

Personalized Focus Areas

By the time they reach the equivalent of 6th grade, students at MEC have the flexibility to choose personalized focus areas (PFAs) that align with their passion and possible career goals. Whether it's in the arts, sciences, humanities, or any other field, our curriculum supports and nurtures their individual interests. This personalized approach ensures that each student is engaged and motivated to excel while allowing them the opportunity to build a strong foundation in a subject or subjects they are interested in. This is partially accomplished through the wide exposure students gain in STEAM beginning during the elementary pod years.  Building upon what the student, family, and MEC educator identifiefy as a strong inerest, an intentional and supportive one-day a week internship program is formed in their middle school years. By partnering with local businesses and organizations, we offer real-world experiences that help students gain valuable insights into potential career fields. At this stage, MEC educators also work with students to craft lessons that are infused with their identified interests (while also continuing to expose them to other perspectives and posibilities. During the middle school pod years, students also gain access to a variety of elective choices). By the time they reach high school, MEC students are supported in more in-depth community internship experiences.    

Academic Coaching and Leadership Support

To further support our students, beginning in the middle school years, MEC provides a dedicated academic coach who specializes in leadership development and college admissions guidance. Our academic coaches work closely with their students to help them build essential leadership skills, set and achieve personal goals, and navigate the college admissions process with confidence. All MEC students begin an extensive leadership development program during this time. While we blend mindset and character development into everything we do, starting as early at TK, this is a specific curriculum designed to prepare your student to be an organizational leader, regardless of what PFA they choose. This is yet another opportunity to learn and explore in ways that are often lacking in certain current educational settings, as we focus on the whole-child approach. Their coach continues to work with them as they apply to college or the next step after graduating from MEC.  

Join Our Community

Explore our programs to see how MEC Pods cater to different age groups, and discover the unique, supportive, and innovative environment we offer. At MEC, we believe in nurturing each child's potential in a way that respects their individuality and promotes a lifelong love of learning.  

Visit Our Programming Page

Ready to learn more? Visit our programming page to discover the specific focuses of MEC Pods for various age groups and see how we can provide the perfect alternative educational experience for your child.