Program and Tuition Information
In-Person Programs
Pinole, CA — $39,100/year
Pleasanton, CA — $39,100/year
Remote Programs
Big Minds Online — $32,500
Homeschool Support Program — $8,820-13,230 (sliding scale)
To ensure equity and access, we offer individualized family tuition rates. Families submit their financial information via TADS online in order to determine a tuition level that is equitable for their family. Families are provided their tuition rate at the time of scheduling a shadow period and subsequently, upon offer of 90 day enrollment.
Are you a Big Minds parent?
The typical parent of a Big Minds student understands the need for a radical change in how 2e children are educated. They are collaborative and supportive of Big Minds and know that it takes a team to help a 2e child succeed. Big Minds offers an exceptional amount of social and emotional support, coupled with advanced academics. Our parents appreciate that Big Minds cannot solve every challenge and recognize that collaborative outside services are often needed to support our students.
Big Minds parents trust our process and know that our faculty and staff will help their children through the disintegration and reintegration that are necessary steps to growth and learning. We offer a monthly Parent Support Group for all families as raising 2e children comes with its own unique path. We also provide a monthly Parent Informational night where parents are able to learn more about current research, methodologies, and support for 2e children.
Is your child a possible Big Minds Student?
Our students have evidence of giftedness in at least one domain. While we encourage parents to provide any assessments they have as part of their student's application, assessment is not required. Our thoughtful admissions process allows us to see the big picture for the student and to learn about who they are “off paper”. Parents are encouraged to share portfolios of work, creations, compositions, musical pieces, builds, etc. as part of the application process. While our definition of giftedness is broad, there must be evidence of it during our admissions process in order to be offered enrollment.
Our students can communicate and respond to conversations in an engaging fashion. Still, we also can serve students who are selectively mute or whose anxiety impedes their ability to fully engage. We do so by providing a safe de-schooling environment while students learn to trust adults and peers again after experiencing school-based trauma. Our students are independent for toileting and eating, and have the ability to safely navigate about our campus without an adult. Our model is not built to support students who engage in physical aggression, extreme verbal aggression that doesn’t respond to prompting or redirection, or students who elope.
Our enrollment process is purposefully careful and tiered.
Our educational model is innovative and radically different. We want to
give all stakeholders a reasonable opportunity to evaluate their comfort with the model and how it works for the student.
Because the campus is a micro-school, we have limited space available. If space is not currently available, accepted families will be put on a waiting list. If space is available, we offer rolling enrollment.
Appointment
Potential families make an appointment for an initial consultation with a member of our admissions team.
Application
After the initial interview, families who are interested in enrollment, and appear to be a good match for our program, will be sent the admissions application. The enrollment application processing fee is $150.00, due when the application is submitted.
Shadow
After review of the application and supporting documents, and subsequent approval, the Site Director will invite potential families to schedule a shadow visit for their child at Big Minds. The shadow visit will consist of attending Big Minds for a week (four consecutive days). There is a charge of 25% of the program's monthly tuition for the shadow week.
Evaluation and Invitation
At the end of the shadow week, the Intake Committee will review the application, the family interview, and evaluate the potential student's shadow visit. If it is determined that the child is a good fit for Big Minds, the Site Director will contact the potential family to begin the enrollment process.
Our goal is to help students develop positive self-efficacy, self-advocacy, and self-directed learning and growth. Our student-to-teacher ratio is 4:1 in our milieu, and all math and literacy instruction is 1:1. Students create their own schedule and are allowed to pursue their own passions and interests daily, while also being given the opportunity to engage in group classes across all subject areas.
Our school operates Monday through Thursday, 8:30am-3:30pm Pacific Time. We do not have school on Fridays.
Non-Discrimination Policy
Big Minds is dedicated to diversity in the school environment.
Big Minds is founded based on the need to acknowledge diversity in our schools and works actively to foster diversity, both among our students and among our employees. Big Minds provides equal opportunities to all students and their families without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Big Minds complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in every location in which the company has sites. Big Minds expressly prohibits any form of unlawful harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status.
A registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Big Minds Unschool
PO Box 22869
Oakland, CA 94609
(510) 630-2541
