What is it?

Pathfinders Learning Pods is a rich, child-led learning cohort one day each week, where "agency" & positive relationships are nurtured.  Pathfinders focuses on building community and interpersonal skills, hands-on learning through project-based challenges, application of academic skills like reading/writing (vs. explicit instruction), and critical thinking.

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Pathfinders is a once weekly, five-hour drop-off program that continues throughout the academic year (with breaks every 6-8 weeks).  Registration for Pathfinders will open July 19th, 2025 and close August 30th for September 9th through May 12th.  ​Kids will stay with their Pathfinder Learning Pod all day, grouped loosely by age/readiness, but regularly interacting with/learning alongside kids of all ages/pods.   Parents who wish to remain on-campus will have access to a waiting space to wait indoors or can hang nearby outdoors.  (There are athletic fields adjacent & a playground one door down.)

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Volunteering:

No parent volunteer requirement, but we often offer limited employment opportunities for those looking to help offset/cover tuition costs.  Contact us to inquire.​​​

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Cost

Cost for one child is $849.00 for the year.

Also required: 

$105 membership (administration) fee per household and some general school supplies.  Cost covers space rental, insurance, instructors' salaries, & supplies.  We are happy to offer a month-to-month payment plan option at no additional cost (pay over 9 months), but all registrants are responsible for the entire year regardless of payment plan.  Unfortunately, our budgets are established on razor-thin margins based on registrations received.  For this reason, we regret that late cancellations & withdrawals with refunds cannot be accommodated once the program has begun.

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Membership

The admin/membership fee is required for all participants.  Cost is $105 per household annually and includes weekly social events. Become a new member here or begin your membership renewal process.

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Groups:

Expected groups (depending on enrollment) are:

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Pathfinder Novas, ages 6-8*  (*5 year olds turning 6 during the year who meet expectations stated below are also welcome)

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Pathfinders, ages 8-14* This will be split into similar-aged pods, depending on enrollment (8 year olds--family chooses whether they feel child would be best placed in Novas or Pathfinders depending on overall development/maturity/readiness/goals, etc.)

​​​​​Group size min/max:  Min enrollment is 7 children per group.  Max per group is 18.  We will strive to run as many groups as needed to accommodate interest if we can staff it!

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Prerequisite skills for enrollment:

New applicants for Pathfinders & Pathfinders Novas:  please submit this self-evaluation to determine readiness for the program.

NOVAS (ages 6-8)

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• Child can take care of all their bathroom needs independently, including hand-washing.

• Child has the energy/stamina to actively participate in an active, five-hour long program without naps or excessive physical or emotional fatigue.

• Child is able to communicate with peers & express their thoughts & ideas.

• Child is able to focus on academic activities for 20-minute stretches.

• Child is able to eat snacks/lunch independently with minimal assistance (i.e. opening packages, cleaning up after themselves, etc.)

• Child is able to socially engage in group activities without excessive dysregulation or disruption.

• Child is able to emotionally regulate in an age-appropriate way in a social setting.

• Child is able to dress themselves for outdoors (zip coat, tie shoes, put on gloves, etc.) independently.

• Child can follow two- and three-step directions (i.e. put your lunchbox away, get out your book, and take a seat on the carpet).

• Leaders do provide compassionate, child-centered guidance and differentiated instruction for students.  Leaders are not able or expected to provide special accommodations to children who are developmentally (physically, emotionally, or academically) not ready to participate in Novas.

• Child’s academic skills fall in the range of late-kindergarten/early 1st-grade through late 2nd-grade/early 3rd-grade

  • Minimums:

    • Some writing skills–letters, some words, numbers, their name 

    • Emergent reading skills (letter sounds, beginning to sound out words)

    • Basic addition/subtraction, number sense

    • Cutting/pasting skills

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PATHFINDERS (ages 8-14, grouped loosely by age/readiness)

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   (Meets expectations for Novas, plus...)

• Child can read at minimum at a second-grade level (beginning chapter books) to enter the program and fifth-grade level to participate in upper-level work.

• Child can write sentences independently (at least 1-2 sentences per minute).

• Child can express thoughts/opinions in writing (i.e. They can translate their ideas/thoughts into written words that are readily comprehensible to an untrained reader).

• Child can follow 4-5 step instructions & follow rules/directions (i.e. They can understand the directions of a game after hearing an age-appropriate explanation.)

• Child is able to engage in structured activities with directions, rules of play, and individual roles/responsibilities.

• Child is able to emotionally regulate in an age-appropriate way in a social setting.

• Child is able to accept feedback on their behavior & adjust accordingly

• Child is able to focus on a single activity for 30-40 minutes without a break (45-50 for upper-level work)

• Child understands the tenets and accepts personal responsibility for working to uphold them.

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Location:

Locations:  Countryside Church Unitarian Universalist 1025 N Smith St, Palatine, IL 60067​  

Harmony's & Countryside's missions of providing a welcoming, inclusive space for families of all faiths, cultures, & backgrounds are beautifully aligned!  There remains no religious component to Harmony.  Visit Countryside's website if you're interested in knowing more about this unique church.

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Registration:

Registration is now open for Harmony Members through August 30th for families interested in the full year.

 

​Returning students, register here: https://harmonycenterforhomeschoolers.pembee.app/

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Late registration will be accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year--provided there is room in a pod--but the starting dates will be limited to September 9th, 2025 and January 20th, 2026.  Please note, new students applying to join second semester must complete a trial date prior to Jan. 20th or enroll on a (fully refundable) trial status.

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Ready to apply for membership in anticipation of registration opening July 19, 2025?  First, please visit the Apply for Membership page to complete the 4 steps to membership:

1. Forms:  Family Application & Child Emergency Forms for all kids who would attend any Harmony events

2. Fee:  Pay Membership Fee via Zelle

3.  Interview/Meeting:  Informal chat on Zoom to converse about Harmony and determine if the program is a good fit all around.

4. Account:  Create Online Account... once approved, you can login to register for programs

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Calendar:​​​

Pathfinder Pods will meet Tuesdays from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.  Drop-off is available starting at 9:45 a.m.  Please see the calendar for exact dates of meetings/breaks.