Best broad based on-line homeschool curriculum?

Education Forum
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Hi
We are missionaries with three teenage kids and we are looking to change from Abeka Academy which feels quite narrowly focused in both science and socio-politically.

Can anyone recommend a Christian on line curriculum that is broad structured and provides a variety of viewpoints? Does such a thing exist?

Thanks

John and Vikki

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Greetings! My parents used Abeka when we were in Niger for the elementary homeschool (ending in the '80s, so no Internet–yeesh. That dates me). I’ll have to PM you sometime about the embarrassing things that “History of the World from the Christian Perspective,” one of their texts, filled my mind with (against other Christians, for example); thankfully, met with kind reproof and education from those who knew better). There were certainly good things in Abeka, too–they were excellent with English grammar, for example. I am unfortunately not aware of what you are looking for as a broad-based, online Christian curriculum, though @Christy and some others on line here may know. My brother, a missionary in Niger, used Liberty’s course, but that’s fairly YEC, though perhaps (I don’t know) not as narrow theologically.
My parents switched to University of Nebraska-Lincoln Independent Study High School, which many ambassador kids used. It is now online https://highschool.nebraska.edu/. I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. It was quite tolerant of Christian viewpoints and did not have an agenda. The electives were really helpful, from driver’s training to typing and French. I also encountered my first theistic evolutionist as a teacher of biology on it, who was very patient with me.

I’d be interested in what you find out. Thanks.

Blessings.

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Hi John,

My daughter is taking a chemistry and a geometry course through WIlson Hill Academy this year. They are actually online classes, in that she had to be online with a webcam participating in the class for an hour and a half twice a week, and then work is submitted and tests are taken through their website which uses the platform Canvas. It is a Christian classical school and it has been going pretty well. The teachers are more conservative than me, but seem to at least be open to presenting a variety of views and I feel like they expect a high level of critical thinking from the students. It would be kind of pricey to take all your high school courses through it, but some families do. She also takes an AP Human Geography course through Pennsylvania Homeschoolers. These courses don’t actually meet in real time, but there are forums the kids have to participate in and the teacher posts videos of herself for the kids to watch along with doing their assigned readings, quizzes, and other assignments.

I know families who have used Potter’s School and been happy with it. It would be less conservative than A-Beka, but probably not at all progressive in the science and politics department. It is the program that was recommended by IMB education consultants to our neighbors. (We serve with SIL in rural Mexico.)

I have found this thread at the Well Trained Mind Forum has a wealth of information about online options: Talk to me about online class options. . . . - Logic Stage & Middle Grade Challenges - The Well-Trained Mind Community

You might also check out Calvert. I have know a couple missionary families (on the not fundamentalist end of the spectrum) who have been pleased with it.

You could also check out Kolbe Academy, which is Roman Catholic, but I have know Protestants who have used it for some courses and been pleased.

Keep us posted on what you learn or how you like what you decide on. It’s always hard to recommend stuff you haven’t personally used, but you can’t use everything.

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Wow thank you for all these leads. Now I have to follow them up!

Anyone have any experience or comments on Northstar Academy, its one we are looking at fairly seriously.

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That’s the ACSI affiliated one, right? Yeah, that might be a good option.

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I thought this seems like a good stand from Sevenstar Academy Homeschool school. But it is not a cheap course!

It is our goal to equip our students with a clear understanding of the variety of theories of origins they will encounter as they engage their culture. In order to highlight the variety of perspectives, whenever appropriate we present young-earth Creationism (a literal Genesis account) in contrast to atheistic evolution highlighting the similarities and contrasts. We attempt to present this as a continuum also allowing for varying degrees of Evolutionary Creationism (old-earth Creationism). We encourage the students to explore the evidence to determine their view of origins as they study God’s word along with their parents’ guidance and church teachings.

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