Rebecca’s Story
By: Rebecca Foley | December 23, 2024
In 2016, I was expecting my 3rd child and my oldest was approaching school age. I knew I wanted her in an environment where the love of learning, good books, and play were nurtured before test scores and strict schedules and homeschooling seemed my only option. But I had a small problem. As a bookish introvert myself, I had already found that 24/7 care of kids called upon my weaknesses and not my strengths!
The thought of adding in a new baby, schooling, and the responsibility to coordinate the growing need for community was a bit overwhelming. I wanted help! My oldest was (and is) a shy but gifted child, and I knew she needed a close-knit community as well as the freedom to develop socially and academically at her own pace.
Prior to having kids, I had studied Economics, and then Educational Leadership at the graduate level. I had an enduring interest in learning pedagogies and educational systems and free market competition. I used to say, even then, that someday I wanted to start a school!
That school ended up being a hybrid school fashioned to meet the needs of parents who wanted robust academic and social support, but needed it to be affordable and flexible.
More people than I would have ever guessed needed the same thing, because the two staff members and 20 kids that launched Providence Hybrid Academy in 2017 grew to 145 kids and more than 20 staff in 2023 and the program surpassed 200 kids with the addition of another set of two days in 2024.
My own 3 kids attend and love their classmates and teachers in the robust 12 hours per week they get to spend in this structured, but childhood-honoring environment. I get the freedom to work (or enjoy the quiet!) during that time, but I still have the flexibility to homeschool them the other three days. It is an excellent combination for us, and one I know many others could benefit from!