By John Edelson, Founder and President of Time4Learning
After almost two decades of providing online education to homeschoolers, Time4Learning recently stepped into a new space, and hosted our first online graduation celebration for high school seniors.
Historically, we have not held such an event since we are a curriculum provider and not a school. Year-after-year, parents, and not us, award their children with well-deserved diplomas. Many states do not offer the chance for homeschool grads to celebrate in the same way as traditional schools. So, we forged ahead with this special celebration as a way to recognize the achievements of students and their families, especially during these very challenging times. 
Wow – what a learning experience it has been for me, and for all of us at Time4Learning!
Our ceremony was simple, yet impactful. I was honored to deliver a brief congratulatory speech to the graduates via a video message. I emphasized how well-prepared they are for the modern world, having already lived the experience of navigating and succeeding on the “road less travelled” of homeschooling. I urged them to be sure to celebrate with their family and with the community of homeschoolers that they’ve been a part of.
Nearly 1,800 people viewed the graduation, with congratulatory messages streaming in from students, families, and friends throughout the celebration. The stream of comments took off and never slowed down throughout the ceremony. It was an outpouring of thoughts and emotion on a scale which we found humbling.
I guess it should not have come as a surprise to me. I’ve walked across a graduation stage three times and I’ve watched each of my three kids do it twice. On each of those occasions, I teared up and felt pride and the poignancy of this life turning point.
In this case, it was particularly emotional for two reasons. One, because of the triumph of finishing their K12 education despite the pandemic. Secondly, the graduation was a moment to think about their decision to homeschool and all the challenges, creativity, opportunity, relationships, and growth that this decision has engendered.
View the virtual graduation below.
Does this cost
Hi, Charlotte! Thanks for your interest. Since we are a curriculum provider and not a school, there is a low monthly membership fee. Pricing depends on the grade level of your students:
For PreK to 8th grade, the monthly membership cost is $19.95 for the first student and $14.95 for each additional student.
For high school, the monthly membership cost is $30 per student, and includes 4 courses. Additional courses may be purchased for an extra $5 per month, per course. If you have one student at the high school level, you will receive a discounted rate of $14.95 for a student in the lower grades; there is no discounted rate for a second student who is at the high school membership level.
Please let us know if we can answer any additional questions for you or help you get started! https://www.time4learning.com/curriculum/contact_us.php
Will this be available in the future? My son has been using T4L since he was in 7th grade. He has autism and is in his early 20’s. We are finally taking his last round of classes. This would be wonderful if he received a certificate of completion and a graduation. We didn’t get to have a traditional one. When his class graduated I sat in tears as it felt like one more milestone had been “taken away” if you will. I think this would give him a sense of pride as well.
Thanks for stopping by, Tawny, and for being a member of the Time4Learning family. Congrats to you and your son! 🙂
The graduate celebration is something we definitely hope to continue with!
While Time4Learning doesn’t issue certificates or diplomas, as homeschoolers this is something parents will issue. We do have some free templates parents can complete and print out, or you can find some online to print/purchase if you’d like.
Make sure you’re following us on social media and that you’re subscribed to our blog – that way you won’t miss any notifications or updates about future celebrations! 🙂
This is so great! I hope you will continue to do this in the future. We are using T4L this year and I know my HS student would love to have a graduation ceremony to participate in when he graduates in a few years!
Thanks for stopping by, Shay, and for being a member of the Time4Learning family! This is something we definitely hope to continue with! Make sure you’re following us on social media and that you’re subscribed to our blog – that way you won’t miss any notifications or updates! 🙂
I’ve been with T4L for my children off and on since 2013. It has been an amazing experience! I’m so excited about the changes and implementation of high school graduation! That’s wonderful!
We love reading this, Trina! Thanks for stopping by and commenting. We appreciate your membership and we’re thrilled to play a role in your educational journey! 🙂
Although my granddaughter, Trinity, did not participate in the graduation ceremony, she was also a graduating senior. She spent the last 14 months of high school doing the Time 4 Learning Curriculum. It was the best possible way for her to graduate.
Thanks so much for stopping by, Brenda. Big congrats to Trinity! We’re so pleased to read that Time4Learning played a role in her educational journey! 🙂