National Coalition of Alternative Community Schools
Encyclopedia
The National Coalition of Alternative Community Schools, or NCACS, is an international organization based in the U.S.
city of Ann Arbor, Michigan
, dedicated to promoting alternative education
. The organization was founded in 1978. It is known for its annual conferences, which bring together the community of community schools and homeschoolers and are held in a different location around the country each year. It also holds regional conferences. The NCACS also produces a directory of alternative community schools which it sells, as well as a quarterly newsletter.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
city of Ann Arbor, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, dedicated to promoting alternative education
Alternative education
Alternative education, also known as non-traditional education or educational alternative, includes a number of approaches to teaching and learning other than mainstream or traditional education. Educational alternatives are often rooted in various philosophies that are fundamentally different...
. The organization was founded in 1978. It is known for its annual conferences, which bring together the community of community schools and homeschoolers and are held in a different location around the country each year. It also holds regional conferences. The NCACS also produces a directory of alternative community schools which it sells, as well as a quarterly newsletter.
Alternative Community Schools
The NCACS defines its membership as consisting of:- Home educating parents and students
- Independent (private) alternative schools and programs
- Government (public) alternative schools and programs
- Alternative colleges and universities
- Experiential and adventure-oriented programs
- Learning centers and traveling schools
- Individuals and life long learners
- Cultural centers and intentional communities
- Publishers and researchers focused on alternative education topics
Annual conferences
- 2006 - held on The FarmThe Farm (Tennessee)The Farm is an intentional community in Lewis County, Tennessee, near the town of Summertown, Tennessee, based on principles of nonviolence and respect for the Earth. It was founded in 1971 by Stephen Gaskin and 320 San Francisco hippies; The Farm is well known amongst hippies and other members of...
, TennesseeTennesseeTennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area... - 2005 - held in ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... - 2004 - held on The FarmThe Farm (Tennessee)The Farm is an intentional community in Lewis County, Tennessee, near the town of Summertown, Tennessee, based on principles of nonviolence and respect for the Earth. It was founded in 1971 by Stephen Gaskin and 320 San Francisco hippies; The Farm is well known amongst hippies and other members of...
, TennesseeTennesseeTennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area... - 1995 - held in ColoradoColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
- 1994 - held in Blacksburg, VirginiaBlacksburg, VirginiaBlacksburg is an incorporated town located in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 42,620 at the 2010 census. Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Radford are the three principal jurisdictions of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area which...
- 1993 - held near Jasper, ArkansasJasper, ArkansasJasper is a city in Newton County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 498 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Newton County.Jasper is part of the Harrison Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
on the Buffalo National RiverBuffalo National RiverThe Buffalo River, located in northern Arkansas, was the first National River to be designated in the United States. The Buffalo River is slightly more than in length, with the lower flowing within the boundaries of an area managed by the National Park Service, where it is designated the '. The... - 1992 - held in IndianaIndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
Member schools
A partial listing of NCACS member schools:- Clonlara SchoolClonlara SchoolClonlara School is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. The school operates a campus school and a Home Based Education Program as alternative education. Its campus serves five through eighteen-year-olds who reside in Ann Arbor and surrounding areas...
- Stonesoup SchoolStonesoup SchoolStoneSoup School is a progressive, alternative private school located in Crescent City, FL. It is a member of the National Coalition of Alternative Community Schools.-Overview:...
- Cobblestone SchoolCobblestone SchoolCobblestone School is a progressive, alternative private school in Rochester, NY. It is a member of the National Coalition of Alternative Community Schools and the Greater Rochester Association of Private Schools.-Overview:...
- The Forum
- Upattinas School and Resource Center
- Upland Hills SchoolUpland Hills SchoolUpland Hills School, founded in 1971, is an independent school community whose purpose is to educate pre-high school children. The school's aim is to discover and respect the uniqueness of every child.- Location :...