Rural Home Schooling and Place-Based Education

Place-based education, which draws from local culture, history, and geography to create a meaningful curriculum, can occur in any type of setting, but it holds particular promise for rural homeschooling. Place-based educators use local particulars to teach universal concepts, engage students in community life, and involve people and resources unique to the home community. This Digest identifies ways that place-based education can counter common concerns about homeschooling so that homeschooled students—especially those living in rural areas—receive academic, social, and individual benefits.