Families who choose Wilson Hill expect a classical Christian curriculum and robust academics. But they are often surprised by the richness and depth of our community—online and offline.
Regardless of the initial reasons families and faculty choose Wilson Hill, community is one of the top reasons they keep coming back. When the Alden family chose a brick-and-mortar school for their son’s freshman year of high school, they felt the loss of their Wilson Hill community. Despite the daily in-person interactions their son experienced, they couldn’t replace the richness they had built with Wilson Hill families and faculty.
“We started with Wilson Hill for academic reasons, but we did not realize that we would build relationships as well,” Allyson Alden says. “We have had some of our children’s teachers in our home for meals; we have traveled halfway across the country to meet online friends in person many times; and my children have had friends come from other states and other countries to visit them.”
For Wilson Hill families, this is a familiar story. If you’re wondering how your children will form authentic relationships through online classes, meet the families and faculty who have built lasting, meaningful relationships through Wilson Hill.
Why Wilson Hill: Community for the Whole Family
Students are not the only ones who benefit from our vibrant community. Through opportunities like parent education events with inspiring speakers, lunch-and-learn sessions with our college advisor and our Parent Ambassador Program, parents have the opportunity to connect with each other. And our annual family camp and graduation celebration, LINK, is popular for all ages.
“The flexibility Wilson Hill offers has been invaluable, and LINK is a highlight for our family every year—giving my son the chance to connect with friends and teachers in person while we, as parents, get to build meaningful relationships with other families,” says Dr. Jen Bennett, a Wilson Hill parent. “Though Wilson Hill is an online school, the sense of community it fosters is truly remarkable.”
And like any tight-knit community, our families are there for each other through the joys and sorrows of life. “The love and support we received from the Wilson Hill community after our house fire, through care packages, prayers and encouragement, deeply touched our hearts,” she says. “This is more than a school; it’s a family, and we’re so grateful to be part of it.”
“Relationships with those outside the home and through the screen was another unexpected blessing of Wilson Hill,” says Wilson Hill mom Kim Staninger. “Friendships that span from one coast to the other was something I had heard was possible. Our kids have sweet friends they talk with all year, lift each other up in prayer, swap ideas and study tips, and then share sweet joy with in person. Our homeschool community hasn’t stopped at finding relationships just for our children but has expanded to allow our whole family to find connections.”
Why Wilson Hill: Diverse Families Unified by Their Values
At Wilson Hill, students can learn from anywhere in the world, resulting in a diverse community. Though our families come from different backgrounds, they share the same values and philosophy around education.
“There is no other school I’ve ever seen that has the kind of families Wilson Hill has,” says Matt Colvin, a Wilson Hill teacher. “It’s an incredible mix of the children of overseas missionaries, farmers and ranchers, military families stationed in interesting places, and families living in ordinary places with special callings. And they are tremendously bright kids that I would probably not get to teach unless I were a professor at some very prestigious university.”
As a teacher at Wilson Hill, Matt sees the bonds his students form and also experiences
“the community of like minded fellow teachers who pray for each other and help each other out; the joy of attending LINK and meeting face-to-face with parents and students whose faces are beaming because they’re so glad to see their teachers ‘outside Plato’s cave.’”
For families like the Wengerds, Wilson Hill opened up the world beyond their town of 10,000 in Wyoming. Their children now have a global community of friends—a community they connect with in person every summer at LINK.
“This is more than a school; it’s a family, and we’re so grateful to be part of it.”
—Dr. Jen Bennett, Wilson Hill Parent
Why Wilson Hill: Confident Students
Do virtual relationships stunt students’ ability to interact with others face to face? Some parents might be asking themselves this question, hesitant to fully commit to virtual learning.
Family after family would attest that’s not the case. Education at Wilson Hill is online on purpose. We firmly believe an online education is not a liability to compensate for but a true gift and blessing for parents and their children. For families like the Rouths, they have seen the confidence Wilson Hill has given their children.
“The desire to learn, discuss and answer hard questions is so alive in our boys’ lives today,” says Krizia Naegele-Routh. “We go places and they are at ease conversing with adults, where before there was a level of shyness and hesitation to join in. My children cannot wait to get to LINK and see friends. Their friends are real—they do assignments and laugh together as they interact daily.”
Community starts in the classroom, where students engage each other in lively debate and conversations. This spills into every part of their lives, producing students who are confident and prepared for the world beyond their classrooms.
