FAQs

Is Amiko Learning Center a school?

Amiko is a learning center that provides fantastic educational opportunities, however, it is not legally a school. Amiko Learning Center is not legally responsible for fulfilling individualized home instruction plans and does not provide the majority of a homeschooled child’s education.

Is Amiko a co-op?

Amiko is not a co-op, we are a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit organization. Our staff are paid employees and we do not require any volunteer activities.

Is attendance mandatory?

Since a primary focus of Amiko is to promote learning in social communities, punctual attendance to all scheduled course meetings is expected and attendance to our exhibitions is mandatory, except in the case of illness. When your child is consistently present, their group can build positive relationships and collaborate more successfully than if your child’s attendance is intermittent. In addition, courses build upon the knowledge created in the previous course meetings and your child will learn more meaningfully as an active participant.

Does Amiko offer incremental payment plans?

Yes! During the checkout process, you can select a partial payment option for three or more days of enrollment. This option secures your child’s course registration with a 35% down payment.

What is Amiko's Refund Policy?

Individual Course Registrations: Full refunds are issued when requested at least 4 weeks prior to the beginning of the semester. Cancellations made between 2 and 4 weeks prior to the beginning of the semester receive a 50% refund of the total course enrollment fee. Material Fees are non-refundable. No refunds are issued for cancellations 2 weeks or less prior to the beginning of the semester. The last date for course registration and the semester start dates are listed on the calendar.

Three-Day Program Registrations: Full refunds are issued when requested at least 6 weeks prior to the beginning of the semester. Cancellations made between 4 and 6 weeks prior to the beginning of the semester receive a 50% refund of the total course enrollment fee. Material Fees are non-refundable. No refunds are issued for cancellations 4 weeks or less prior to the beginning of the semester. The last date for course registration and the semester start dates are listed on the calendar.

How are course offerings selected?

Courses are offered based on the interests of our enrollees, their caregivers, and the expertise of our guides. If you or your child has a great idea for a course, we’d love to hear about it. Drop us a line at info@amikolearningcenter.org.

If courses aren’t graded, how do course participants know if they have done well?

Enrollees explore their successes and challenges throughout the course by using feedback from their mentors, self-reflection, peer feedback, and group discussions. Enrollees work to document their learning in a variety of ways that support the assessment of their progress. In addition, they work together to create artifacts of learning that can be shared with others. In the case that grades are requested by the enrollee, they can be provided.

What are artifacts of learning?

A learning artifact provides evidence of the learning that has occurred by revealing aspects of the learning process and conveying knowledge to share with others so that they may also learn. A learning artifact could be a poster, a written document, artwork, a performance, a video or sound recording, a presentation, an object, or any combination of these examples, and others we haven’t thought of yet.

Why are courses designed for mixed-age groups?

When learning happens in groups of varied ages, abilities, and perspectives, young people learn to value others’ contributions in ways that promote their development of positive social skills and enhance their learning potential as they learn from more experienced peers and take on leadership roles.

What if my child decides they do not want to participate?

Since a primary focus of Amiko is to support collaborative learning experiences, your child’s participation is an asset to the success of their course. However, sometimes a child’s attention or interest may shift from that of their group. Guides will encourage your child to participate by connecting with them to identify ways to increase the relevance of the course, modify their method of participation, or offer some space, for example. We understand learning as a personalized process, and your child will be supported to continue their participation with the group in any feasible way that works for them.

How do we handle conflicts?

Conflicts can emerge from time to time, and we interpret these as opportunities for learning. Guides assist children to communicate how they feel in ways that value the positions of all involved. Children are encouraged to work through conflicts in ways that empower them to build their communication skills and confidence in achieving a resolution. We support the healthy expression of emotions, negotiating reasonable compromises, careful listening, and building trusting relationships.