A large room with deep-green accented walls and a mural of autumn trees connects four smaller rooms, each full of learning supplies, colorful fidget toys, a wide range of books and board games and funky seating options.
While desks will still be an option for students, Diana DeNapoli and Dawn Woodward prefer different, comfortable seating at their new microschool, which will focus on small groups of students outside a traditional classroom.
The flexibility and alternative options — in seating and in education — are what drew the women to the idea of running a small school in the first place.
Since the pandemic, the two women had seen an increase in alternatives to public education, so they decided to start their microschool, The Learning Cove, in Bow on Sept. 8.
They first started working together at another small local microschool after pulling their daughters from public school because of the pandemic.
During that time, the state partnered with Prenda, a company that provides adults with curriculum for microschooling, to promote alternative learning opportunities. This partnership increased exposure to microschools, learning pods and homeschooling in general for New Hampshire residents. The partnership with Prenda ended in 2024.
Now, with the expansion of the Education Freedom Account program to all Granite Staters, people like DeNapoli and Woodward, who offer education outside of public school, are hopeful for growth and expansion. Currently, there are 43 EFA-approved microschools, pods and homeschooling learning centers in New Hampshire, according to Children’s Scholarship Fund NH, which awards EFA money to students and approves alternative learning options across the state.
“This is going to open so many doors for kids, and we’re so excited for them. I think homeschooling and microschools are going to become huge, and we’re so excited to be able to help bring that to Bow,” DeNapoli said.
What is a microschool?
Microschools draw from the one-room schoolhouse method of mixing students of different ages, backgrounds, subjects and learning styles. What is most central is the name, micro, since it focuses on small groups of students.
Learning guides — not to be confused with teachers — facilitate the education. Learning guides can be people with an education degree, but not always. Instead of organizing lessons, they keep kids on track as they learn from a planned curriculum, usually online and approved by their parents.
“We did not go to school for this. We are moms that are here to guide you because you don’t need a degree to teach your kids,” DeNapoli said.
Most microschools only have 10 students per learning guide.
Within a school students are not typically assigned class years since all ages are mixed together and they do not earn standard grades. Instead, students study a given unit until they are proficient.
DeNapoli explained that students like her daughter fall behind in bigger schools and are forced to continue without understanding the unit being studied. But in a microschool environment, students have more individualized learning opportunities.
“She was very down on herself, and we don’t see that here at all. We’re a small family and everybody is very supportive of each other, and I think that’s what I love most,” DeNapoli said.
The Learning Cove
Before exposure to microschools, both women charted their own paths in education.
DeNapoli has taught martial arts for 25 years and still continues her practice, hoping to incorporate self-defense at The Learning Cove. Originally, she also did administrative work and ended up employed at the same microschool as Woodward.
Woodward worked as a paraprofessional educator at her daughter’s elementary school and fell in love with teaching. After she decided to homeschool her children during the pandemic and they were ready to return to school, she discovered a microschool and became a learning guide there.
Eventually, DeNapoli and Woodward decided to start their own school. They balance each other out, as Woodward considers herself more creative and DeNapoli sees her skills as more managerial. They each plan to focus on different age groups of students at the school.
“I was like, ‘This is my passion and I want something of my own,’ and she’s like, ‘So do I,”’ said Woodward.
Their vision for the school began at the start of summer vacation this year and came into fruition when they bought a former State Farm office space in Bow. Since DeNapoli lives in Manchester and Woodward lives in Franklin, Bow became the place in between.
The learning guides hoped to have 10 students for their first year, but, as of now, they have 11 enrolled from ages 5 to 17.
Curriculum
The school will offer basics like math, reading, English, science and social science for up to four days a week from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Both English language arts and math will be taught online, while social studies, art and science will be hands-on with the learning guides.
Like a lot of microschools, the Learning Cove will depend on online learning modules from programs including IXL Learning and Essentials In Writing or EIW.
For Skyliah Snyder, 17, the microschool option allowed her to find a learning style that addresses her needs as a high school student.
Snyder is DeNapoli’s niece and went to public school her whole life until last year. She plans to attend The Learning Cove in the fall. She said microschooling allows her to enjoy a quiet work environment and gives her the opportunity to work at her own pace.
“I like that there are kids of all ages and we get to hang out every day,” she wrote.
Even though Snyder does not know exactly what she wants to do after she graduates next year, she feels confident because of the support of her teachers and family.
“When I was at [Nashua High School South], I had friends that I hung out with in school, but they were never my real friends. With the microschool I feel wanted and accepted and know I can go to my peers and teachers for help,” she wrote.
While the main room will be used as an educational area for the whole group, there are three additional rooms for students to use. One is a designated play room full of toys and equipped with a foosball table, while the two others will be quiet spaces for reading or free time. In one of the reading nooks students will be able to meet individually with a reading specialist a couple days a week.
With a group of diverse ages and learning styles, DeNapoli and Woodward want to create a welcoming environment for all, which is something parents and children admire about the school model.
Parents have complete access and control over the programs their children are learning, with some guardians opting for faith-based schooling and choosing how many days a week their kids attend the Learning Cove.
“That’s actually what I like the most, because when my daughter was in public school, I had no idea what she was doing. Now, I can log in and see what she’s doing. Actually, I do sometimes, and I tell her, ‘Get back to work!’” DeNapoli said.
‘Different avenues’
Accessibility is a big part of The Learning Cove. The founders recognize that microschools can be expensive and cost more than EFAs cover, so they made sure the tuition was affordable based on the state’s aid program.
“If your tax dollars follow you to public school, they should follow you anywhere,” DeNapoli said.
They are also huge supporters of school choice and believe in providing students with options for their educational paths. Starting this microschool is their way of opening up another option for kids in the Concord area. But, the learning guides stressed, they are not anti-public school.
“This is fantastic for us,” DeNapoli said.
Woodward nodded in agreement, then added, “But it’s not for everybody and that’s OK.”
“It is great for a lot of people, and we just hope to get the word out there that there are different avenues for your kids’ education other than just public school,” DeNapoli said.
For more information about the Educational Freedom Account program, read the Monitor’s Inside EFAs series here.