Welcome to Living Education Collective
A relational education community serving Ventura County.
We believe education should be relational.
Living Education Collective (LEC) is a grassroots movement of intentional families who believe there is a better way to educate.
Rooted in the educational philosophy of Charlotte Mason and grounded in our Christian faith, we honor the born personhood of every individual, recognizing each child as a whole person—created in the image of the Living God, worthy of dignity, relationship, and an education that nourishes the whole person.
We reject the mechanization of mankind and the notion that children are empty vessels to be filled with facts or machines to be fitted with parts. Instead, we embrace an education that cultivates the mind, nourishes the soul, orders the loves, and invites each person into a lifelong pursuit of truth, beauty, and goodness.
Through our one-day student program, educational retreats, courses, community gatherings, and book clubs, we seek to equip and strengthen local families, cultivating a community where children and adults alike can grow in wisdom, deepen their relationships, and delight in the richness of a living education.
The LEC Difference
A Charlotte Mason Education. We follow the relational educational philosophy of Charlotte Mason, honoring the born personhood of every child and cultivating a love of truth, beauty, and goodness through living ideas, meaningful relationships, and rich encounters with the world.
A Partnership of Families and Educators. Students attend our one-day-a-week program, where they are taught by paid educators and supported by parent volunteers. We believe education flourishes through meaningful relationships and a shared commitment between families and educators.
Christ-Centered and Ecumenical. We are a diverse, ecumenical community united by our love for Jesus Christ, our conviction that God has a rightful place in education, and our commitment to cultivating virtue and moral character. Though our families come from a variety of Christian traditions, we share a desire to nurture wisdom, goodness, and a rightly ordered love of God and neighbor.
A Rhythmic Approach to Learning. Our academic year consists of 30 Wednesdays of instruction. Every seventh week, we step away from our regular classroom rhythms to practice the art of Sabbath together, making space for rest, reflection, delight, and renewal.
A Community for Growing Minds. We welcome students entering kindergarten through high school. Our community provides opportunities for children to grow in wisdom, deepen friendships, and learn alongside peers across the years.
Intentionally Small Classes. We believe meaningful relationships and attentive teaching are essential to a living education. Kindergarten and primary classes are capped at 12 students, while upper-level classes are capped at 14, allowing educators to know their students well and nurture each child as a person.
“Thought breeds thought; children familiar with great thoughts take as naturally to thinking for themselves as the well-nourished body takes to growing; and we must bear in mind that growth, physical, intellectual, moral, spiritual, is the sole end of education.”
— Charlotte Mason
