CAYR Co-op & Microschool
Fall 2026
For Fall 2026, we are beginning with CAYR Co-op, a part-time cooperative learning community for K–6 learners. CAYR Co-op will give families a flexible way to connect with CAYR while we continue building toward our goal of launching a full-time microschool program in 2027.
CAYR Co-op may be a good fit for families who are homeschooling, unschooling, using online school, considering homeschooling, or looking for a part-time learning community outside of a traditional school setting.
CAYR Co-op will meet Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM, beginning September 1, 2026.
Drop-off participation will be an option, and family participation will also be welcomed and encouraged. We plan to expand day and time offerings as the program grows.
Looking for after school or days-off-school care?
Visit our CAYR Camp & CAYR Club page!
Why We’re Starting with a Co-op
Our original plan was to launch a full-time microschool in Fall 2026. As we listened to families, learned from the first summer of CAYR Camp, and planned carefully for sustainability, we decided to begin with a more flexible model.
CAYR Co-op allows us to:
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Serve families sooner
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Offer a more accessible entry point into the CAYR learning community
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Build relationships with children and families over time
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Pilot routines, learning blocks, supports, staffing, and family participation
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Continue fundraising to cover tuition assistance
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Grow thoughtfully toward a 5-day-per-week microschool in 2027
Our Story
CAYR stands for "Come As You Are." Our goal is to build a better world for people with all kinds of minds. One way we are doing this is by creating an inclusive educational community that will support neurodiverse families raising curious, creative, compassionate humans in the greater Chicago area.
We aim to create a space to blend Progressive Pedagogy and Universal Design for Learning with a Mind, Brain, and Education (MBE) Science research-informed lens. It's a place where kids with diverse backgrounds, interests, and abilities can learn alongside one another, and also learn from each other.
Research shows that our brains are as different as our faces. The number of people in the US whose brains differ from the norm is estimated to be between 20% and 67%, yet society is still set up in a way that requires neurodivergent individuals (e.g., Autistic, ADHD, Dyslexic, OCD, etc.) to either fit into the “neurotypical” mold or be excluded.
We aim to create a space where we can normalize neurodiversity (the natural variation of human brains) and demonstrate how neuroinclusive practices can benefit everyone, regardless of neurotype. By celebrating differences, focusing on strengths, and embracing challenges, we can create an inclusive educational environment that benefits every learner-- even nondisabled, typically-developing kids.
We support the whole child – our goal is to foster kids’ physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Our neuroinclusive CAYR School along with CAYR Camp will be supportive, collaborative environments where everyone belongs, all year long.
Interested? Check out the video below to see the "blueprint" for our school and scroll down learn more about neuro-affirming, trauma-informed approach to inclusive learning.
Our
Approach
The CAYR Co-op is a small, inclusive learning community of up to 10 children, ages 5 to 12, with a maximum ratio of 4 learners per adult (usually less!)
Every part of our approach is designed around one core idea: all children are capable of learning, and they learn best when they feel safe, seen, and supported. We weave together play-based learning, nature and place-based experiences, hands-on projects, sensory-supportive design, and authentic assessment as part of our everyday rhythm with children.
Sensory Supportive Environment
How a space feels directly affects how well children can think, connect, and participate. Sensory overload is identified in research as a major barrier to participation and wellbeing, particularly for neurodivergent learners. Our learning spaces are intentionally designed to help every child feel calm, focused, and ready to learn. Sensory supportive design reduces masking pressure and helps every child participate as their authentic self.
Strengths-Based Lens
We start with what each child can do, loves to do, and is curious about, and we build learning experiences from there. Our strengths-based lens supports positive identity and belonging. Learners present both distinctive strengths and difficulties, and effective inclusive education recognizes and builds on what children do well rather than defining them by what they find hard.
Children have regular chances to lead, contribute, and be recognized for what they do well. A younger child may have deep knowledge about insects; an older child may be a skilled builder or storyteller. When environments focus on strengths and honor different communication styles, sensory needs, and ways of participating, children can show up as their authentic selves rather than spending energy trying to fit a single mold.
Play With a Purpose
We believe play is not a break from learning, it is one of the most powerful pathways to learning. Research shows that play supports development across cognitive, social, language, and literacy domains. Universal Design for Learning research adds that strong teaching should be designed around learner variability from the start, supporting the kind of flexible, purposeful play environments where every child can participate meaningfully. Our school honors both free play, where children explore, imagine, and experiment, and guided play, where educators thoughtfully extend and deepen learning while keeping children actively involved.
Nature-Based and Place-Based Learning
Children in our learning community learn through direct experience in the natural world and meaningful connection to the places and communities around them. Time outdoors is not just for physical activity, it is a primary context for learning, regulation, and growth. Nature-rich play environments support cognitive, social, physical, and emotional development. Place-based learning makes learning more relevant by grounding it in children's real environments, interests, and lived experience, an approach consistent with inclusive design that honors learner variability.
Hands-On Projects
In our K–5 multi-age learning community, children learn by doing: asking real questions, building real things, and solving real problems alongside peers of different ages. Project-based work gives children meaningful ways to explore the same big ideas at their own developmental level. With our small class size, educators can design projects that meet each child where they are, offering scaffolding, extension, and multiple entry points as a natural part of everyday learning routines.
Supported Self-Direction
While educators provide the structure, scaffolding, and close relationships that help every learner grow with confidence and purpose, children in our learning community have real voice and choice in what they learn. Choice and autonomy help learners build motivation, agency, and ownership. In our multi-age setting, children can pursue learning at their own pace and depth. Younger learners see what's possible by watching older peers; older learners consolidate understanding by mentoring and explaining. Planning, choosing, and reflecting help children develop executive functioning and self-regulation through daily practice.
Authentic, Dynamic Assessment
Instead of worksheets and tests, we measure each child's growth through authentic assessment - portfolio work, interactions, and close observation. This captures what children actually understand and can do in meaningful contexts.
Inclusive, flexible assessment design removes barriers for children who process, communicate, or express understanding differently. In our small-group setting, educators can observe each child's learning process every day, turning assessment into an ongoing relationship rather than a one-time test. When assessment focuses on growth and what each child can do, children develop a stronger sense of themselves as capable learners.