Heritage Christian Online School, Private school in Kelowna, BC

Heritage Christian Online School supports home education through a flexible combination of individualized study, online instruction, and face-to-face learning. Families work with BC-certified teachers to develop personalized programs aligned with provincial standards, while synchronous and self-paced courses offer degrees of structure and interaction. Weekly Community Connections classes, learning camps, field trips, and virtual groups help address the social dimension of learning from home. Academic support includes subject-specialist teachers, advising, a Learning Commons, and services for students with diverse learning needs. Specialized programs extend beyond core academics through robotics and engineering, wilderness leadership, international service, travel study, and student government. Christian faith shapes the curriculum, community, and approach to service. Families may choose a teacher-supported enrolment pathway leading to the BC Dogwood Diploma or register as traditional homeschoolers with greater autonomy and fewer formal requirements. HCOS may suit families seeking control over how, where, and at what pace learning takes place.

We questioned the school administration

1. Who are you, as a school?

"HCOS is a BC-certified home education program built around personalized learning — every student has a unique student learning plan shaped to their needs, pace, and goals. Serving families across the province from kindergarten through graduation since 2004, HCOS pairs flexible learning options with authentic, Christ-centered relationships between teachers and students. Home-based learning, online courses, local in-person classes, and rich resources blend to create an individualized learning journey."

Learn Your Way: Home-Based, Online, and Face-to-Face Options Across BC
Self-Paced and Live Online Courses Taught by Subject Specialists
Community Connections: Weekly In-Person Classes in Communities Across BC
Learning Camps, Field Trips, Meet Ups and Student Council Build Lasting Relationships
Crew: Grade 8–9 Cohort with a Dedicated Team of Specialist Teachers
Academic Advisors Guide Grades 10–12 Toward Graduation
Inclusive Education Support with Case Managers and Educational Assistants
Learning Commons: Curriculum, Unit Study Kits, eBooks, and Expert Support
Specialized Programs: Adventure Discipleship, Comparative Civilization, International Missions
A Christ-Centered Community Where Students Grow in Curiosity, Compassion and Courage

2. What do you do differently and uniquely well?

For more than twenty years, HCOS has partnered with home-educating families across BC, and that experience shapes how we personalize learning. Every student has a learning plan built with a BC certified teacher, who knows the child, guides the family and assesses progress through the year. Families then combine the options that fit: individualized courses using curriculum they choose under the guidance of their teacher, self-paced or live online courses with subject specialists, and weekly in-person classes through Community Connections. As students grow, support grows with them, from Crew cohorts in Grades 8 and 9 to academic advisors guiding Grades 10 to 12. Inclusive Education ensures learners of every ability are supported. Faith runs through it all in Christ-centered relationships with teachers and families. The result: students who know how they learn, take ownership of their education, and graduate ready to explore and embrace God's unique purpose.

3. What tradeoffs has your school made to serve families in this way?

Every choice we’ve made favours personalization and family partnership, which means letting go of some aspects that a traditional brick-and-mortar school may provide. We’ve traded a fixed, school-run timetable for flexibility: a BC certified teacher designs and oversees each student’s learning, while parents take on a daily role supporting it at home. This allows learning to follow a child’s pace and interests. We’ve traded the daily classroom crowd for a smaller circle of peers, so friendships are built intentionally through Community Connections, camps and meet ups. We’ve chosen to be openly Christ-centered rather than neutral, so faith shapes every subject and relationship. And flexibility requires students to manage their time and take ownership of their learning earlier than most. Some find that a stretch at first, but it becomes one of the most valuable skills they graduate with.