Dual Enrollment Program
The Macomber Center’s Dual Enrollment Program offers members the opportunity to explore college-level coursework while remaining fully rooted in a self-directed education environment. It is designed for young people who are curious about college, eager to challenge themselves academically, or interested in gradually transitioning into higher education—without giving up the autonomy, support, and community that define life at Macomber.
What Dual Enrollment Looks Like
Dual enrollment at the Macomber Center is never a requirement and never a track. It begins when kids themselves start asking questions: What would a college class be like? Could I do it? Is this something I want to try?
When interest emerges, Macomber staff support members in researching options, understanding requirements, and deciding what—if anything—they want to pursue. Typically, this involves enrolling in individual courses at a local community college through a dual enrollment program for high-school–aged students.
Members who choose this path often begin by taking a placement test to determine which classes they are eligible for. For some kids, this is their first encounter with formal academics or testing of any kind. Others may already have experience with academic study. Wherever they are starting from, the process remains entirely self-directed.
Self-Directed, With Real Support
When a group of members decides they want to prepare for placement tests or college classes, Macomber staff provide support in whatever ways the kids ask for. This might include:
Helping them understand what the placement tests involve
Gathering study materials or online resources
Offering explanations when kids have questions
Sitting with them as they work, brainstorm, or problem-solve together
In one recent example, a small group of friends around age 14 decided they wanted to try out a college class together. Some were worried they wouldn’t place into even the most basic math or writing courses, since many had little or no prior experience with formal academics. They chose to study anyway, meeting each morning with staff members they had asked to support them.
What began as a small group quickly grew. On many mornings, 10–15 kids gathered around a table in the common room, helping one another solve problems, explaining shortcuts they had discovered, and working through challenges together. The energy in the room was unmistakable—focused, collaborative, and enthusiastic. Studying felt less like schoolwork and more like a shared project or game they were determined to master.
Real Results, On Their Own Timeline
When it came time to take the placement tests, 11 members between the ages of 12 and 16 chose to participate. Many of them had never taken a test before. When they returned to the Center afterward, they were surprised—and proud—of how well they had done.
Not a single one placed below grade level for their age. Most placed above it, qualifying for college-level math or writing. All of this followed roughly three months of preparation—preparation they had chosen for themselves and genuinely enjoyed.
This kind of outcome may seem surprising from the outside, but it is not unusual for young people who have grown up in a self-directed education environment. While many of these kids had limited experience with formal academics, they had years of experience identifying meaningful goals, organizing their time, asking for help, persisting through challenges, and trusting their ability to learn when something matters to them.
College as an Option—Not an Obligation
Not all members who explore dual enrollment go on to take college classes right away. About half of the kids who took the placement test decided to wait. For them, the experience itself—setting a goal, preparing for it, and succeeding—was enough. They chose to spend their time at Macomber pursuing other interests, knowing that college-level academics would be available to them later if and when they wanted.
Others did choose to enroll. The original group of members who initiated the process have since completed a psychology course together and are currently taking a writing class. Several others have taken math classes at the same college. All of them continue to spend most of their time at the Macomber Center, supported by staff and grounded in the community they know well.
Keeping Doors Open
While not all Macomber Center members choose to attend college, a self-directed education here does not close that door. If young people decide they want to pursue higher education, they are well prepared to do so—academically, emotionally, and practically.
Dual enrollment offers a way to step into college gradually, with support, and on one’s own terms. It allows members to gain real experience with college expectations while still benefiting from the flexibility, trust, and deep relationships that make Macomber what it is.
At the Macomber Center, education is not something adults deliver to kids. It is something young people design and build for themselves. Dual enrollment is simply one of the many tools available to them as they shape their own paths into adulthood.