Where futures are made.

First, a little bit of history.

In 1973 Emanuel Pariser and Dora Lievow founded The Community School, an alternative high school for Maine youth who needed a second chance at earning their high school diplomas. Each year, sixteen students lived at school while focusing on jobs, academics and life skills. In 1994, Passages was developed to serve teen parents through a  home-based, self-paced high school diploma program. The Community School grew to serve more than forty students each year. In 2011, The Community School merged with Opportunity Farm, becoming Wayfinder Schools. We now serve up to 65 students per year, through our home-based high school program.

Over the years, we’ve become a state- and nationally-recognized model of alternative education that has helped hundreds of Maine teens realize their goal of earning their high school diplomas. Using social justice, strength-based and relational strategies, we reengage youth who are over-age and under-credited and at risk of not earning their high school diploma. 

We work hard to create a learning environment that’s warm, safe, accepting, and challenging. Our curriculum is tailored to individual student needs and is immediately relevant and practical to everyday life.

Our Programs.

Passages Program

Wayfinder Schools offers a home-based high school diploma program called Passages. Originally designed for teen parents, Passages provides individualized instruction to students in their own homes. In addition to providing students the opportunity to earn a high school diploma, we work with them to develop the life skills, and in some cases, parenting skills, they need to become stronger, more self-sufficient members of the community.

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Residential Program

THE RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM IS CURRENTLY ON HIATUS. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING WAYFINDER SCHOOLS, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO COMPLETE AN APPLICATION FOR OUR HOME-BASED PASSAGES PROGRAM. THANK YOU.

Wayfinder Schools is: