Where are you located?
Meridian Micro Farm headquarters are in the Mt Washington neighborhood of Cincinnati, OH.
Your school doesn’t look like school. Why?
We design learning environments around how adolescents actually learn and develop, not around inherited school structures. Our program prioritizes meaningful work, responsibility, and real-world engagement rather than compliance-driven schedules or one-size-fits-all instruction.
Are you a homeschool cooperative? A charter or private school?
Meridian Micro Farm is a non-profit, student-run micro farm and learning lab rooted in Montessori’s Erdkinder vision. Families may participate full- or part-time, and some students are enrolled as homeschoolers or in combination with other academic programs.
How are you different from Montessori schools?
Many Montessori schools operate within established institutional models. Meridian draws from Montessori philosophy while remaining intentionally flexible and integrative, shaped by decades of experience across diverse educational settings. This allows us to adapt the work to adolescents, context, and community rather than replicating a single institutional form.
What about tests and grades?
Rather than relying on standardized testing, we use careful, methodical observation as a primary means of assessment, consistent with Montessori practice.
Families choose how they wish to meet academic requirements. Some opt to partner with Bridgemont International School for accredited coursework, while others use homeschool curricula, online programs, College Credit Plus, or other academic pathways. Meridian supports families in identifying options that fit their adolescent’s needs and goals.
How will students make friends in a class so small?
Our classes are intentionally small so that young adults can develop meaningful relationships within an invested learning community. While small class sizes aren’t the only tool necessary for meaningful learning, substantial research has shown it significantly reduces violent behavior and bullying, as well as feelings of isolation and depression rampant in US middle and high schools. Additionally, our small size enables us to maintain flexibility, creativity and authentic autonomy, marking an unparalleled return on investment for the families we serve.
Don’t middle- and high-schoolers need several hours of schooling five days a week and rigorous academic work to prepare for college?
In many traditional middle and high schools, adolescents spend only a fraction of the day engaged in meaningful learning. Large portions of time are devoted to classroom management, pacing, and test preparation rather than sustained thinking, responsibility, or real-world application. Despite longer school days and heavier workloads, many students graduate without strong executive functioning skills, self-direction, or a clear sense of purpose.
Meridian Micro Farm takes a different approach. We focus on meaningful work, responsibility, and real contribution during adolescence. Students often pair the program with academic pathways such as homeschool curricula, online coursework, College Credit Plus, or trade-based learning, not simply to prepare for life after school, but to actively participate in it now, as capable and contributing members of their communities.
Isn’t this a radical new approach to the typical high school experience?
Not really. Before consolidation and standardization, adolescents were educated in small, multi-age environments where learning was closely connected to real responsibility and practical contribution. There are also more recent examples, such as Metro Chicago’s “the school without walls” that demonstrate how community-based, experience-driven models can be highly successful, even if they were never intended to scale system-wide. Our program builds on this lineage by prioritizing adolescent development, meaningful work, and participation in real life rather than adherence to a factory-style school model.
What kind of parent participation do you expect?
We view your adolescent’s education as a collaborative effort. We ask parents to bring snack on a rotating basis and occasionally assist with other duties such as field studies. Additionally, we hope parents will join us for micro farm celebrations and parent education events. It is our mission to be a model for learning which supports parental and student empowerment and encourages the strengthening of the family system, where all learning begins.
How much is tuition?
The tuition listed below covers Meridian Micro Farm programming only, including on-site learning, land and community work, and year-round program operations.
2026–27 Tuition
Full Program (Recommended)
4-Day Program: $650/month
Flexible Options
3-Day Program: $575/month
2-Day Program: $450/month
Field and Forest Fridays: $25/Friday (for M–Th families)
Tuition is billed in twelve equal monthly payments and reflects our expanded year-round adolescent model. Tuition includes the full academic year (late August–May) as well as our lighter Summer Stewardship Session (June–July). Summer attendance is flexible, and tuition remains the same regardless of holidays, absences, or varied summer schedules.
Financial aid is limited and awarded based on enrollment and funds already allotted.
Do you offer a summer program?
Yes. As a working micro farm, our adolescent program operates year-round to honor the agricultural cycle. From June–July, adolescents participate in a lighter Summer Stewardship Session. Summer Stewardship is not required, but strongly encouraged for students who wish to remain connected to the land, community, and responsibilities of the micro farm year-round.