How Alberta Families Can Enroll at Enlightium Academy

Enlightium Academy is a private Christian school that is accredited by Cognia and the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). Enlightium has served homeschool, online, and co-op school students in K-12 since 2003. As K-12 education policies are different in each country, it is a parental responsibility to check on their country’s requirements and fulfill them as applicable. To assist parents with this process, Enlightium provides basic information about some country’s requirements. Parents are also encouraged to review their country’s requirements at hslda.org/legal and/or the Alberta, Canada Department of Education Services, as educational policies are subject to change over time.

Homeschooling is legal in many countries; however, with the freedom to educational opportunities comes a responsibility to understand and fulfill legal requirements. This can be worrisome, yet you’re not alone in this endeavor. Enlightium Academy is here to help! As you review your country’s homeschooling requirements, keep in mind that Enlightium Academy holds dual accreditation through Cognia and ACSI. This accreditation allows Enlightium to serve students worldwide and provides a high school diploma recognized nationally and internationally. For families living in countries that require an apostille to validate foreign educational records, Enlightium can help guide you through the apostille process should you choose to pursue official recognition of your student’s U.S. studies.

Please note that the resources below serve as a starting point for your family; it is important that you research Alberta’s homeschooling requirements.

‍

Homeschooling Options

Alberta parents have two options for homeschooling: 

1. Register a supervised home education program through a school authority, or 
2. Choose an unsupervised “notification-only” option, in which parents take full responsibility for instruction, resources, and evaluation.

Families enrolling with Enlightium Academy typically fall under the unsupervised (notification-only) category. This means parents notify Alberta Education of their intent to homeschool, provide an education plan, and assume all responsibility for instruction and assessment.

‍

Alberta’s Requirements at a Glance

Country Educational Funds = No

Parent Notifies Country = Yes

Academic Calendar Requirement = No

Subjects Required = No

Age Requirement = 6-16

Instructor Qualifications = No

Standardized Assessment = Yes

Keep a Portfolio = Yes

Enlightium Parents App with Group for Alberta Families = Yes

‍

Country Educational Funds

There do not appear to be any country education funds for students in Alberta at this time.

‍

Notifying the Country

Families who select the unsupervised “notification-only” option must notify the Minister of Education at specific ages of their household’s intent to homeschool:

• Ages six or younger on September 1: Your family is not required to notify the Minister.
• Ages seven through 16 on September 1: Families who select the unsupervised “notification-only” option must notify the Minister of Education by completing and mailing in the Home Education Notification Form – Not Supervised by School Authority. The form can be found through an online form in PASI, accessible in myPass. Enlightium’s accredited online curriculum may serve as the family’s chosen learning program, but Enlightium is not registered with Alberta Education and does not replace the provincial notification process.
• Ages 17 or older on September 1: Your family is not required to notify the Minister.

‍

Calendar Requirements

The Alberta Department of Education Services does not appear to have calendar requirements for homeschooled students. Most Alberta homeschoolers loosely follow the provincial school calendar (September–June) for record-keeping convenience. 

Enlightium’s school calendar has 180 school days (around 210 days with summer school). Additionally, students have access to the courses 24/7 for most days of the school year, including weekends and holidays.

‍

Required Subjects

The Alberta Department of Education Services does not appear to require students to take specific courses. Under the unsupervised option, parents are not obligated to teach specific provincial subjects; however, their education plan must promote a well-rounded education consistent with the child’s needs and abilities. Alberta Education encourages coverage of literacy, numeracy, science, and social studies outcomes similar to those in the Home Education Regulation Schedule 1.

After you enroll/re-enroll and before your student starts courses at Enlightium Academy, your student’s counselor will send you an email with a recommended course schedule consisting of core courses and, if applicable, courses that fulfill Enlightium’s graduation requirements. Your student can also select from Enlightium’s elective courses.

‍

Age Requirement

Ages five or younger:

Students are not required to attend school but can enroll in primary school at Enlightium Academy to have a head start and be ready for Kindergarten.

Aged six through 16:

Students must attend school; this includes homeschooling with Enlightium Academy. Students must continue their education until they turn 17 or graduate.

‍

Instructor Qualifications

The Alberta Department of Education Services does not appear to require the instructor to have certain credentials. However, teachers must perform at least two formal evaluations of the student each year. See “Standardized Assessment” below for details.

As a part of Enlightium Academy’s dual accreditation, Enlightium teachers are state* and/or ACSI-certified. A number of our faculty members have Master's and Doctorate degrees in their fields. 

Students in the Book-Based Program use textbook Christian curricula from AOP or BJU Press, while students in the Online Program use the Ignitia digital Christian curriculum or Enlightium’s custom online curriculum (available to select grade levels). Students in the Sapphire Live program use a collection of the best-vetted curriculum options by our curriculum department. Each curriculum includes Bible, English, math, science, social studies, and elective courses. Click here to learn about the curriculum used at Enlightium Academy and to find the curriculum option that works best for your family.

*For students living in the U.S., this does not necessarily mean that their teachers are certified in the student’s state of residence, but instead in the teacher’s state of residence. For most states, this distinction is not important to the student’s academics.

‍

Standardized Assessment

The Alberta Department of Education Services requires students to be assessed at least twice a year, such as a review of their portfolio and a teacher’s recommendations for improvements. Parents may choose to administer independent assessments or use Enlightium’s diagnostic and standardized tests to measure progress.  Enlightium Academy offers multiple testing options and guidance for students:

• Grades PreK-8: IXL diagnostic assessments or Iowa Complete Annual Assessment. We recommend the IXL diagnostic assessment, as it provides more flexibility in scheduling and does not have an additional fee.

• Grades 9-12: Guidance for college-preparatory assessments such as the PSAT, SAT, and/or ACT

‍

Keep a Portfolio

Parents choosing home education have the responsibility for planning, managing, providing, evaluating, and supervising their children’s courses of study. They must develop a home education program that enables the student to achieve appropriate learning outcomes, but are not required to submit this program plan to the Minister of Education. Should you be asked to verify learning outcomes, Enlightium recommends keeping a digital record for every year, which should include:

• Attendance - Enlightium provides your family with progress reports via email. You can screenshot the details in these emails to show attendance.
• Curriculum information and samples - Enlightium provides its families with both curriculum overviews by grade level and samples by course.
• Academic plans - Enlightium Academy counselors provide academic plans during the admission process for each of our four divisions of grades: primary school (PreK-2), elementary school (3-5), middle school (6-8), and high school (9-12).
• Grades - Enlightium provides report cards for all students at the end of each quarter. Transcripts are available upon request.
• Test scores - This can include occasional screenshots of test scores and/or standardized assessment scores.
• Academic Awards - Enlightium provides qualifying students with certificates for Honor Roll, Scholar’s List, Dean’s List, Outstanding Improvement, and the Presidential Award.
• Social/Competition Achievements - Enlightium holds social events and competitions throughout the school year, such as art competitions and involvement in the Student Council.

‍

Enlightium Parents App with Group for Alberta Families

Enlightium Academy has an app and a desktop platform for families of currently enrolled students. Within this app is a group just for families living in Alberta to inform and support each other in fulfilling their country’s homeschooling requirements. Your family will be provided a link to download the app after enrolling.

‍

Ready to Enroll at Enlightium Academy?

1. Explore Enlightium Academy’s website
2. If you have any questions:
   
   1. Chat with a team member
   2. Email consultants@enlightiumacademy.com
   3. Call (866) 488-4818 option 2
3. Ready to enroll? Click here to start the enrollment process, and select the “Enroll Now” button.

‍

Since 2003, Enlightium faculty and staff have served partner schools, hybrid, online, and book-based program K-12 students. With parental support, excellent instruction, and a personalized approach to learning, Enlightium equips students with the academic, spiritual, physical, social, and emotional skills they need to succeed in life. For any other questions about Enlightium, please call (509) 319-2288 or visit EnlightiumAcademy.com.

We review country requirements and regulations annually; however, each country may update its guidelines more frequently. If you have additional questions, please contact your country’s board of education.

‍

Sources reviewed in November 2025:

• https://hslda.org/legal
• https://open.alberta.ca/publications/2019_089
• https://www.alberta.ca/home-education
• https://thecanadianhomeschooler.com/legalities-of-homeschooling-in-canada-quick-guide 
• https://arrivein.com/daily-life-in-canada/the-school-system-in-alberta/