Search

Our Lady of Good Counsel University Model Co-op
OLGC MISSION

  • Faith: Our community of families pursues whatever is true, just, holy, and loveable (Phil 4:8) in order to know, love, and serve God. (CCC 1721) More about our Catholic identity below.
  • Support: Parents remain the primary educators while co-teaching with the co-op Tutors. The cost and burden of expert instruction is shared among the families.
  • Academics: Students benefit from specialists who are passionate and enthusiastic about their field of study. The university-model approach provides a traditional classroom experience while allowing flexibility and preparing students for higher education.
  • Community: Students are encouraged to develop virtue (CCC 1834, 1877) and build authentic Christian community in service to the common good. (CCC 1895)

OLGC MOTTO

Infinita Fide
With Unbound Confidence
Selected by the 2016 OLGC Student Body

CATHOLIC IDENTITY

Members of the Co-op put themselves under the patronage of Our Lady of Good Counsel. Tutors and committee members must be practicing Catholics, who place themselves under the legitimate authority of the Holy Father and the Magisterium of the Catholic Church.  All member families must understand and agree that the co-op will operate according to the teachings of the Catholic Church. When meeting at St. Patrick, co-op students attend Mass. When meeting at the farm, students participate either in prayer service or Mass. Confession is offered on an regular basis when possible. Saint and feast days are celebrated together. A more detailed Faith Statement, which all OLGC participants must agree to, may be accessed during the registration process and includes the Creed, a Statement on Marriage, Gender, & Sexuality, and Conformity.

ACADEMICS

  1. OLGC assists families with their 6th-12th grade home education, but does not replace it. Parents remain the primary educators of their children.
  2. OLGC seeks tutors who know their subject matter through their college studies, career experience, and/or teaching experience.
  3. Tutors provide support to home educating parents by providing lesson plans, assigning daily work, presenting new material, creating tests, etc.
  4. Independent study is fostered and encouraged, but parents must be available to assist students between co-op days. Parents must check for assignment completion and timely submission as well as check student grades on a regular basis.
  5. A variety of subjects are available including science, history, language arts, foreign languages, and electives (including religion, art, philosophy, ethics). OLGC does not offer math at this time.
  6. Each class meets in person once per week during which students benefit from experiences unique to the classroom such as Socratic discussion, scientific experiment, presentations, debate, group analyses, and peer review.
  7. Most tutors adopt a classical approach to their subject and utilize a "flipped classroom" methodology when possible as this approach seems optimal for learning and student engagement.
  8. Students register for anywhere between 1 and 5 courses. When not completing service hours, parents may simply drop students off before the first scheduled course and pick up after the last.
  9. When not in class, students may work quietly in Study Hall or engage with others in a supervised and device-free Social Hall.
  10. While OLGC is not accredited and does not track student transcripts, the core high school subjects offered do earn transcript credits as indicated in the Course Catalog.
  11. All student, parent, and tutor communication, including daily assignments, takes place online via a learning management system app.

COMMUNITY

In keeping with its 4th mission pillar, OLGC offers a variety of social and leadership opportunities beyond regular class days: Student Government, student-led Clubs, Yearbook Committee, Eta Sigma Alpha Honor Society, field trips, Fall and Spring Dances, prayer events, philanthropic support, family picnics, and more. In addition to in-person events, students have the opportunity to connect with each other through a supervised online portal between class days. While optional, these activities are highly encouraged and provide much benefit to the growth of the individual and the community overall.

FINANCIAL COMMITMENT

  1. To enroll in the co-op, each family annually contributes a non-refundable fee of $200 (until May 31; $225 until Jun 30; $250 until Jul 31; $275 thereafter). Most other fees for general/communal co-op activities are optional, such as event fees, t-shirts, etc. (Course Tuition fees are separate.)
  2. In addition to the Enrollment Fee, parents pay tutors the assigned Course Tuition rates and supply fees as listed in the Course Catalog. First tuition payments are due at Parent/Student Orientation in August.
  3. A payment plan for Course Tuition is available.
  4. All books and materials for each registered course must be purchased/acquired by Aug 1. (Please do not use the online Course Catalog for this list. A separate official list will be provided directly to registered families after registration is complete.)

TIME & FAMILY COMMITMENT

  1. Most classes meet once per week on Mondays between 8am and 3:45pm. (In 2024-25, classes meet on Tuesdays, but this will change to Mondays in 2025-26.) Extension program courses ("OEP" - 11th/12th theology and philosophy) meet once per week on a different morning (TBD for 2025-26).
  2. Daily assignments must be completed at home between in-person class days. On average, middle school students should expect about 45 minutes of homework per day per course. High school students should expect about 1 hour of homework per day per course.
  3. Once registered, each new family attends an informal New Family Interview with the OLGC Steering Committee.
  4. Each family must complete onsite service hours on Mondays or on OEP class days. Service hours may be completed in 80-min increments, and each family signs up for its own timeslots. The number of timeslots is determined in late summer but usually equates to about 1 full day per month (about six 80-min timeslots per month). Families with students in the Thursday Extension Program share the responsibility of serving as the 2nd adult for those classes.
  5. Certain service hour jobs do allow for younger children to attend with parents.
  6. Service hours may be completed by non-family members.
  7. All adults completing service hours must have Safe Environment Certification completed for the Diocese of Fort Worth. (Certifications completed outside of Fort Worth Diocese do not qualify.)
  8. ​In addition to Service Hours, returning parents are strongly encouraged to volunteer for at least one Parent Role. These Roles include special event planning, chaperoning, ambassadors for incoming families, computer/website assistance, SGA parent advising, Steering Committee, etc.
  9. OLGC does not require uniforms, but students must adhere to a Dress Code. Details are provided in the Policies and Procedure Handbook.​

LOCATION

  • OLGC meets from August through May. See the Important Dates section below for specific dates.
  • In-person classes take place at two locations:
    1. Mondays classes = Formation building at St. Patrick Cathedral in downtown Fort Worth
    2. OEP Wednesday classes = Private farm in north Fort Worth (where I-35 and north side of 820 intersect)
  • Monthly Club Days take place at the farm
  • Other events and meetings take place at a variety of locations or occasionally through video conferencing

2025-26 COURSE CATALOG

READY TO REGISTER?

IMPORTANT DATES FOR 2025-2026 (preliminary schedule; subject to change)

Aug 14: Assignments begin for OEP Wednesday classes
Aug 18: 8am-12pm: Parent & Student Orientation (mandatory for all registered students and one parent; no younger siblings please)
Aug 19: Assignments begin for Monday classes
​Aug 20: First day of OEP Wednesday classes
Aug 25: First day of Monday classes
Sept 1: Labor Day - No in-person classes
Nov 24 - 28: Thanksgiving Break
Dec 10: Last OEP Wed class day for Fall semester
Dec 15: Last class day for Fall semester
CHRISTMAS BREAKS:
        Dec 12 - Jan 7: OEP Wed classes
        Dec 16 - Jan 12: Mon classes
Jan 8: Assignments begin for OEP Wed classes
Jan 13: Assignments begin for Mon classes
Jan 14: First in-person day for Spring semester OEP Wed classes
Jan 19: First in-person day for Spring semester Mon classes
Mar 16 - 20: Spring Break
Apr 6 - 10: Easter Octave Break
May 14: Last OEP Wed class day
May 18: Last class day for Spring semester
May 31: End-Of-Year BBQ (optional - but you don't want to miss it!)