Short answer: in Michigan, you decide. The state does not set a physical education requirement for homeschool families, so PE is whatever your family plans and records. Climbing fits that plan better than most activities, and here is why, plus what we provide to make it easy to document.
What Michigan actually requires
Michigan homeschool law asks that instruction cover a set of core subjects. Physical education is not one of them, and there is no hour count or reporting requirement. Families who follow a curriculum or use a partnership program often set their own PE expectations. If you work with a district partnership program, the program may have its own rules for what counts and what it will fund. Check with them first.
Why climbing works as PE
- It is measurable. Every climb has a color. A kid who climbed yellow in September and purple in January has a record you can see.
- It is whole-body. Grip, core, balance, footwork, and problem-solving in one session. No specialist equipment beyond shoes, which we lend for free.
- It runs on weekdays. Our homeschool blocks are on weekday afternoons when the gym is quiet.
- It scales with the kid. Same wall, different color. Siblings of different ages climb the same session.
What a homeschool block looks like at Shift
Coached, weekly, weekday afternoons. Ages start at 7. A block runs about an hour: a warm-up, one technique focus, circuit climbing, and a cool-down. Coaches are on the floor the whole time. Parents can stay, climb on a day pass, or work in the cafe.
Partnership funding
We partner with Hamilton, Grand Haven, Niles, and iCademy. These partnerships offer tuition funding that covers most if not all of the cost!
Cost
The cost of a full semester is $360. If you partner with any of the above programs, they will cover most if not all of the tuition. If you're joining later in the semester and not partnered with one of the above programs, we'll prorate your semester!
Next step
See the current homeschool schedule on our homeschool program page, or reach out to schedule a free first visit to see if it's the right fit!
