For more than half a decade, UMMATI families have come together to collectively homeschool our children in the Tampa Bay Area.

UMMATI families believe in the importance of a childhood which includes time for exploration of individual interests, time spent with family, chores at home, community service, and meaningful “work” outside of the classroom. These priorities are met through a weekly co-op schedule which considers these specific needs for the children. Homework is kept to a minimum in the younger grades and is purposeful in the older grades. Class sizes are kept small to ensure that a bulk of the “learning” happens in class with their mentor-teachers. All co-op classes are optional so that parents can choose a schedule that works best for their family.

 Some of the benefits we have to offer 

• Community/friendship for children
• Community/friendship for parents/family
• Academics using Islamically Integrated curriculum with accountability for school work
• Shared learning or group work
• Play Group or Adventures or Field Trip Group
• Community/friendship for parents/family
• Multi-age interaction
• Peer-only interaction
• and much much more .....

 Early Childhood Program 

The goal of UMMATI’s cozy Early Childhood (EC) program is to be a joyous transition for our young ones into the world of “school”. With an emphasis on Islamic values, play, and exploration of the senses, the EC program creates a safe, home-like environment using repetition, rhythm, and routine. Children also benefit from listening to stories of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), participating in play-based Arabic language instruction, Qur’an memorization, and learning daily supplications. In addition, EC children are given daily access to the ranch through special nature programming for preschoolers and ranch walks to visit animal friends for toddlers. Parents MUST remain on-site when they have a child in the Early Childhood program.

 Academics 

UMMATI’s approach is loosely based on the well-known home-schooling manual The Well-Trained Mind which teaches a classical approach to education. We strive to balance traditional core skills and rigorous expectations with creative and play-based activities, especially for the younger children. The children’s Muslim identity & UMMATI Learner outcomes is reinforced throughout all their classes, not just in Qur’an and Islamic Studies.

1. Strong mentor-student relationship both inside and outside of the classroom
2. Growing the whole child with a primary focus on developing character, confidence & creativity
3. Minimization of media and technology in the academic curriculum and in the home life
4. Parental learning, support, and growth towards healthy families

1. Sign-in, Muzakira(Reminder) & Dua
2. Deeniyat
• Quran (Qaidah/Nazirah/Hifz)
• Islamic Studies (Qaidah/Nazirah/Hifz)
• Arabic
3. Islamically Integrated Academics
• English
• Math
• Science
• Social Studies
4. Wholistic Development
• Life Skills
• Physical Education
• Critical Thinking
• Meaningful Discussions

 Enrichment Offerings 

Offerings are classes, workshops, activities, or projects suggested by our families and often led and assisted by parents. Some offerings are targeted at certain ages, while others incorporate a range of ages learning together. Parents engage by leading and assisting with offerings and activities. We hire outside mentors or instructors as appropriate and when budget allows.

UMMATI scheduled Offerings can cover a wide and diverse area. Any area that a group of 2 or more students want to explore together can be an Offering. Experiences may be a single session or last an entire semester. It may be an art teacher who wants to propose an open art lab or a 4 week session on calligraphy. It may be a group of students who want to collaboratively create a stop motion animation film or perhaps put on a play. It may be a co-op parent who wants to bring their passion for sewing to UMMATI students. It can be a group of older students who want to work on robotics or perhaps ACT/SAT test prep together. It may be a group of students who want to do a weekly trip to a local MakerSpace. Perhaps a local blacksmith is available to do a couple of sessions with students interested in this trade.

An UMMATI class starts with a proposed Offering. A proposed Offering can be made by a student, a parent, or an outside resource who wants to bring their passions and skills to the group. The proposal will include a detailed overview description of the Offering idea. The proposal will also include logistical information such as minimum and maximum numbers of students, recommended age range, number and length of sessions, costs and preferred day and time.

Once an Offering has been submitted, it is shared with the group and displayed with other offering ideas to gauge interest and feedback. Parents and Students can also request more information on particular Offerings at this time. Before each session starts students will indicate the Offerings they want to see brought to fruition.

Students who commit to a particular Offering are committing to attend all the sessions of that experience and are committing to giving an honest effort while respecting the other students, the instructor, and the resources for that class. This is important as UMMATI is committing the time, space, expense, and resources to bring this Offering to our students.

The Offerings Team analyzes the level of interest for each offering and develops a schedule that – to their best ability – suits the needs of both individuals and the group as a whole. Offerings may be led by parents, outside tutors and the kids themselves.

Once the Offering has been completed, families provide feedback on the experience. This feedback would include feedback on instructor, content, resources, engagement, recommended changes or follow-up Offerings, etc. This feedback will be used by the Offerings Team and the rest of the community to evaluate and approve proposals for future Offerings.

👉 Click to learn the different Offerings that we would like to explore with our children