The Charlotte Mason Institute (CMI) supports homeschooling families using Charlotte Mason's educational approach. It offers a full curriculum, training programs, and scholarly resources to help parents and educators implement her methods effectively.
A peer-reviewed study published in Peabody Journal of Education found that homeschooled children are typically well-adjusted socially and score above average on measures of social skills, emotional development, and daily living skills (Richard Medlin, 2013). Most homeschool families report completing core academic subjects in 3-4 hours per day for elementary students, compared to the 6-7 hours typical of traditional schools, due to the one-on-one instruction and absence of classroom management overhead (NHERI, 2024).
What is the Charlotte Mason institute?
The Charlotte Mason Institute started almost 20 years ago. It began with gatherings of educators interested in Mason's philosophy. Dr. Carroll Smith, along with his wife Andra, led these discussions. They grew into conferences with scholars from North America and beyond. In 2007, Dr. Smith launched the Charlotte Mason Educational Review. Now, CMI offers many resources to help you use Mason's methods authentically. Today, they provide teacher training, curriculum, certifications, and scholarly publications. It’s one of the most complete systems for Charlotte Mason education.
The alveary curriculum
CMI’s main offering is Alveary, a full Charlotte Mason curriculum for grades 1-12 across all subjects. The name means beehive, symbolizing students and families learning together. Alveary comes with booklists, supply lists, lesson plans, planning tools, and exams. It also includes original content in French, Spanish, art, geography, and reading.
A family membership is $299 a year, ending on June 30. Co-op discounts are available for $249. Alveary+ includes better digital features, like preloaded lesson plans with auto-rescheduling. You can register for the 2026-27 school year starting February 1, 2026. This curriculum meets and exceeds North American standards while staying true to Mason's original methods.
Training and certification
CORE (Conversations on Relational Education) is where to start. It’s an 8-week online course that covers Mason's key ideas in small groups. You earn 28 Professional Development hours when you finish. Spring 2026 cohorts will run from February to April.
CMI also offers the Blue Open Door Program for deeper study, plus training options that are virtual, hybrid, or in-person. You can earn formal certifications like Charlotte Mason Certified or Charlotte Mason Trained. These are great credentials if you want to teach in Charlotte Mason schools or lead educational programs.
Scholarly resources
CMI keeps strong academic credibility through ongoing research and publications. They have the Charlotte Mason Centenary Monograph Series, which includes 18 monographs by 24 scholars from three countries. This was a joint effort with the Armitt Museum and Library and University of Cumbria. Plus, they gather articles from The Parents' Review, Mason's original journal that ran for 99 years. They organize selections by topic for today’s readers.
CMI's focus on Mason's original writings, curriculum, and schedules—combined with current educational research—sets it apart from other groups that offer lighter takes on Charlotte Mason's philosophy.
The bottom line
The Charlotte Mason Institute offers one of the most complete systems for real Charlotte Mason education. You get a full curriculum with Alveary, professional training through CORE, and certification programs. Plus, there's ongoing scholarly research that stays true to Mason's vision. For families dedicated to using Charlotte Mason methods, CMI gives you the resources and community to succeed.
