Both my wife and I are homeschool graduates and now homeschool parents. Critics of homeschooling, both then and now, have questioned the family’s ability to properly socialize their children. However, these accusations have consistently rung hollow, as homeschool families are nothing if not creative, overcoming this challenge through the creation of homeschool co-ops and support groups. For my family, these outlets have become an essential part of our homeschool.
Since our children were in upper elementary school, my wife and I have been co-teachers: my role is the main planner for our homeschool program, along with teaching some of the classes, and my wife is the implementer and school counselor (a sorely-needed position when the children are dealing with assignment deadlines or challenging material!)
This division of responsibilities means that during the late spring and summer, part of my job is finding the curriculum and courses that we’re going to teach our children the next year. And a big part of that job is figuring out where my children can find community, since they aren’t going to public or private school. My wife and I have used different means over the years for finding that community.
THE FALL OF THE PUBLIC EDUCATION RACE GRIFTERS
Several of our children have participated in Scouts or similar organizations, such as American Heritage Girls. Sometimes we’ve used library youth events — our children have been big fans of the monthly teen game nights at our local library, and now that a couple of them have graduated, they’ve moved up to the adult game nights. Sometimes there have been church youth groups that they’re involved in.
But most often we, like many other homeschooling families, have found community by participating in homeschool-specific groups of various kinds. Two of the most common are often referred to as “co-ops” or “support groups.” There are various ways to categorize these groups, but one helpful way is to look at their intended purpose.
While there’s no legal definition of “co-op,” usually the purpose of this kind of group is for academic enrichment. Some of the co-ops we have been involved in have basically been once-a-week schools.
There are classes ranging from art to math to history. My wife is a published author, so she has enjoyed teaching some of those classes and writing and creativity through words. I’m a history buff, so I’ve taught co-op classes on famous battles and other historically significant events.
Some of my best memories of being homeschooled come from the co-op I was in. My mother taught us a class in public speaking, while a grandfather showed us high schoolers how to use a slide rule, and we all took swimming lessons together.
As a lawyer who talks with homeschool groups across the country, I’ve seen co-ops that are very academically inclined, many focusing on STEM subjects. There’s a co-op near me that routinely wins Latin translation competitions in the mid-Atlantic region because that’s important to the homeschool families in that group. My children, on the other hand, would be hard put to translate “E pluribus unum” without Google! (Ask them about the latest Kirby video game, on the other hand, and you’ll find out more than you ever wanted to know.)
Another type of homeschool group that is very common is often referred to as a “support group.” They are often less formal and more organic than co-ops. Our family was involved in a group like this just before COVID-19 hit. I think it had a formal name, but our children just referred to it as the “Homeschool Hangout.”
Families would rent out a local community center once or twice a week and just do activities and small classes together. The center had a big gym, where our children enjoyed flying drones, roller skating, and just running around being children.
I’ve also talked to homeschool support groups that focus on “outdoor” education, whether that outdoors is the sand dunes of North Carolina or the backwoods of Michigan. There are lots of groups devoted to just getting together every other Friday at the local park to play games or hang out on the jungle gyms.
For some homeschool parents, setting up field trips can seem like an insurmountable obstacle. Support groups exist for this purpose! I recently talked with an activity and field trip group in Las Vegas that has seen tremendous growth over the last couple years because homeschool children love the community.
So, where can you find homeschool groups for your children? Most state homeschool organizations list co-ops and support groups on their website (e.g., California).
PARENTS REMEMBER WHO’S IN CHARGE OF THEIR CHILDREN’S EDUCATION
There are national lists as well — my organization, HSLDA, has a handy “search by zip code” tool that lists over 1500 groups. You can also find helpful articles and videos online about how to find groups of all kinds.
Homeschooling has worked wonderfully for our family, and being involved in homeschool groups has been an important part of that journey. I encourage you to take a look at what’s out there!
Darren Jones has worked at the Home School Legal Defense Association since 1996, first as a legal assistant and then as an attorney in various capacities, including as HSLDA’s adviser to homeschool groups. Darren and his wife Sara homeschool as a team and have graduated the oldest two of their four children.
