Homeschool Help

My friend, Mara, and I are in charge of activities and field trips in our region for our cover school.  We have been kicking around different ideas of things that we want to do, and it is taking us a little time to figure out the best way to plan and organize the trips.

1.      Don’t over plan.  It will be frustrating if only a few people show up for the events that you plan.  Start small and you will have less stress and probably a better turn out.

2.      Get a buddy.  There is no way to plan for the unexpected, but having a partner that helps set up and plan the activities will help.  If one person can’t make it then there is another person that knows the in’s and out’s of the plans.

3.      Watch the dollar signs.  It may be tough financially for the country today but it is tough for homeschoolers all the time.  The more free activities that you can plan for field trips then the happier the homeschool parents will be.

4.      Talk to your community.  Visit the town hall, the local paper, the police station or fire station or any of the businesses or offices that might be of interest to the homeschool group.  We’ve been to the paper, the radio station and the fire station.  It is always amazing at the number of people that have never experienced any of these before.

5.      Be on time.  Even if no one else shows up on time the coordinator should – and be early if possible.  It gives you a chance to confirm your plans and also lets you great any new homeschoolers that may participate.

Planning field trips is not as difficult as it may seem.  Find something that you and your family want to do and then invite other families to join you.  Before you know it you will be a field trip pro.

In Alabama, homeschool is whispered about like the names of diseases were in your grandmother’s generation. People are afraid that they may catch it (or maybe get caught). At least, that is the way it feels most days.

Even with the inclination to hide, I am determined to draw out homeschoolers and form a real community of support, opportunities, and shared resources. Some of my ideas are tried and tested methods for forming groups. Some of them are wishful thinking. All of them will probably have to be twisted and tweaked to get the results I’m after.

1. Have a play day once a month at a near by park. I can schedule the time for my own children and then if other families don’t make it I won’t be so disappointed. I will post the times on forums, chat rooms, and yahoo groups.

2. Find a building that can be rented by or maybe given to the group for activities. While using homes is great, some people are comfortable in that situation. A neutral location would be best.

3. Meet with other parents who want to start a community. Form a “club” or organization. Put together bylaws and formulate a plan. Elect or appoint officers. This gets you just a few filed papers away from being a 501-c corporation.

4. Open a checking account to hold funds for group activities (like rental costs). This may require that you actually incorporate your group, but that is not usually that expensive.

5. Don’t wait for other people to join in before making a go of it. Just start doing things, inviting people, and making contacts. The rest will happen – EVENTUALLY. Whatever else happens, never give up and never surrender.

I may not have found success yet in forming a homeschool group in my area. Even failure can’t stop me. I’ll try something new, something different, and maybe even something completely unexpected to get me to where I want to be.

What are the best suggestions you have for getting homeschoolers together?