Starting a homeschool resource center like Village Home Education Center in Portland, OR can seem like a daunting task, but even Village Home has humble roots. Starting a small homeschool program and growing into your own space is a feasible path for most homeschool groups. After you have established your program, you may wish to move towards independently owning and running your own center, or you may find that your chosen location works for the long term. Starting off with a couple of offerings once or twice a week is enough to launch your homeschool program.
The Key to Community
There are several factors that contribute to a successful and thriving community, but one thing that is central to nearly all of them is a shared space where members can come together and feel a sense of belonging, a sense of security, and a sense of pride. Like a town’s social hall or community center, a common space can bring people together and provide opportunities to work towards common goals. Unfortunately for homeschoolers, finding a communal space is hard—expenses such as rent, insurance, maintenance, etc. make it impossible for most small communities to secure a location. Alternatively, a homeschool program can be implemented at almost any established learning center for children with no start-up costs. These places are usually empty from 9AM-3PM, which is perfect for homeschoolers!
Launching your Homeschool Program
You can start a program in an already established learning center without having to go through the hassles of filing for a non-profit status or even a business license. By working with an established business, you’ll be able to avoid the work and expense (and stress!) of running it on your own. Tutoring centers are great for this purpose, as they are often vacant during the school day. Likewise, community Makerspaces are popping up all over the country and are often completely vacant during school hours.
Find like-minded people to collaborate with and combine your efforts to manage the program and membership within your homeschool community, while the owners of the facility do the business end of the deal. An agreed upon percentage of class fees and/or membership dues goes to the owners (and they will pay the teachers), and the rest goes to the homeschool organizers/group. You won’t need to file for a business license or obtain 5013c status (unless you want to for other reasons). You can recommend teachers for hire within your community, and the owners of the center will handle the taxes and contracts. Remember, you’ll be running a program as an independent contractor within an already existing business. You could do it through dance studios, art studios, or any other place that offers after-school classes—just schedule homeschool classes and events during the school day (depending on the studio, you may need to work around a pre-school class schedule).
Offering Memberships
Some homeschool programs and resource centers work on a membership model which provides many benefits for members. You can certainly offer classes and events through your program without requiring membership, and this may be an easier way to go for some groups. If you choose to offer memberships, some benefits to include could be:
While it’s true that many local groups offer many of these benefits already, doing so within a shared space allows for a common ground where all can meet without the pressures or inconvenience of having to host activities in your home. Offering these benefits for a membership fee often keeps people accountable for their commitments to the group and allows the group to use the funds towards special events and resources for your community.
Getting the Word Out
Web Presence
Your host may be happy to add a page to their existing web site to highlight your homeschool program, but if you can’t get a page on their website, you can easily create your own through sites like Weebly or Wordpress, and you’ll be able to advertise upcoming events, field trip registration, newsletters, host a blog, etc. Using a site like Meetup.com, Ning, Google/Yahoo Groups, Big Tent, etc. is a great way to establish an online forum and connect with local homeschoolers and already exist in most communities (you may even find several in your area, each with a different focus or philosophy). Some tech savvy members (especially the kids!) can help to develop your own page with a private forum for members only. Many of these options cost money, and some of them are free, so deciding on which platform to use will be dependent on your community’s needs and resources.
Community Outreach
Now that you have your community space, hosting a “Homeschool Information Night” is a great way to educate the greater community about Homeschooling as an option. Sadly, for most families it’s not something that ever crosses their minds as a possibility, even as their child is struggles in their current school environment. I have found it’s very easy to put a panel of enthusiastic speakers together who are more than happy to share their experiences, philosophies and educational approaches. Try to find people who represent lots of different aspects of homeschooling (i.e., working & homeschooling, unschooling, Well-Trained Mind/Classical Education, homeschooling special needs kids, etc.) After panelists share their stories, a Q & A session is a great way to address the specific needs of your audience.
The best way to advertise for these events is through local publications and moms’ networks. Make a list of all the local mothers’ clubs, parenting blogs/websites, and periodicals that will allow you to post your event for free (Craigslist, Red Tricycle, Patch, etc.) Every time you host an information night event, your resource list will help you cover all possible outlets, just be sure to post it well in advance to allow for maximum exposure. You can also put up flyers at your local library, playgrounds, and community bulletin boards…and let’s not forget the power of social media! Share your flyer (pdf) via Facebook and other social media outlets by posting in groups and public pages and spread the word quickly throughout your community.
Once your program is established, you can also sponsor a booth at local fairs, festivals, and farmer’s markets that are open to community booths. These are usually free (or low cost) and can be a great way to let people know about homeschooling and the learning opportunities available through your program. Have some games and/or manipulatives for the children and books/resources for the adults to browse. Your state’s homeschool organization may have some pamphlets and other resource materials to hand out. Parents considering homeschooling and those who may not even have thought it was an option will be thrilled to see you there.
Why do all this?
You may be asking, “What is the purpose to all of this work? Why is building community so important?” Homeschoolers today more than ever before have the opportunity to learn from and support each other throughout the years from the very first decision to homeschool through graduation and beyond. The #1 reason that families opt to return to school is lack of community. A vibrant, active homeschool group is important to help children thrive as home-based learners. A strong community can support its members as they navigate through life’s challenges and celebrate the triumphs. As mentioned above, there are many ways to foster strong community bonds, but the KEY to bringing people together is having a shared space, a literal common ground where seeds of curiosity are sown and self-directed learners bloom.
The Key to Community
There are several factors that contribute to a successful and thriving community, but one thing that is central to nearly all of them is a shared space where members can come together and feel a sense of belonging, a sense of security, and a sense of pride. Like a town’s social hall or community center, a common space can bring people together and provide opportunities to work towards common goals. Unfortunately for homeschoolers, finding a communal space is hard—expenses such as rent, insurance, maintenance, etc. make it impossible for most small communities to secure a location. Alternatively, a homeschool program can be implemented at almost any established learning center for children with no start-up costs. These places are usually empty from 9AM-3PM, which is perfect for homeschoolers!
Launching your Homeschool Program
You can start a program in an already established learning center without having to go through the hassles of filing for a non-profit status or even a business license. By working with an established business, you’ll be able to avoid the work and expense (and stress!) of running it on your own. Tutoring centers are great for this purpose, as they are often vacant during the school day. Likewise, community Makerspaces are popping up all over the country and are often completely vacant during school hours.
Find like-minded people to collaborate with and combine your efforts to manage the program and membership within your homeschool community, while the owners of the facility do the business end of the deal. An agreed upon percentage of class fees and/or membership dues goes to the owners (and they will pay the teachers), and the rest goes to the homeschool organizers/group. You won’t need to file for a business license or obtain 5013c status (unless you want to for other reasons). You can recommend teachers for hire within your community, and the owners of the center will handle the taxes and contracts. Remember, you’ll be running a program as an independent contractor within an already existing business. You could do it through dance studios, art studios, or any other place that offers after-school classes—just schedule homeschool classes and events during the school day (depending on the studio, you may need to work around a pre-school class schedule).
Offering Memberships
Some homeschool programs and resource centers work on a membership model which provides many benefits for members. You can certainly offer classes and events through your program without requiring membership, and this may be an easier way to go for some groups. If you choose to offer memberships, some benefits to include could be:
- Discounts on classes/events
- Field trips and special events (dances, potlucks, holiday celebrations)
- Monthly support meetings
- Guest passes to your center/program
- Clubs (i.e., Minecraft, Lego, chess, music, etc.)
- Discounts at local shops and restaurants
- And more...
While it’s true that many local groups offer many of these benefits already, doing so within a shared space allows for a common ground where all can meet without the pressures or inconvenience of having to host activities in your home. Offering these benefits for a membership fee often keeps people accountable for their commitments to the group and allows the group to use the funds towards special events and resources for your community.
Getting the Word Out
Web Presence
Your host may be happy to add a page to their existing web site to highlight your homeschool program, but if you can’t get a page on their website, you can easily create your own through sites like Weebly or Wordpress, and you’ll be able to advertise upcoming events, field trip registration, newsletters, host a blog, etc. Using a site like Meetup.com, Ning, Google/Yahoo Groups, Big Tent, etc. is a great way to establish an online forum and connect with local homeschoolers and already exist in most communities (you may even find several in your area, each with a different focus or philosophy). Some tech savvy members (especially the kids!) can help to develop your own page with a private forum for members only. Many of these options cost money, and some of them are free, so deciding on which platform to use will be dependent on your community’s needs and resources.
Community Outreach
Now that you have your community space, hosting a “Homeschool Information Night” is a great way to educate the greater community about Homeschooling as an option. Sadly, for most families it’s not something that ever crosses their minds as a possibility, even as their child is struggles in their current school environment. I have found it’s very easy to put a panel of enthusiastic speakers together who are more than happy to share their experiences, philosophies and educational approaches. Try to find people who represent lots of different aspects of homeschooling (i.e., working & homeschooling, unschooling, Well-Trained Mind/Classical Education, homeschooling special needs kids, etc.) After panelists share their stories, a Q & A session is a great way to address the specific needs of your audience.
The best way to advertise for these events is through local publications and moms’ networks. Make a list of all the local mothers’ clubs, parenting blogs/websites, and periodicals that will allow you to post your event for free (Craigslist, Red Tricycle, Patch, etc.) Every time you host an information night event, your resource list will help you cover all possible outlets, just be sure to post it well in advance to allow for maximum exposure. You can also put up flyers at your local library, playgrounds, and community bulletin boards…and let’s not forget the power of social media! Share your flyer (pdf) via Facebook and other social media outlets by posting in groups and public pages and spread the word quickly throughout your community.
Once your program is established, you can also sponsor a booth at local fairs, festivals, and farmer’s markets that are open to community booths. These are usually free (or low cost) and can be a great way to let people know about homeschooling and the learning opportunities available through your program. Have some games and/or manipulatives for the children and books/resources for the adults to browse. Your state’s homeschool organization may have some pamphlets and other resource materials to hand out. Parents considering homeschooling and those who may not even have thought it was an option will be thrilled to see you there.
Why do all this?
You may be asking, “What is the purpose to all of this work? Why is building community so important?” Homeschoolers today more than ever before have the opportunity to learn from and support each other throughout the years from the very first decision to homeschool through graduation and beyond. The #1 reason that families opt to return to school is lack of community. A vibrant, active homeschool group is important to help children thrive as home-based learners. A strong community can support its members as they navigate through life’s challenges and celebrate the triumphs. As mentioned above, there are many ways to foster strong community bonds, but the KEY to bringing people together is having a shared space, a literal common ground where seeds of curiosity are sown and self-directed learners bloom.