What is a "Homeschool Co-Op"?
Wikipedia defines it as follows: “A cooperative (also
co-operative or coöperative). It is defined by the International
Co-operative Alliance's Statement on the Co-operative Identity
as an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to
meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and
aspirations through a jointly-owned and
democratically-controlled enterprise.” |
These homeschool co-operatives are comprised of homeschooling families.
Homeschoolers often feel a bit ostracized by society because
homeschooling is rarely viewed as "normal.” Thus, finding a group of
like-minded individuals can not only be very reassuring, it can also
provide a wealth of resources, support and encouragement.
If you are lucky, you may already have several co-ops available in
your area. A quick search of Yahoo groups will often yield results
of groups in your geographic region; however, if you cannot find one,
feel free to start one geared toward your interests and/or desires. Some
co-ops are focused strongly on religion while others lean more of a
social opportunity for the homeschooling families. Some groups offer
classes and courses in a very structured setting while others prefer
field trips and play dates.
Whatever type of co-operative you find in your area, remember that each
is only as good as its members. Each family is expected to not only
participate, but actively help keep the co-op moving forward toward the
common goals. This means that if yours offers classes taught by
other homeschooling parents, you may be requested at some point to teach
a class yourself. If your co-op spends a lot of time socializing, you
may need to plan an outing or invite the group to your own home or local
area park.
Being actively involved in the group can be a bit overwhelming or
intimidating to newcomers, so make sure you learn the ropes and,
when you’re comfortable, jump in with both feet to offer your special
skills to the group. It’s just as important to be a communications
coordinator moderating the co-op’s email list and calendar as it is to
be on the clean-up crew.
Good Reasons to Join a Homeschool Co-Op
There are many good reasons to join a homeschool co-op. Some
reasons to join are to find people sharing a similar desire to
homeschool, to find friends for yourself and your children, and to
expand your child’s educational opportunities while perhaps broadening
your own.
It's natural for people to reach out to others who possess similar
goals and belief systems. This is why people belong to churches,
social groups and political parties. It is comforting to find people who
are marching to the beat of a similar drum, especially when your
family’s drum is generally viewed as being outside society’s “norm.”
When you become a co-op member, you are immersing yourself in a social
setting with other parents who believe as you do – that education is
best handled at home.
Joining a co-op often provides you and your children with a
ready-made base of friends whom you may not have otherwise met. Many
homeschoolers get so busy in their day-to-day schedules that they wind
up feeling a bit isolated from the rest of the world. Branching out of
your schedule can create a lot of excitement, especially when it is done
in order to spend time with other families like your own. Not only do
the kids love meeting other homeschooled children, the parents often
enjoy having other adults with whom they can relate and form friendship.
If your co-op offers classes, your children could be offered learning
on subjects you may not have even considered yet. Oftentimes, co-op
classes look nothing like a public school course because the classes are
smaller, the teachers are usually parents and there are often a lot of
hands-on activities. As a parent, you may find yourself learning
something new alongside your kids or even taking an interest in
something which may have bored you in school. Classes offered often
change over the course of time and cover a broad range of subjects.
That’s one of the many beautiful things about both homeschooling and
being in a co-op – very few limitations are placed on what your child
can learn or be taught.
So whether you join a co-op for the social aspects, to find other
homeschoolers or purely for the added educational benefits, the
reasons to join a co-op are many. The experiences gained by your entire
family range from practical to priceless!
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