Community, Co-Ops, and “Micro-Schools”
Finding community is usually one of the top pieces of advice we give to new homeschoolers. We have an entire section dedicated to it in our Homeschool Hub! We’ve shared many blog posts about our own, personally curated homeschool group, our Coop Group.
COMMUNITY IS ESSENTIAL!
Community looks different for every family based on our own social needs and desire for support. Maybe you prefer to be the leader and organizer of a community, or may you prefer to just be a part of one. Whether you join an already existing community or start your own - start by figuring out what kind of support you need.
Community
By community we mean, the large network of homeschoolers you know in person or even online. These communities provide support, advice, resources and friendship. We belong to online homeschooling communities (even homeschool blogger communities!), including those for our charter school, our county, our city, and even our churches. There’s an abundance of online communities to be found; start by joining ours on Facebook.
Co-Op: Cooperative
By definition a co-op (cooperative) is an association of people that are united voluntarily to meet their goals. So, in the context of homeschooling, a co-op is a group of homeschoolers that work together toward a united goal. Knowing that, co-ops can look very different depending on what each group is looking to accomplish. A common picture of a “homeschool co-op” is one that is organized with parents taking turns leading classes for the group. While, this is certainly an option, it is not the only one!
Formally Organized Co-Op
A formal co-op is organized by parents and often meets at regularly scheduled intervals (once per week, twice monthly, etc.) during the school year. Co-ops may cover just one subject or a variety ranging from core subjects like math and language arts to enrichment and electives. Some co-ops are taught by parents and others hire educators. Most require heavy parent involvement whether it’s having parents remain onsite during the co-op meeting or having parents rotate teaching. Many choose a monetary buy-in to ensure organization and help with commitment. Most people tend to be more committed to groups and activities that they have paid into.
Casual Co-Op
This is a group of homeschooling families choosing to coordinate efforts to make friends with one another, schedule regular playdates and field trips, and create group learning opportunities. This is how we operate our very own Coop Group. Currently, there is no monetary buy-in and the group grows by invitation only. Essentially, it is a smaller, more intimate, and well-organized community.
A Note of Caution From An Expert
Susan Wise Bauer - an educator, writer, historian, homeschooled child, and homeschooling mother - gives a note of caution to homeschool parents who feel pressure to join a formal co-op. She shares that in both her experience and her mother’s experience, formal co-ops were far more work than anticipated. They gave more to the co-op than they received as a benefit in return. They both felt their time would have been better spent pouring into their own homeschooling.
The Beauty of Cooperative Learning
We have witnessed first hand some amazing benefits of cooperative learning! Aside from the social benefits of cooperative learning, it has been our experience that many children enjoy learning and practicing a skill together. This has been displayed in our own Coop children whenever they have taken classes together. For example, during a week of ukulele camp, our two girls carpooled every day to and from camp. Each car ride was full of practice, performance, and challenging one another. It was such a beautiful thing to witness.
Bonfire performance following a week of ukulele camp!
Micro-Schools
Micro-schools are a type of homeschool group that have exploded as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and many schools opting for distance learning somewhat indefinitely for the 20-21 school year. Micro-schools are similar to a co-op but have a more specific goal: recreate the classroom aspect of traditional school by hiring a qualified educator to teach specific subjects. Many families still want to provide their children with the classroom experience they were used to at their traditional public schools on a “micro” scale while schools are not open to in-person instruction. What we are seeing is that families connect with one another within their own physical area or friend group. Then, they hire an educator (a great interim opportunity for public school teachers who were laid off!), plan a meeting schedule, location, and subject rotation. This may be a great temporary solution for many parents hoping to have their children return to their public schools in the future. We are very curious to see if this may become a popular ongoing type of homeschool group!
How Do I Choose?
Well, first you have to ask yourself a few questions:
Are you looking for playdates and casual friends?
Are you looking for organized events and field trips?
Are you looking for cooperative learning opportunities and regular meetings?
Are you looking to work with a small group of families to outsource some educational responsibilities to a credentialed teacher?
Your answers to those questions should help point you to the type of community or co-op you want. If you just want playdates and casual friendships, no big commitments, then you are probably just looking for a more casual community.
How Do I Find Already Existing Groups?
You will find a lot out there searching “homeschooling” on Facebook, Instagram or Google - or use our Support Groups spreadsheet as a jumping off point. Finding online homeschooling community groups in your area will help you locate opportunities to join existing groups. The online homeschool community is huge and filled with lots of parents who love to share information, so sometimes, all it takes is a quick question to the group for someone with the answers to speak up!
How Do I Create a Group?
Very simply:
Define what you are looking for in a group - a community, co-op, micro-school, etc.
Reach out to your network in search of people who want to commit to the same.
Elect a leader or two to ensure organization and communication, and that may need to be you at first. Over time, other leaders may rise up to share the load or even to take over.
Plan events!
Even with a great community surrounding you, homeschooling can still feel lonely. We find that having group events on the calendar is fun and rejuvenating! Our own Coop Group also sets up regular mom’s nights out to be sure we are investing into our own friendships. Our group is such a blessing to us, and we hope that you find the perfect group to fit your needs!