Ideas to Help You Start Your Own Local Home Ed Support Group

Beverley Paine, 2007

Here are some ideas I put together when thinking about starting a local homeschooling support network:

• meet weekly in a suitable venue - needs adequate outside and inside play space, toilet facilities, cover for rainy weather
• members join HEA for insurance cover purposes, or seek cover through Playgroup Association
• organise a group cooperative library; perhaps seek grant for new books
• rotating roster of responsibility for organising an activity each week if desired
• shared lunch, or bring lunch and eat together
• small fee (gold coin) per session
• quarterly shared family 'themed' dinner, or progressive dinner
• email loop & telephone tree
• regular parents' night out (separate mums and dads - different venues, ideas, etc)
• monthly newsletter, online and printed, distributed to libraries
• year book production
• directory; contacts for getting started info, 'buddy' list for help in times of stress and need
• annual concert
• art fair
• web page
• make bumper stickers, hats, t-shirts with logo and slogans
• quarterly/monthly educational excursions
• annual local camp
• info stall and educational activities at local show or market
• guest speakers at monthly/quarterly workshops
• quarterly sports days
• Scholastic Book Club memberships and other group buying deals and discounts
• involvement in home ed seminars and conferences, etc
• annual curriculum/book fair/swap meet
• birthday parties and seasonal and spiritual festivals and celebrations
• organise activities: art and craft sessions, history & geography sessions, science experiments and fairs, book clubs, games days, chess and scrabble clubs, computer game clubs, martial arts, movement/dance, gym/yoga/tai chi, LOTE sessions, astronomy, theme days, etc. 

Group Objectives

• to introduce families to the joy of home education
• support and encourage homeschooling parents
• maintain communication and social networks - newsletter, email loop, website, directory, telephone tree, yearbook, regular input into community media for promotion of homeschooling
• maintain library of resources to share
• obtain discounts for group or individuals to events, suppliers, etc

Suggested calendar :

January
Week 1 Sports Day
Week 2 Dads Night Out, Games Day
Week 3 Mums Night Out, Art and Craft Afternoon
Week 4 Swimming

February
Week 1 Parent Workshop on Home Ed Topic
Week 2 Dads Night Out, Games Day
Week 3 Mums Night Out, Art and Craft Afternoon
Week 4 Literature Theme Day and Book Club

March
Week 1 Educational Excursion
Week 2 Dads Night Out, Games Day
Week 3 Mums Night Out, Art and Craft Afternoon
Week 4 Annual Camp

April
Week 1 Sports Day
Week 2 Dads Night Out, Games Day
Week 3 Mums Night Out, Art and Craft Afternoon
Week 4 BMX or Skate Park or Roller/Ice Skating

May
Week 1 Parent Workshop on Home Ed Topic
Week 2 Dads Night Out, Games Day
Week 3 Mums Night Out, Art and Craft Afternoon
Week 4 Science Fair

June
Week 1 Educational Excursion
Week 2 Dads Night Out, Games Day
Week 3 Mums Night Out, Art and Craft Afternoon
Week 4 Annual Homeschool Dinner

July
Week 1 Sports Day
Week 2 Dads Night Out, Games Day
Week 3 Mums Night Out, Art and Craft Afternoon
Week 4 Art Show

August
Week 1 Parent Workshop on Home Ed Topic
Week 2 Dads Night Out, Games Day
Week 3 Mums Night Out, Art and Craft Afternoon
Week 4 Literature Theme Day and Book Club

September
Week 1 Educational Excursion
Week 2 Dads Night Out, Games Day
Week 3 Mums Night Out, Art and Craft Afternoon
Week 4 Spring Fair and Market/Swap Meet

October
Week 1 Sports Day
Week 2 Dads Night Out, Games Day
Week 3 Mums Night Out, Art and Craft Afternoon
Week 4 Literature Theme Day and Book Club

November
Week 1 Parent Workshop on Home Ed Topic
Week 2 Dads Night Out, Games Day
Week 3 Mums Night Out, Art and Craft Afternoon
Week 4 Homeschool Group Year Book Production Day

December
Week 1 Educational Excursion
Week 2 Dads Night Out, Games Day
Week 3 Mums Night Out, Art and Craft Afternoon
Week 4 Annual Homeschool Concert and End of Year Dinner