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Understanding and Finding Local Homeschool Groups

Informal groups

Understanding and Finding Local Homeschool Groups Connecting to or building a local homeschool group is an important aspect of homeschooling effectively. Let's take a look at what a homeschool group is and how you might participate in one.

What Are Homeschool Groups?
There are two basic kinds of homeschool groups in which you might want to participate: informal or formal.

Informal Homeschool Groups
An informal homeschool group is usually just a group of friends or acquaintances who share advice and resources without having a formal structure in place. The functions of such a group ebb and flow with times and the people currently involved. Tasks such as planning a field trip are usually shared, but there isn't a requirement that each person perform some role. Usually, one person will just take the lead for an activity and will make it available to others. The usually unsaid and unenforced expectation is that others will return the favor at some point.

Informal homeschool groups have several benefits. The biggest is that such groups are usually composed of people who are already friends so relationships among the group members are already established. And because of these friendships, group interactions are pleasant and comfortable. Again, because the relationships of the participants are already established, it is likely that they have lots in common so that activities planned for the group will likely have broad appeal. Participating in an informal group provides lots of flexibility because you won't have formal commitments over a long period of time.

This kind of group does have some disadvantages as well. Because there aren't any formal requirements for everyone to contribute, it is possible that the load won't be evenly shared. If the group consists of some people who tend not to want to take responsibility for projects, it is likely that those who are willing will take on a larger share of the work. An informal group, by its nature, isn't committed to providing you with anything in particular so you can't really count on specific things from the group. And the group's benefits to and requirements of you can vary over time. Also, because these groups tend to be formed by people who are already connected, the experiences, interests, contacts, and capabilities of those in the group will tend to be similar as well, which can be limiting.

Formal groupsFormal Homeschool Groups
A formal homeschool group is one that has a defined structure and organization, such as requiring membership and having officers. Participating in these groups is usually much more of a commitment because the responsibilities for specific tasks are assigned to people and members are required to perform a certain amount of work to continue as members of the group. In other words, sharing the workload is enforced. There are also more structured activities, such as meetings. Dues are usually required to cover the group's expenses.

The benefits of a formal homeschool group include the following:

• You know what to expect. Because the responsibilities and obligations of group members are formalized, you will know what is expected of you and what you can expect from other members.

• Broad range of experience, skills, contacts, and so on. Because formal groups can be composed of people who aren't necessarily from the same social sphere as you, formal groups tend to have a broader range of people involved. You will likely have a broader and more diverse homeschool network if you participate in a formal group.

• More resources and opportunities. Formal groups tend to provide more resources and opportunities for you. Members are required to contribute to the group, for example, being required to plan one field trip per quarter or to teach a class. This means that everyone provides something for the group so you will have more opportunities.

• Access to classes and tutors. Formal homeschool groups are a great way to locate and participate in classes or to find tutors for specific subjects.

• Facilities. Well-financed homeschool groups have a facility at which classes can be held, resources are provided, and so on. In effect, these facilities are a homeschool school building.

There are several downsides to formal homeschools group as well. First, they are formal, structured organizations with all that such entities entail. There are the usual bureaucratic obligations, such as the tasks required to keep the organization running – that is, having elections, attending meetings, administering memberships, managing money, maintaining a facility, and so on. Second, participating in a formal homeschool group requires a commitment on your part. This reduces some of the flexibility that you enjoy as a homeschooler. You'll be required to perform certain duties as a requisite to enjoying the benefits of the group.

ChoicesWhat Kind of Homeschool Groups Do I Want to Participate In?
Every homeschooler should be part of an informal homeschool group so finding and participating in such a group really isn't an option. You will need the support, encouragement, contacts, resources, and other benefits, which you learned about earlier in this chapter, provided by such a group to homeschool effectively.

Whether you also want to participate in a formal homeschool group depends on several factors.

• Is a formal group available to you? Although you can find or create an informal homeschool group in any area, not all areas have formal local homeschool groups. If not, you won't have that as an option.

• What is your personality regarding formal organizations? Some people get benefits and enjoyment from participating in formal organizations while others just get annoyed.

• What are the goals for your homeschool and what additional resources do you need to achieve those goals? If you need a lot of outside support, such as more classes taught by someone else, a formal group might be very helpful to you. If you are mostly self-sufficient, an informal group might meet all of your needs.

• Do you know at least several homeschooling families already? If you don't have relationships with at least several other homeschoolers, you should definitely attempt to find and join a formal group to get a start building your homeschool network. As you participate in a group, you will naturally gravitate to others who have similar interests and compatible personalities; this can be a good start toward creating informal homeschool groups.

• Where are you in your homeschooling career? Formal groups can be most helpful when you are just getting started, especially if don't already have relationships with other homeschoolers, or you are near the end of the process when you might need more outside classes and tutoring support.

The searchFinding a Homeschool Group
How you find homeschool groups depends on the kind of groups in which you want to participate.

Finding an Informal Homeschool Group
As you identify people you know who homeschool, you will naturally become aware of the informal groups in which people you know participate. It is common that when a homeschooler finds out you are getting started, that person will invite you to various activities the group is doing. This is an excellent, and the most likely, introduction into an informal group and is the way most people get involved. Once you become involved in one group, the connections you make in that group will inevitably lead you to become aware of and connect with other groups.

If you don't get invited to other people's groups, you should "start" one on you own. It is easy enough to do so, just plan an activity for homeschoolers you know to participate in. It might be as simple as a group project or you might want to set up a field trip. Make it known that you desire to be part of an informal group and ask others if they are interested in the same. The vast majority of homeschoolers are involved in these groups so this isn't something out of the ordinary. Inviting other homeschoolers to your activities will invariably lead to you being invited to their activities.

If you don't know anyone else who homeschools (which means you probably aren't looking very hard!), you should try to find a formal group. Participating in a formal group will also lead you to finding or creating an informal group.

Finding a Formal Homeschool Group
The first place to look for a formal homeschool group is your own homeschool network, such as people you know who homeschool, your mentors, your informal group, and so on. Ask these people if they are members of a group or know of anyone who is. It is likely that someone in these circles either participates in a group or knows of one in your area.

As with most other information for which you search, the Web can be a great place to start in your search for a formal homeschool group. You can use any of the standard search pages to help you find groups that might be useful to you. As you can see in the following example, finding groups in your area can be done quickly and easily.

Suppose I live Indiana (which I do) and am looking for a homeschool group. Here is how I would go about finding one using the Web:

1. Open a Web browser and move to www.google.com or other Web search page.

2. Enter search text; try "homeschool groups yourstate" where yourstate is the name of the state in which

3. Follow the links on the search results page that look promising. You will quickly find information about groups in your state, including their location, Web site addresses, email addresses, and other contact information.

After you have identified groups that look interesting, contact the group for more information, such as what kind of group it is, when the next meeting is, what requirements to participate are, and so on.

Another option is to contact a homeschool association in your area.