How to Start a Homeschool Cooperative at Your Church
by Janine Wilkins
co·op·er·a·tion
[koh-op-uh-rey-shuhn] –noun
1. an act or instance of working or acting together for a common purpose or benefit; joint action.
outreach
[aut-rech]
3. the extending of services or assistance beyond current or usual limits <an outreach program.
Do you have empty rooms in your church on the weekdays? A unique outreach ministry for your church would be to provide the space for a homeschooling co-op. This would be an awesome ministry for the people in your church, and it is a unique way to reach out to the homeschooling community. How could your church do this?
There are as many different types of co-ops as there are homeschooling curricula! A basic co-op is a group of homeschooling families who come together for a time and share their gifts and talents with each other.
The homeschooling parents teach or assist each other. Ideally, there are elective or enrichment classes for all ages at the same time. For example, if you have four families, you could have two classes: high school and elementary (or elementary and preschool). While the high school students are working on science, the elementary kids are working on the National Health and Fitness Badge. After one period, they switch and the elementary class does animal classification while the high school students work on their fitness.
In CHEC, the co-op at the Ferguson Church of the Nazarene in Ferguson, Missouri, we offer on one day a week more than 35 classes. There are at least two choices for each of the four periods for five age groups, including preschool students. We also have a nursery.
Some of the teachers have degrees in the classes they teach, and some are sharing their hobbies. I love science, but I cannot read music. My children have received wonderful music lessons--voice, instruments, and theory--while I helped other students dissect frogs and do science experiments. In addition to the accountability of being in a group, the opportunity to pool our resources means that my children receive an even better science class at CHEC than I would teach at home. Also, the larger group allows children to master skills (like four-part harmony and kickball) that they may not do at home.
Some of the classes in our co-op are: Instrumental Music, Show Choir, Speech for Tournaments (NCFCA and MAACS), Drama, Drawing, Science Experiments, Labs, Algebra 1 and 2, Car Maintenance, Wood Working, Writing Workshop, Brass Ensemble, Beginning Spanish, Preschool Reading and Math Readiness, Sewing, Paper Crafting, Ladies Bible Study, ACT Prep, Physical Education, History, and Math Games.
This year, the co-op offers two classes that are on DVD: Latin and Financial Peace. The class members share in the cost of the DVD, and each child has his or her own workbook.
Our co-op has a yearbook, a graduation ceremony, and field trips. The co-op can also decide to share in the cost of hiring a teacher for a class that none of the parents can teach, like oil painting. I would not have been able to afford private art lessons, but our co-op hired a real artist, and my daughters flourished in their art skills.
A co-op is perfect for families with multiple children in different age groups or with large gaps in the ages of their children. We go out to one place on one day for five hours a week, and everyone benefits from the experiences. The lunch period is a time for the whole family to fellowship with whole families. My youngest boy is friends with my oldest daughters’ little brother.
Here are some steps to follow:
1. Obtain the approvals of the pastor and the church board.
2. Find at least two families who can agree on a time to meet.
3. Decide what classes to offer.
What do you teach well and like to teach?
In what areas do you have professional expertise?
What are you already teaching your children?
4. Plan your age divisions and classes. This can change as you add parents who are willing to teach classes.
5. Prepare a schedule.
6. Prepare guidelines.
Be careful to spell out your expectations to the parents. See the website for a sample parent handbook.
The key is that ALL the parents contribute in some way. For this type of ministry to work, you cannot have some parents chatting while a few do all the teaching. We are constantly saying “This is not a drop off program.”
7. At the end of the class time, assign everyone a small cleaning job to leave the church better than you found it.
8. Start small and grow from there.
In a healthy, homeschool cooperative, each parent shares the gifts and talents that the Lord has given to him or her. Each contribution is important to the program as a whole.
I Corinthians 12:20, NIV, says: “As it is, there are many parts, but one body.” We can use individual strengths to build up and edify one another, as we pursue an excellent education for our children. A church with an outreach vision can be a part of this education process. [Note from Editor: With the parents’ permission, someone from the church could offer to teach a class on a spiritual topic such as: A History of the Bible, Important Teachings from the Bible, Life Attitudes and Values, or Heroes from the Bible.]
n] –noun
