Homeschool Co-ops
A homeschool co-op, short for cooperative, is a collaborative educational model where families who choose to homeschool their children come together to create a supportive and enriching learning environment. In a homeschool co-op, parents and caregivers take on various roles to share the responsibility of teaching different subjects or organizing activities. The co-op typically meets on a regular basis, whether weekly or monthly, at a designated location such as a community center, library, or someone's home. The co-op allows homeschooling families to leverage their collective expertise, resources, and social connections to enhance their children's education. It provides an opportunity for students to learn from different teachers, engage in group projects, participate in field trips, and interact with peers, fostering a sense of community and collaboration within the homeschooling community.
Co-op Resources
We've collected and created resources to help you get started with co-op learning. Here you'll find link to local co-ops, instructions on starting your own, and a compilation of helpful worksheets and links to get you started. Our activities page has a listing of local co-ops that are already established and may be accepting new members.
This is an introduction into the types of co-ops that often work well. Remember, co-ops can take many forms so use this a jumping off place for creating what works best for you.
This site has several books and lots of other resources available for people who are interested in starting a co-op or running a homeschool organization. They include books on getting a co-op started, money-management, starting a 501C3, etc.
This worksheet has 10 questions for your homeschool co-op formation team to answer. Once you have answers to these key questions, you'll be well on your way to starting your co-op.
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Check out our blog post on how to start a co-op of your own. It will have useful tips and resources.
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