Lately, I have found myself talking to several people who home school their kids. The reasons behind their decision to do this are all different, but I say more power to them! Just because someone home schools kids doesn’t mean they don’t need to fundraise for extras! When you think of home schooling what do you picture in your head? I always pictured a mom sitting around a kitchen table trying to teach math or English to several kids of different ages, but that is NOT what home schooling is all about.
What I learned was that some parents home school with a small group, five to ten other families, while others have a larger co-op type of group (with more than 100 families) where they offer various classes to different age groups at different times. One group offers classes like Shakespeare, Martial Arts, Japanese Fencing, Sherlock Holmes and Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics: Further Explorations in Argument. An exciting and well-rounded education can happen in classrooms, office spaces and, yes, even kitchen tables!
People Always Learning Something (PALS) has been around for the past 25 years and offers a variety of classes taught by parents and professionals. There is a membership fee to cover the cost of teachers, supplies and rental space. They recently moved to a less expensive space, allowing them to reduce their costs and still have enough money to give scholarships when necessary. They have after school clubs like any other school-aged kid would want to go to: Theatre/Improv, Dungeons & Dragons, Art, Chess, and Sewing. All of these activities are free with membership and give so much to the kids and the families. They are able to socialize with different kids based on the activities they choose.
But this kind of education doesn’t come for free. There is a need to fundraise because the group must pay for the teachers, the space, supplies, field trips, and anything else that may be needed for clubs and academics. The one thing that every parent I spoke to about this said was that “parents who home school are very savvy about stretching their dollars,” and that is GREAT news when it comes to fundraising!
Every dollar counts – no matter who you are. Here are some great ways they have fundraised:
- Parties
- Curriculum sales (of items donated to the library for surplus needs)
- Group T-Shirt sales
- Bag sales
I’m so glad I was able to learn more about home schooling and share this information with others.
While some may think fundraising should be left to the public schools, I know that EVERYONE benefits from fundraising – most of all, our kids!
To your success!
Sarah
Sarah has been fundraising for schools since 2008. She is the author of A Mom’s Guide to School Fundraising and has consulted for several schools and clubs. She has been featured on RetailMeNot.com, Scholastic: Parent & Child and The New York Times. She thinks all kids should be able to have a well-rounded education, team uniforms, instruments and support. Don’t you?