GETTING THE SUPPORT YOU NEED
Benefits of Joining a Homeschool Group or Co-op
When you ask long-time homeschoolers what has most influenced their decision to continue with homeschooling, they will often reply with a one-word answer: “support!”
Having other families who you can talk to about curriculum choices, schedules, and frustrating days with makes al the difference. Students begin to look forward to hanging out with other young people who understand how cool it is to be able to do math in pjs or take a science class where they get to surf or skate!
But these new-found relationships are just one of the benefits of belonging to a local support group.
Many of these groups also offer activities that can stregthen your homeschool experience:
-
group field trips
-
park days and/or p.e. days
-
organized clubs such as geography club, 4H, chess, robotics, etc.
-
book and curriculum exchanges
-
dedicated email newsetters or Facebook groups for sharing information
-
organized athletic opportunities
-
holiday parties
-
homecoming
-
prom
-
graduations
These groups will help you through the “rough patches” of homeschooling, when a kind, supportive word can mean the difference between pushing through or throwing in the towel!
FPEA Statewide Association
FPEA or Florida Parent-Educators Association, a statewide support system for homeschooling families. This page will share with you what a homeschool association is, the goal of FPEA, and why your family might want to become a member of a state homeschool association.
About FPEA
Statewide homeschool associations usually get their start when a group of families join together and build a support system for some or all homeschooling families in a given state. The Florida Parent-Educators Association (FPEA) is just such an outgrowth, serving thousands of homeschooling families in the state. According to the FPEA website, the mission of the Florida Parent-Educators Association is as follows:
The Florida Parent-Educators Association exists solely to serve homeschooling families in Florida. It executes that mission through support for the legal right to homeschool, local school board education and interaction, support group networking, a state convention, local conferences and events, informative communications, and individual encouragement, all in accordance with Judeo-Christian principles.
FPEA Membership
The FPEA breaks up the state of Florida into seven districts with a District Director in each one to guide the efforts of the organization regionally. In addition to having access to this director for all your homeschooling questions, joining the FPEA allows you to take advantage of these other services:
-
information on local support groups in your area
-
the annual FPEA homeschool convention
-
discounts on FPEA events as well as on educational merchandise from participating vendors
-
statewide homeschool graduation ceremony
-
college and career fair
-
regular emails regarding upcoming events, legislative updates relating to homeschooling, and member benefits
Home Education Foundation of Florida
HEF want to give parents the freedom to direct their child's education and provide families with a broad range of choices and opportunities to meet the education needs of their children. They offer many free resources for families who are currently or interested in homeschooling here.
Homeschool Support Groups in South Florida
Florida is a vibrant homeschooling state, so it’s very likely that there is some form of homeschool support group within driving distance to you. If you already know at least one homeschooling family in your area, you may want to ask them about the support options in your community.
If you don’t know other homeschoolers yet, though, there are plenty of ways to find them. Start by putting your area or city name and “homeschool support” into a search engine or facebook.
If there is more than one group to choose from in your area, it’s likely that each one has a specific “focus.”
Groups are often based on worldview (faith-based or non-religious homeschool groups), teaching stylem age-group or may be geared to a specific goal such as community service or scouting.
-
Coconut Creek Homeschoolers
-
Miami Homeschoolers
If you are part of a local group or co-op not listed, pease email us!
Microschool Partners
Looking for a comprehensive solution for your child, tween or teen's schooling? Microschools are a contemporary version of the old one-room schoolhouse. Microschool are typically a small group of students getting together every day, setting goals, and working on fun projects, all with one ore more caring adult mentors cheering them on. These microschools come in all sorts of flavors, like your neighborhood mom-and-pop setup, a homeschool group, or even a small private school. Some have a physical spot where they meet up, while others meet at a park, community center or online. But no matter how they're set up, the bottom line is this: they're all about making learning personal and fun in a cozy, supportive environment. They are a great alternative. Here in South Florida, we are stoked to partner with several micro schools who attend Surf and/or Skate Science each week as part of their programming.
Learn more about our Microschool Partners here
Elementary Programs
- Casa Ranch
- Tapestry
- Horizon Learning
Middle School
- Colossal Academy
- Casa Ranch
- Flex Academy
- Tapestry
High School
- Colossal Academy
- Flex Academy
- Brave Generation Academy
