April 8,2005
by Anna Kurth
Budgeteer News
DELUTH, MN -- Robin Muench and her children Anya and Josef spend their mornings and early afternoons at home in a structured learning environment — but the afternoons are reserved for music lessons and field trips.
“A number one big thing we love (is) going to the library,” said Muench, a homeschooling parent. “It’s definitely a mixture. We’re definitely structured, but we certainly make use of other things, too.”
Many homeschoolers spend at least part of their schooling hours outside of the home, and some area organizations and businesses have taken notice.
Organizations like Hartley Nature Center, the Duluth YMCA and the Lake Superior Zoo offer courses especially for homeschoolers, said Trina LeGarde, a board member of Northland Communicating Opportunities & Resources for Home Education, a local homeschool group.
Other businesses, like Barnes & Noble and Office Max offer discounts to homeschooling parents and educators alike, she said.
Barnes & Noble offers a 20 percent discount to homeschoolers and educators on books with some form of identification for books for classroom use, said Katy McCarty, Barnes & Noble Duluth manager.
The store has also hosted homeschool and educator events twice a year and allows homeschool and traditional school groups to come and tour the store, she said.
“(We’re) just identifying on a corporate level that there is all sorts of education — both traditional and non-traditional,” McCarty said.
On the whole, pretty much anything schools can do we can do, too, LeGarde said, including touring places like the Richard I. Bong Museum.
The Duluth YMCA is one organization that reached out to homeschoolers after receiving several requests and inquiries about gym classes, said Chenoa Golat, YMCA youth activities coordinator.
The YMCA decided there was a need in the community for homeschoolers and started its homeschool gym classes about four years ago, which now average about 45 kids per six week session, Golat said.
The class, which meets once a week for two hours, serves children ages 5 and older, she said.
Anya and Josef, who Muench began homeschooling four years ago, attend classes in science at Hartley Nature Center once a month, she said.
Hartley serves about 50 to 60 children with its homeschool program, which involves one class a month for three different age groups, said Gail Watczak, Hartley office manager.
Even though organizations have created programs for homeschoolers, they don’t come free. Hartley’s program costs about $75 per student, and the YMCA’s program costs about $25 per student per session. Both come cheaper for members.
Muench said costs do add up and can become a determining factor for certain activities.
Creating new events
Homeschool families don’t always wait around for other organizations to create something to fit their needs. Often they’ll create their own activities, events and classes.
Shari Van Loon, who homeschools her sons David and Daniel, takes them to homeschooling group classes for art and science.
“It makes it more fun for the kids to be involved in a group,” she said.
And Muench’s children attended a ski class at Snowflake this winter that a homeschooling mom put together.
Northland CORE also puts together an expert’s night event once a year that any homeschool student can participate in, LeGarde said.
To present an expert’s night a student would have to have a display, a report and an activity made up on any subject, she said.
About 40 to 60 students present every year at the event, which gives them an opportunity to show the community what they’ve been learning, she said.
“So often schools have projects and things like that,” LeGarde said. “It is so fun to see what these kids come up with.”
The Van Loon children presented at the event this February. David presented on Richard I. Bong and Daniel presented on the F-17 fighter plane, Van Loon said.
Northland CORE also puts on a homeschooling information night, used curriculum book sale and a conference every year and sends out a newsletter to keep homeschoolers aware of what is available to them, LeGarde said.
Beyond schooling, many homeschool children participate in sports and music programs outside of the home as well.
And whatever out-of-home schooling homeschoolers do, their parents find a network of homeschooling families to be a valuable source of information.
Muench said she found many of her community related activities through word of mouth and homeschooling groups.
And as many activities they do outside of the home, homeschoolers enjoy their time at home, too.
“God has given other people talents and he’s given us other people to learn from, too,” Muench said. “ ... There are times when we all feel like ‘let’s stay home for a while. Let’s not run around so much.’”
