Co-ops vary in style from place to place and even in the same city. There are no set guidelines and the very basic meaning is that more than one family meets together for a set period. That’s it. However, that is not all there is to a functioning happy co-op that meets the needs of all the members. There are several things you should know before you decide to join one or if you want to start one.
The most fundamental idea to any co-op is the purpose of it. What you may think of as a co-op and what some of your closest homeschooling friends think of as a co-op can be completely different. Communication is the lifeblood of any healthy co-op and at the core is the very purpose of why you will be meeting together. There are basically two types of co-ops. One is an academic co-op which functions more like a mini-private school. The other kind of co-op is more like a social or enrichment gathering. If your leaders and members are not on the same page so to speak about the purpose of the co-op there may be disappointment and frustration. The nature or type of co-op will guide the leaders in determining what activities are appropriate for their group or not. For example, if the group is set up for the purpose of socialization and camaraderie then would an all day science workshop with a lecture be the kind of activity that would interest the group? Probably not. However, if the day was planned to include only 30 minutes of a science lecture and the balance of the time was spent with each other while you do an activity like watch marine life then no doubt the group would enjoy that.
I prefer and am part of a group that meets regularly for social outings. The emphasis in our group is on the teens, young children and moms being able to spend time together while we enjoy some activity. When looking for members, the purpose of your group needs to be clear so that the expectation for the group is the same with each member. That will go a long way in getting your co-op off the ground.
Using acronyms helps me to remember key points and so I put one together to help you address other significant issues at the start up of your co-op or to ask about prior to joining. PACE helps you ask or address these issues in your co-op.
A place to meet when you first start is key. Most fledgling co-ops start off in homes and if the members wish that the co-op grow they will need to look for other facilities. Our co-op started off with 2 other moms, Kelley and myself. At the time, we had only 7 kids between us so it was pretty doable. My sister provided her home since her home was the most centrally located.
As the co-op gets larger then you need to look for other places. Personally, I like meeting at places like community centers that had a play area and nice kitchen. Too, a lot of places that normally rent on the weekend for special occasions like weddings and anniversary parties, I called to ask if we could use it during the week. Since the building is normally empty during the week because nobody wants those days for special occasions, the owner and manager I find are agreeable most of the time for a significant discount in the fee. When I tell them it’s for education, most managers gladly negotiate with me. Like I mentioned, the building would be empty otherwise and I make that point in my negotiations. This is a way for them to make a little extra money. Libraries, community centers, parks and even local camp grounds have facilities that they will rent. I find it’s all negotiable on the price because I won’t pay full price since we are not meeting on Friday nights or Saturday nights but during the week.
The next thing to think about is the ages of the children that will be attending and activities that are appropriate for them. Since our co-op started off with most of our kids young like 9 years old or younger, we focused on that age. Our co-op is an enrichment co-op and our topics are history or science related. I find those topics suited for things to do that are fun and hands-on for a group. Some of the co-op themes we have had are Native Americans (our first one), Amazon Rain Forest, Westward Ho, Bible Characters, Early American History, Renaissance and Amphibians/Reptiles.
We found it was very helpful to meet in the summer for one day or so at a park and write out the plans for the years. As long as we had a topic and who was in charge, then we could work out the rest of the details emailing each other.
Another concern is how to attract others in the homeschooling community. I think our group was real fortunate that way because we grew by word of mouth. But I have also posted flyers at the library, books stores and craft stores. Any place that homeschoolers hang out, you want to post a flyer to contact them. If your area is big enough to have a local yahoo group that is a plus too so you can make some contacts online.
At the beginning when our co-op was small, it was easier to manage expenses. As the co-op grew to well over 100 families, we had expenses obviously. The best way for us was to charge a small annual fee like $10.00. This basically guaranteed a spot in the co-op and helped cover expenses like paper towels and trash bags when we rented rooms.
Charging for each event during the year at it came up was better for us because our group was not hit with such high costs at one time. The expense is spread out throughout the year and that is good for larger families. We cover the cost of the building by dividing it by the members for each event. If we needed a deposit for a facility, then we could cover that with the $10.00 annual fee we had collected at the first of the year from all the members. For each event we would have somebody different in charge of money and by collecting money prior to the event instead of at the event saved us a LOT of time. We were able to get started promptly.
However, all of this can be futile if you don’t get it all coordinated. Next post I will share with you how we bring all of this together to make a happy harmonious co-op.
Hugs and love ya,
If you missed the first post in this series, click below.
5 Days of A Homeschooling Co-op Convert – Day 1:Who needs one anyway?
