Homeschool classes are abundant in both large and small communities, but they can be difficult to find. We homeschoolers are quick to point at that the YMCA, Boys Club, and even Local Dojo’s have are open to homeschoolers during the day for group lessons, however, locating and signing up for those classes are not always easy.
Here are the problems with signing up for local group classes and how you can overcome them:
Problem: Lack of communication within organization
After being informed by other homeschoolers that the YMCA had homeschool swim lessons, I called to get the time and information only to be only about private lessons. The person I spoke to on the phone was not aware that there was a special program from homeschoolers, and frankly, I got the impression that she thought I was crazy. There were in fact, group homeschool classes.
Solution: Hang up and find out who the correct contact person is
It is amazing how authoritative people can be when they are misinformed. They do not know about the program, therefore, it must not exist… and no, they are not going to check with someone, they know everything. Many homeschoolers have been turned away from programs because of such lack of information. This has happened to me with several programs. Usually, one employee is in charge of working with homeschoolers, and they tend to work in a bubble. The larger the organization is, the bigger the chance is of people not knowing what is going on with someone else. I have found that the best solution to this problem is to just get off the phone with the person who tells you there is not such program (usually with an attitude) and go back to your original source of information for a contact person and phone number.
Problem: Most homeschool programs are not advertised.
The news about homeschool classes and programs are usually spread word of mouth. Homeschoolers generally do not like to advertise and call attention to them. This can make it very difficult to find what you are looking for.
Solution: Get connected
If you are not too keen on joining a homeschool group (the pros and cons of which I will discuss later) then you will have to find some other way of being connected. Search Yahoo and Google Email lists for homeschool loops in your locality, or make friends with a few veteran homeschoolers who have their finger on the pulse of the homeschooling community.
In summation, in order to take advantage of local homeschool classes, you need access to it. If you receive conflicting information, do not give up. Be persistent and eventually you will get the information you are looking for. In addition, you need to be connected and keep in touch with other homeschoolers and you find some wonderful resources, which would be otherwise hidden.