Local & State Groups
Support groups offer a way for those interested in homeschooling or new to home education to get information and support. They also offer opportunities for social activities, group learning, and networking. Find a support group near you in Ohio.
Resources
Not Back to School Camp
Not Back to School Camp is a non-denominational, non-religious homeschool camp. The camp offers workshops, spontaneous events, and special evening gatherings, bringing together campers who are excited about life and willing to be themselves and to reach out and connect with the others.
Local & State Support Groups
Christian Home Educators Co-Op (CHEC)
Christian Home Educators Co-Op (CHEC) is a large group consisting of approximately 85-100 families each year. We provide support, resources, activities, and Christian fellowship to its members. They are located in Summit County, Ohio and meet primarily at The Chapel, 135 Fir Hill, Akron, OH, near the University of Akron.
Inclusive North Columbus Home Education (INCHES)
INCHES stands for Inclusive North Columbus Home Education Support. Inclusive means that it is open to anyone regardless of race, religion, home school styles, parenting styles, etc. Public online charter school and "08" school families are welcome to join this support group and participate in activities. This is an informal support group that meets on the first week of each month.
Mahogany Homeschoolers of Ohio
Mahogany Homeschoolers of Ohio purpose is to provide support for African American homeschooling families. They are located in the Canton-Akron area. This support group strives to unite African American homeschooling families by providing encouragement and information that is critical for successful homeschooling.
CHESCA Support Group (CHESCA)
Christian Home Educators Stark County Association's email list is intended to provide support to Christian home educators in the Stark County, Ohio area. This is a restricted list. You must be a current member of CHESCA to receive announcements from this list.
Wright Independent Learning Cooperative (WILC)
WILC, Wright Independent Learning Cooperative, is a homeschool support group located in the greater Dayton, Ohio area. Participating families are primarily located in Montgomery and Greene counties with most activities centered in this area. WILC is a loosely-structured inclusive group of homeschool families who gather for support and enrichment in their homeschool experience. Members of WILC homeschool for many different reasons, but the shared goal is to provide a nurturing and loving environment to facilitate their children's desire to learn at home. Toward this end WILC strives to be tolerant, open-minded, and tactful to all in the homeschool community.
Columbus Metro Unschoolers' Group
News, announcements and discussion for the Columbus Metro Unschoolers' Group.
Families Independently Schooling at Home (FISH)
FISH is an online group of Ohio homeschooling families coming together to offer help and support to each other. They are also an online resource for families that are just starting or thinking about homeschooling. Although many members homeschool for religious reasons, they are not an exclusively Christian group.
Ohio Home Educators Network (OHEN)
Ohio Home Educators Network (OHEN) is a regional network of homeschooling families. They are an inclusive group supporting families of all religious beliefs. Although OHEN supports a student-led, interest-centered approach, they welcome all homeschooling families regardless of educational philosophy or teaching style. OHEN’s purpose is to provide interested parents with accurate information about home education in Ohio. They hold informational meetings and publish an monthly email newsletter listing activities scheduled by members.
Homeschool Network of Greater Cincinnati (HSN)
The HSN is families working together to support each other in the joys and responsibilities of educating their children at home. Members come from the greater Cincinnati area, including southern Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. Members' children range in age from infants to graduating seniors. They do not advocate any particular method, style, or philosophy of home schooling, but help families to connect with one another and to find the information/resources that they need.
Local & State Online Groups
Gifted Ohio Homeschoolers (GOHome)
Email list for Gifted Ohio Homeschoolers, parents who are homeschooling or considering homeschooling a gifted child in Ohio.
Unschoolers Network Ohio (UNO)
This is an email list for unschoolers in Ohio. The mission of this group is to promote and support unschooling, AKA natural learning, interest led learning, child led learning. Join in discussion about the unschooling lifestyle, how to succeed within Ohio regulations, and basically anything that relates to learning by living life.
Toledo Homeschool Education League of Parents (ToledoHELP)
An email list for members of the Home Education League of Parents in and around Toledo, Ohio, and for non-members looking for information about area resources, child-led or interest based learning, or general homeschooling issues.
Northern Ohio Unschoolers
The purpose of this group is to have a place where Unschooling families in Northern Ohio can find a local unschooling community and plan activities, field trips, park days, learning opportunities, etc.
Home-Schooling the Only Child
Homeschooling an only child can be quite challenging at times. This group is open to anyone for support, enrouragement and ideas for those who choose the home-schooling road for you and your child. Although they are based in NC, anyone can join for support. They have a database that you can access to see who is in your state to get together with.
Families Independently Schooling at Home (F_I_S_H)
YahooGroup email list for all homeschooling families in North Central Ohio regardless of religious affiliation or educational philosophy.
Ohiohomeschool
This is a mailing list for people who home school or are thinking of homeschooling in Ohio, kids and parents alike. Here you can exchange ideas, support each other, and share resources and information.
SE Michigan Homeschooling Teens & Preteens
SE Michigan Homeschooling Teens and Pre-teens is an informally structured homeschool support group comprised of homeschooling families in Southeastern Michigan. Email list offers a place to connect to place events and activities for teens and pre-teens.
Dayton Area Homeschoolers
Dayton Area Homeschoolers is an informal, inclusive group of homeschoolers, or those interested in learning more about homeschool, in the Dayton Ohio area. They have no religious affiliation. The main idea: to share info, go on field trips, teach or participate in co-op classes in all subjects, support each other in whatever method of homeschool is used.
homeschool-Ohio
This list is for the discussion of topics related to homeschooling in Ohio.
Ohio Virtual School Families & Friends
This group is for families, or friends of families with children enrolled in virtual charter (community) schools in Ohio. This is a private group not affiliated with the Coalition or with any one virtual charter school or academy. Its members may be associated with any of the virtual schools or digital academies currently open in Ohio including, but not limited to: BOSS, Connections, ECOT, OHDELA, OHVA, TRECA, VCS Ohio.
Inclusive North Columbus Home Education (INCHES)
INCHES stands for Inclusive North Columbus Home Education Support. Inclusive means that it is open to anyone regardless of race, religion, home school styles, parenting styles, etc. Public online charter school and "08" school families are welcome to join this support group and participate in activities. This is an informal support group that meets on the first week of each month.
CHESCA Support Group (CHESCA)
Christian Home Educators Stark County Association's email list is intended to provide support to Christian home educators in the Stark County, Ohio area. This is a restricted list. You must be a current member of CHESCA to receive announcements from this list.
Columbus Metro Unschoolers' Group
News, announcements and discussion for the Columbus Metro Unschoolers' Group.
National Forums
Homeschooling Humor Forum at vegsource.com
Got a funny story to share? Need a good chuckle? You'll find it here as homeschooling moms and dads share the joys and humor of homeschooling.
Religious Homeschooling Forum at vegsource.com
A vegsource.com message forum for homeschoolers who have religious reasons to homeschool.
Unschooling Forum at vegsource.com
Unschoolers meet to talk and share ideas at this vegsource.com message board.
Black Homeschoolers' Network
Black Homeschoolers' Network is intended to facilitate a network among African American homeschoolers across the country. Here you will also find a message board for general communication as well as an email pal listing for homeschooled kids.
Homeschool Christian Solo Homeschooling Parents Message Board
This message board is designed for single homeschooling parents to support each other and get ideas and information on homeschooling as a solo parent.
Secular Homeschooling Forum at vegsource.com
A message board at vegsource.com for those who homeschool for non-religious reasons.
Single Parent Homeschoolers Forum at vegsource.com
This is a message forum at vegsource.com especially for single parents who are home educating their children.
Military Homeschoolers Forum at vegsource.com
Connect with other military homeschooling families at this vegsource.com message board.
Encouragement Forum at vegsource.com
If you are feeling burned out or need encouragement, this forum is for you. Share your struggles and get help, ideas, and support from those who have walked in your shoes.
Adoptive Homeschooling Parents Forum at vegsource.com
This forum at vegsource.com focuses on parents with adopted children who choose to home educate.
National Online Groups
Unschooling Discussion
Large traffic email list whose stated purpose is to move out of comfort zones and critically examine beliefs, ideas, and viewpoints about learning, and seek a deeper understanding of unschooling and more respectful relationships with one's children.
Catholic Homemaking and Homeschooling
This discussion group/email list is focused on the rich Catholic heritage and how to incorporate the Liturgical year into your daily life as a homeschooling family.
Large Families
This list provides a forum for families who have three or more children to discuss the unique concerns and joys of raising what is today considered a larger family. Parents of smaller families who are considering having "maybe one more" will also find the list a great place.
Blind Homeschoolers
This email group is for families who are homeschooling/parenting a blind child. Teachers of the Visually Impaired who would like to share tips and suggestions are also welcome.
Charlotte Mason Group for Fruity Catholics
Fruity Catholics are Catholics who are doing their best to practice the Fruits of the Holy Spirit, especially Charity. This group discusses the Charlotte Mason philosophy of homeschooling from a Catholic perspective.
CM for One
CM for One (CMfor1) is a message board for families home educating an only child and using the Charlotte Mason Method.
Christian Unschooling
Christians can and do unschool. Here you'll find support and more.
HEM-Unschooling
This list is for the broad-ranging discussion of unschooling. It is sponsored by Home Education Magazine.
Live Free Learn Free Email Group
This group is an announcement list for the print magazine Live Free Learn Free, a forum for unschoolers and relaxed homeschoolers in which to share ideas and experiences.
TheHomeSchoolMom In The Kitchen
TheHomeSchoolMom In The Kitchen is an e-mail group designed to provide economical, balanced meal ideas that are quick and easy for busy moms. Provides dinner tips, recipes, and resources that help take "piranha hour" and turn it into calmer and more peaceful time.
African American Unschoolers (AfAmUnschool) Email Group
African American Unschoolers email group is for African-American homeschoolers who use the whole world as their child(ren)'s classroom.
HEM-Networking
This list is sponsored by Home Education Magazine (HEM) for networking and communication within the online homeschooling community.
Unschooling Basics
A list designed for those new to the philosophy of unschooling. Ask experienced unschoolers all those niggling questions, and find out how unschooling works in real families. If you're familiar with John Holt's work, but unsure of how to begin or what an unschooling day really looks like, this is a place for you to discuss, question, ponder, and become deeply familiar with natural learning and how it affects our entire lives. From parenting issues to learning from the whole wide world and beyond, come explore the issues that unschooling families have dealt with in the past and how to get beyond "school-think" to a joyful unschooling lifestyle.!
K12 Large Families
This group is for large families using the K-12 curriculum created by Dr. William Bennett. Both homeschooling families and Virtual School families are welcome. It is particularly intended for families with more than 3 children in K-12 as well as additional teens, toddlers and babies. Discussions include both the curriculum and the challenges of implementing it in a large family.
Catholic Charlotte Mason
Online support group for Catholics interested in the Charlotte Mason method.
Homeschool Burnout
This is a Christian email group that can help you face those feelings of burnout.
Unschooling Families
This list is a friendly place for all to chat about anything you wish to explore. Parenting issues, schooling issues, political issues . . . as unschoolers, we know that nothing is off topic.
Jewish Homeschoolers
The focus of this list will be to provide homeschooling support and resources to Jewish homeschoolers of all levels of observance. Topics include curriculum choices, teaching tips, and holiday observances.
Radical Christian Unschoolers
Feeling like you must be the only radical unschooler in the Christian faith? Tired of hearing those who claim to be Christian unschoolers discuss curriculum or how to make their kids do chores? Tired of hearing secular unschoolers say that you couldn't possibly exist?
Look no farther! On this list there will be no talk of curriculum, spanking, chore charts, coercive limitations, forced respect, or anything else that doesn't jive with radical unschooling. This list is for discussing radical unschooling by people who already "get it" and want to connect with other radically unschooling Christian families.
Large Family Moms
This list is for moms only that are part of a large family consisting of four or more children. Large families are wonderful, exciting, and very challenging. Here you will find time and money saving tips, advice and support.
Living Book Reviews
Living Book Reviews offers reviews of books considered "living" books for children which are useful for acquiring a love of learning.
Afrocentric Homeschoolers Association (AHA) Yahoo Group
A discussion group for pro-Black African and/or African Diasporan, Black homeschoolers, unschoolers, deschoolers, home-based educators everywhere. It is also open to non-homeschoolers and non-Blacks who are trying to teach their children about Blacks.
Basically Beechick
Ruth Beechick Style Homeschooling is an Eclectic approach which focuses on natural learning through Real Books and Real Life. Basically Beechick is a Christian homeschool support group to discuss the methods and ideas of Dr. Ruth Beechick. Other authors whose ideas mesh well with Beechick's are discussed as well. These authors include (but are not limited to) Susan C. Anthony, Rebecca Rupp, Jean Soyke, E.D. Hirsch, Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer, Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn, Laura Berquist, Robin Scarlata, Jane Claire Lambert, Valerie Bendt, Clay and Sally Clarkson, Cindy Rushton, Mary Hood, Marilyn Howshall, and Charlotte Mason.
Support4HomeSchool
This is an email group of Christian homeschoolers who teach their children using living literature.
CM Audiobooks
CM Audiobooks was created to allow homeschooling parents the ability to share MP3 files of personal book readings. These audiobooks are of Twaddle-free books per the Charlotte Mason method and specifically created for those using the Ambleside Online curriculum. Anyone using the Charlotte Mason method is welcome to join and participate by reading books.
Radical Unschoolers List
This is the "Radical Unschoolers List". It is for all families, regardless of religious affiliation, choosing to unschool. Unschooling is learning as a part of life. It allows the child to learn naturally, without adult-imposed "lessons", schedules, or timelines. This list is to offer support, information, perspective, and enlightenment to anyone already unschooling or interested in unschooling.
Unschooling Dads
This list is a place for unschooling dads. Whether you're an advocate, long-time unschooler, novice, or somewhere in the middle, you're welcome here. This list is for dads only.
Large Family Logistics
The purpose of Large Family Logistics is to help Christian homeschooling mothers with the daily tasks of home management.
Pregnant Again
Are you pregnant? Do you have a large family? Do people look at you like you're crazy? This is a list for all of you out there who are pregnant again for the third or more time. This is a supportive list wehre people believe that large families are wonderful.
Sonlight Unschoolers
This email group is for those who use Sonlight curricula but also like the unschooling approach (and other compatable methods). Working out how to mix the two, curricula exchange/sales, and connecting with other eclectic Christian unschoolers is the object.
Literature Alive
Literature Alive! is an email group list for the literary website of the same name. This list seeks to encourage and support parents who have a love for literature and a desire to share good wholesome books with their children. Its purpose is to develop the art and excitment of using great living literature in a learning lifestyle. This group will share information on how to turn a living book into a cherished book within the home. Different literature study methods enhanced by Charlotte Mason's writing will be discussed: lapbooks, notebooks, journals, book clubs, reading settings, etc.
Secret Society of Unschooling Dads (SSUD)
This group is for Unschooling Dads, Granddads, and Dads-to-be who have attended one of the past 3 Live and Learn Conferences OR who have spouses who attended one of these conferences. Other unschooling fathers (et al.) can also join the group through invitation. Our intention is to keep a running dialog and passion for unschooling our children between conferences.
Unschooling.com Email List
This discussion list is the companion communications forum for the Unschooling.com website.
African-American Unschool Teens
African-American Teens who unschool/homeschool: Come hear how others live exciting, creative lives outside of traditional schooling. This is a free and comfortable space for teens to call their own.
Unschoolers Coffee Talk
A place for unschoolers to come together to discuss our adventures and experiences,share resources and information.
Families of Color Utilizing Home Schooling (FOCUHS)
This list is for Christian families of color who've opted to home educate their children. They exist to offer support, fellowship and to share resources with other African American and bi-racial Christian homeschooling families.
New Rising Homeschool Network
Are you working fulltime and feeling as though you and your children have been left out of the homeschool loop? Are you a single parent concerned you might not be able to meet the demands of homeschooling? Does your child have special needs? Dell's Place has established a network for working moms, single parents, and the rest of us who struggle to pull it all together. The purpose of this network is for support and encouragement, but it's also to offer real solutions from other parents who struggle with the same issues.
CM4earlyyears
Email list designed to discuss the Charlotte Mason method of homeschooling for children, ages birth through 6 years. While this list is not primarily religious in nature, there are often discussions of Christian topics.
Unschoolers Online Community
This is a companion list to the website UnSchoolers Online. It is a safe place to openly discuss anything related to unschooling and our children.
African-American Single Parent Homeschoolers
African-American Single Parent Homeschoolers is a discussion group designed to lend support and resources to parents who are home schooling alone.
Organize-to-Homeschool
Homeschoolers face tremendous demands on their organizational skills. Frequently creative, hardworking, and goal oriented, they must manage the home, other children, teaching, and the many other demands of a stay-at-home parent. This board is designed to offer support, find solutions, and discuss troublesome situations. Although there are many aspects to homeschooling, the focus, the only focus, of this board is solving organizational problems related to home schooling. This group is a part of the Messies Anonymous website.
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Featured Resources
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Name That Country Game
"Dear Pen Pal, Konnichi wa! We've been to see Mt. Fuji. Name my country! Sayonara, Michiko." Challenge your group with this fast-paced geography game, created in 1992 by Educational Insights, Inc. Everyone begins at the post office. Players twirl a finely printed spinner (built into the game board itself) to select one of 60 countries. If the player can correctly identify the country's location on the board's numbered map, he or she may advance along the path to the finish. Bonus moves are won b...
The Outdoor Life of Children: The Importance of Nature Study and Outside Activities (Charlotte Mason Topics - Volume 2
The methods of Charlotte Mason are popular among homeschoolers. She includes nature study as a crucial element. This work explores the idea of the outdoors as a classroom for children, and gives tips on ways of teaching the sciences, history, literature, music, and art through the use of outdoor space.
Progeny Press Study Guides for Literature
Progeny Press study guides include vocabulary exercises, comprehension, analysis, and application questions, introduction of literary terms, background information, discussion of related Biblical themes, suggestions for activities related to the reading, a complete answer key, and more. These are some of the titles available (grade range is in parentheses):
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (9-12)
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (6-8)
Amos Fortune, Free Man (5-7)
Anne of Green Gables (5-8)
...
Pocketful of Pinecones: Nature Study With the Gentle Art of Learning : A Story for Mother Culture
Karen Andreola, renowned interpreter of the Charlotte Mason method of education, has written a unique sort of book in the homeschool world. Pocketful of Pinecones is a teacher s guide the nature study cleverly disguised as a heartwarming story written in the form of a mother s diary. Woven into the story are: More than 100 examples of what to look for on a nature walk, Latin names for the living things to observed by the characters, study questions, nature poems and verses. Other features includ...
TruthQuest History
The TruthQuest History series consists of ten volumes that serve as guides for parent wishing to use real books in their approach to history education. They are full of book recommendations, along with information on the topics of study. There are also writing exercises included in these texts.