Have you ever wondered what it is like to homeschool in a different state, province, or country? What requirements do families need to meet before they can start educating their children in their home? While homeschooling is legal in all fifty states and every province in Canada, there are places around the world where one cannot legally homeschool with the same ease as in the United States and Canada. For example, while families may receive permission to homeschool their children in Germany for medical reasons, it is rarely permitted. Another European nation where families may face difficulties is Spain, as homeschooling is not recognized in their constitution.
An Update to An Old Series
Several years ago the Homeschool Review Crew shared a series looking at homeschooling around the world in:
- Homeschooling Down Under (Australia)
After a year where many families found themselves homeschooling, distance learning, or trying to make educating their children work in other ways, we wanted to update that original series and provide additional insights into different homeschools around the world. While you can visit such sites as the Home School Legal Defense Association to research your individual state, province, or nation, we would love to share an inside, personal look into homeschooling around the world.
Why Do Families Choose to Homeschool?
There are a variety of reasons why families choose to homeschool their children. Whenever the question is posed on any of The Old Schoolhouse® or Homeschool Review Crew’s social media, many parents list the following as reasons:
- Including the Bible in the curriculum
- Flexibility
- Being together as a family
- Schooling on their own time
- Following children’s interests
- Learning alongside one’s children
Personally, I have a variety of reasons why I wanted to homeschool our children. We wanted our oldest to seek his interests to help propel him towards his future without being pushed into college if that was not the path he wanted to take. For our younger two children, we wanted to guide their education in the way that we saw fit, not allow others to make decisions for them or us.
After the 2020 school year, there are even more reasons why families are joining the growing number of homeschoolers. The US Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey revealed that 11.1 percent of households with school-age children reported homeschooling (not including virtual learning through a public or private institution) in the fall of 2020. Many are planning already now to continue home educating for the next school year. How can we welcome them?
What are Some Ways You Can Get Help Homeschooling?
The Schoolhouse Ambassador program at The Old Schoolhouse® is designed to address the needs of a new generation of homeschoolers. The Old Schoolhouse® invited their first Schoolhouse Ambassadors to join the program in March of 2020. The Schoolhouse Ambassadors are homeschool group leaders, mentors, and others who want to partner with us to reach homeschool families with the resources they need to help them stay the course.
We invited our Schoolhouse Ambassadors to share with us how they homeschool their children for this updated series.
We also interviewed The Old Schoolhouse® staff and members of the Homeschool Review Crew to help showcase what it is like homeschooling around the world. Over the next several weeks, we invite you to join us to read about what homeschooling is like around the world.
Would You Like to Help?
The world of homeschooling continues to expand as countless families choose to homeschool their children. Many of these families are overwhelmed by the massive number of curriculum options available. The Crew helps homeschoolers by providing reviews from a variety of families on a wide range of products. Our readers depend on the Review Crew Team to tell them about these products, how they used them, what they thought, and whether or not they would recommend them to others.
Are you interested in joining the Homeschool Review Crew?
We are looking for people who are passionate about helping the homeschooling community by using products and writing a thorough review.
Being part of the Crew brings benefits such as:
- The opportunity to participate in our private online community
- Growing your platforms through writing reviews, writing articles, and participating in monthly challenges
- Being able to participate and attend quarterly Crew webinars
- Receiving complimentary products to keep
It is a balanced system where we—The Old Schoolhouse®, the curriculum vendors, and the Review Crew—all work together to encourage and support the growing homeschool community.
Or perhaps you are interested in helping homeschoolers in your neighborhood and you would like to become a Schoolhouse Ambassador?
Ideal Schoolhouse Ambassador candidates have:
- homeschooled in the past or are currently homeschooling;
- ongoing in-person contact with other homeschool parents;
- a passion for supporting and encouraging homeschool families;
- a desire to promote The Old Schoolhouse® and SchoolhouseTeachers.com through local events; and
- flexibility to attend quarterly training webinars and participate in building community through our private online communities
If this sounds like you, please submit your Schoolhouse Ambassador application today!
There are so many ways that you can help homeschoolers. We look forward to sharing new ideas with you each week!
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