Homeschool Community Meeting Debrief
It has been about three months since we invited the homeschool community to meet to discuss forming a Homeschool Resource Center. We've realized as we have talked with members of the community that we have not done a community-wide update on how things have progressed. So here it is:
First of all, let's touch on the meeting. There were only a handful of people who came to the meeting, but since it was recorded in a Facebook live event, many involved in the homeschool community have had the chance to watch it. The reaction we've heard from most everyone who watched the meeting was similar to what we felt afterwards...confusion and a bit of discouragement.
There were so many different ideas about what people would like out of a resource center...everything from a theater, an events center, a splash pad, a workshop, a music room, a library...that it ended up feeling like a bit of an impossible, unclear, giant of an undertaking. We realized we needed to decide what we felt was most important to our community and move forward with that.
There were concerns at the meeting about limiting the size of the committee, but it soon became clear that having too much help would not be a problem, as many who had initially volunteered let us know they would not be able to help after all.
The first big community meeting was helpful in bringing awareness and opening discussion about the needs we have for a homeschool resource centher. However, we realized that many of the ideas that were presented at the meeting, while perhaps fun and valuable in time or in a different project, are not what we want to work towards right now. Thanks to comments from the meeting, we realized that we want to take care in not trying to duplicate resources that already exist. We have great community centers, theater groups, events centers, and even splash pads already at our disposal. What we want is a place specifically available for homeschool groups to use for classes and gatherings. This is the need that we want to fill.
Our vision is to connect, support, and empower families in their home-centered education. We will do this through our mission to:
1. Provide a central location for homeschool groups to gather.
2. Support those interested in homeschooling.
3. Connect our homeschool community to the wider community to raise awareness and support for
homeschoolers.
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Did you get a chance to watch the meeting? What were your thoughts and feelings? How do you feel about a simplified approach to a resource center?
-------------
(The first meeting was recorded in a Facebook live event here. However, you must be a part of the group to view it.)
First of all, let's touch on the meeting. There were only a handful of people who came to the meeting, but since it was recorded in a Facebook live event, many involved in the homeschool community have had the chance to watch it. The reaction we've heard from most everyone who watched the meeting was similar to what we felt afterwards...confusion and a bit of discouragement.
There were so many different ideas about what people would like out of a resource center...everything from a theater, an events center, a splash pad, a workshop, a music room, a library...that it ended up feeling like a bit of an impossible, unclear, giant of an undertaking. We realized we needed to decide what we felt was most important to our community and move forward with that.
There were concerns at the meeting about limiting the size of the committee, but it soon became clear that having too much help would not be a problem, as many who had initially volunteered let us know they would not be able to help after all.
The first big community meeting was helpful in bringing awareness and opening discussion about the needs we have for a homeschool resource centher. However, we realized that many of the ideas that were presented at the meeting, while perhaps fun and valuable in time or in a different project, are not what we want to work towards right now. Thanks to comments from the meeting, we realized that we want to take care in not trying to duplicate resources that already exist. We have great community centers, theater groups, events centers, and even splash pads already at our disposal. What we want is a place specifically available for homeschool groups to use for classes and gatherings. This is the need that we want to fill.
Our vision is to connect, support, and empower families in their home-centered education. We will do this through our mission to:
1. Provide a central location for homeschool groups to gather.
2. Support those interested in homeschooling.
3. Connect our homeschool community to the wider community to raise awareness and support for
homeschoolers.
-------------
Did you get a chance to watch the meeting? What were your thoughts and feelings? How do you feel about a simplified approach to a resource center?
-------------
(The first meeting was recorded in a Facebook live event here. However, you must be a part of the group to view it.)
I think stayings small and more focused is good, but being able to serve the community with a large meeting room that includes a stage would not be that much harder to accommodate. I also think it is wise to form a smaller committee in order to bring the big ideas to life more easily. I did watch the meeting and there was some good discussion. I also agree that duplicating resources could be counterproductive, however as I mentioned previously, a large meeting room with a stage, would be amazing and very useful as we have several homeschooling groups in the area who would use that. Anyway, just my two cents. And finding a central location for all homeschoolers in Washington County is going to be pretty challenging. If you mean, St. George that's not really central for many homeschooling families. So we probably have to think of more than one building. What a great problem to solve with so many homeschoolers!
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