Nature Immersed, Spanish Integrated
How does a co-op work?
What we love about co-ops is there are many different ways they can look and run. Here is a little information about some different types of co-ops.
Teachers
Classes
Co-ops may meet in homes, churches, libraries, or community centers. In the United States, homeschool co-ops commonly meet once a week, but some meet twice monthly, or once per month, year round. A co-op's meeting frequency, and yearly calendar, is up to the co-op organizers.
Academic Focus
More rarely, co-ops use what's called a university model, meeting 1-3 days a week with a full slate of homework aimed at covering typical academic credits. These co-ops, and the assignments to be completed at home, usually make up the bulk of a child's education. They work much the same way that accredited university model private schools work.
Social Focus
Other co-ops are more enrichment-oriented, with a focus on the arts, social time, or unique angles on traditional subjects. Children in these co-ops typically do most of their academic learning outside of their co-op, but co-op is one more experience that builds their knowledge and provides them with a chance to be with friends or do something interesting.
Activities and classes that are part of a co-op may be led by parents, or parents chip in to pay hired teachers and activity leaders. There may be as few as three families in a small co-op, or as many as several hundred children in the largest co-ops.
Chavitos Nature Program