If you are searching for other families that home educate, support groups are a great way to get connected. This article features the larger homeschool support groups in TN (Tennessee). Read on to find out what these groups offer, what regions of the state they serve, and their website addresses.
How Do You Begin to Look?
There are over 58 homeschool support groups in Tennessee. This article will feature the larger groups in various parts of the state. Support groups are a great way to get connected with other families, find social events, and possibly even educational opportunities. If you are considering homeschooling, these support groups are a great place to pose questions to seasoned veterans, and even families just starting out.
Check These Out
Home Education Association of Rutherford Tennessee (H.E.A.R.T.)
This support group has a fantastic website, although it looks as if sections have not been updated in a couple of years. According to the website, this group serves over 300 homeschooling families in Rutherford County, and is a volunteer organization. This group has activities for all ages, including monthly field trips by age, chess, bowling, ice skating and homeschool p.e. among other opportunities. They send out a monthly newsletter. There is a small fee yearly for joining this group.
Barren River Homeschool Association
The Barren River Homeschool Association has members from Warren, Barren, Edmonson, Simpson, Butler and Allen counties in Kentucky and Sumner County in Tennessee. Their website looks up to date, and very organized. They offer social and educational opportunities for the families they serve through their volunteer organization. They offer spelling and geography bees, Christmas and Fall parties, sports, 4-H, Yearbook, Co-op classes and many more offerings.
Helping Other Parents Educate At Home (H.O.P.E.)
This group serves the Clarksville, TN area and offers information through a yahoo group online. Their group has 398 members and it has been running since March 2002. It is a Christian group, and offers social activities, homeschool related information and community events.
Memphis Homeschool Internet Support Yahoo Group
This is a Christian Internet Support group open to any homeschool family in the Memphis/Shelby County area. Founded in 2001, there are 366 members in this group. The goal of this yahoo group is to provide prayer, support, and encouragement to other homeschooling families.
Heart and Hearth Home Education Support Group
This homeschool group serves Coffee County in southern, middle Tennessee. There is an active co-op, and other events, like potlucks and skating.
This group has over 100 families, and offers many social events including field trips, parties and game days. The website is for members only, however you can access a frequently asked questions page which offers more information.
Tri-Cities Family Unschooling Network
This Yahoo Group has 137 members and has been active since 2004. The group is primarily set up as a discussion group for families that unschool, or are interested in pursuing unschooling. They participate in social events through another homeschool group, State of Franklin Homeschoolers, which also has a Yahoo Group.
Finding The Right Support
If you are looking to make homeschool connections in your area, and there is no support group close by, consider starting your own. Having other families around that share your common values helps make connections for you as an adult, but also for your homeschooled child, or children. Since this article highlighted some of the largest groups in Tennessee, some of the other local groups are listed at these websites.
Images
Wikimedia Commons Sunset At Clingmans (Taken by Scott Basford)
Wikimeida Commons Welcome To Memphis Picture (Taken by Thomas R. Machnitzki)
