The problem

According to the National Home Education Research Institute, there were about 3.1 million homeschooled students in 2021-2022 in grades K-12 in the United States. The number of homeschooled students has significantly increased since the COVID-19 pandemic. When children are taught in a home setting, there may be limited opportunities for them to interact with other children and develop the social-emotional skills acquired in group settings. In Rockcastle County, the homeschooling community is looking for more ways to get their children involved in groups outside of the home. 

The educational program response

Rockcastle County 4-H formed a Homeschool Club in the summer of 2022. The 4-H Homeschool Club began meeting once per month for an educational lesson and fellowship. Each month, the lesson topic focuses on natural resources and outdoor living in Kentucky. Club meetings often take place at outdoor learning environments that complement that month's topic. During and after the meetings, families often spend time together sharing homeschool tips and making plans to spend more time together.

The participants/target audience

The 4-H Homeschool Club targets families that are currently homeschooling their children in Rockcastle County. The educational lessons are designed for all school-aged children, but the club is welcoming of younger participants as well. At the conception of the 4-H Homeschool Club, two families were consistently in attendance. Now, two years later, the club has dramatically grown in size and continues to reach new audiences. At the most recent 4-H Homeschool Club meeting, there were 47 people in attendance. 

Other partners (if applicable)

Program impact or participant response.

The Rockcastle County Extension Office recently received an email from a parent of one of our 4-H Homeschool Club participants. She wished to express her appreciation of the club and wrote this: 

"Starting out, our homeschooling journey was an adventure, but finding clubs and groups for my daughter was even more of a challenge. So when i discovered that our local Extension Office was starting up a Homeschool Club, it was a no-brainer that we would be attending. What started as only two kids has since, in the two years that we have been going, turned into 20+ children. My daughter looks more forward to our monthly, as she calls them, 'Ms. Alyssa Days' than she does any activity on her schedule. The excursions that we have been on are something that I would not have been able to provide for my child, with the amount of knowledge that accompanies the outings, without them. I fully know that if we were on a hike, that Alyssa and Hannah will not only take care of my child, but that my daughter will learn something new the entire time that she is in their care. Our Homeschool Club days have now taken on a dual purpose because I get to see and spend time with my own "mom friends" that I have made at our meetings. I'm confident in my statement that this resource, and this club, would not be what it is today without the hard work, dedication, and care that these two ladies put in to making sure these kids have the most fun, while also learning about our wonderful state. It also doesn't hurt that I, a 29-year-old woman, learn new things about our state on our 'Ms. Alyssa Days.'"