By Carol Moxley
With special thanks to the members of the NHEN New Support Groups email list.
As homeschooling gains acceptance by mainstream America as a viable learning alternative, more and more opportunities arise for homeschoolers to participate in special programs previously reserved for the classroom. Here are some examples of the types of programs that your support group can participate in.
SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
4-H
www.4h-usa.org
"4-H is a non-formal educational program and an organization for youth, 5-19 years old. It is open to everyone regardless of race, religion, color, gender, national origin, handicap or place of residence."
Boy Scouts of America
www.bsa.scouting.org
"The National Council of the Boy Scouts of America supports more than 300 local counsels that provide quality youth programs, including Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, and Venturing."
Camp Fire Boys and Girls
www.campfire.org
"As a not-for-profit youth development organization, Camp Fire provides fun, coeducational programs for approximately 630,000 youth from birth to age 21."
Girl Scouts of America
www.gsusa.org
" . . . The world's pre-eminent organization dedicated solely to girls. Working together with committed adults, we help girls grow strong in body, mind and spirit - and have fun!"
YMCA Indian Guides
www.indianguides.org
"Indian Guides is a program designed to help fathers and their children build strong, lasting relationships by spending quality time together doing fun activities."
READING PROGRAMS
Jr. Great Books
www.greatbooks.org/junior/index.html
"Since its inception in 1962, Junior Great Books has been a leader in developing children's critical-thinking skills and encouraging a lifelong love of literature." Great Books Foundation http://www.greatbooks.org/index.html
Pizza Hut Book-It Reading Incentive Program
www.bookitprogram.com/
"The BOOK IT!® National Reading Incentive Program motivates children in kindergarten through sixth grade to read by rewarding them for their reading accomplishments. Its purpose is to develop in children a lifelong love of reading."
Six Flags Read to Succeed
www.ku.com/sixflags1.html
Read for 600 minutes in six months for a free ticket to Six Flags. "If your school does not receive Read To Succeed, and you're interested in participating, please call us at (800) 356-2303 to be added to the waiting list for next year's program. Your elementary K-6 school must be within 100 miles of a Six Flags park to be eligible to enroll in the program."
NATIONAL COMPETITIONS
MathCounts
www.mathcounts.org/
"MathCounts is a coaching and competition program for middle school students nationwide . . . The mission of MATHCOUNTS is to increase interest and involvement in mathematics among all intermediate school students in order to assist in developing a technically literate population essential to U.S. global competitiveness and the quality of life."
National Geographic Geography Bee
www.nationalgeographic.com/society/ngo/geobee/
"Schools with students in grades four through eight are eligible for this entertaining and challenging test of geographic knowledge." Check out the "Bee Basics" for details.
National History Day
www.thehistorynet.com/NationalHistoryDay/
"National History Day® is a highly regarded and academically challenging non-profit program. The program's goal is to promote the study of history by engaging students and teachers in the excitement of historical inquiry and creative presentation. This yearlong educational program fosters academic achievement and intellectual growth. In addition to acquiring useful historical knowledge and perspective during the series of district, state and national competitions, students develop critical thinking and problem solving skills that will help them manage and use information now and in the future."
Science Olympiad
www.macomb.k12.mi.us/ims/cr/science/so/nsoly/
"The Science Olympiad is an international nonprofit organization devoted to improving the quality of science education, increasing student interest in science and providing recognition for outstanding achievement in science education by both students and teachers."
Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee
www.spellingbee.com/
See their FAQ page for information specific to homeschoolers.
Think Quest
www.thinkquest.org/
"The ThinkQuest Internet Challenge is an international program for students ages 12 through 19 that encourages them to use the Internet to create information-rich Web-based educational tools and materials. Students form teams with their colleagues from around the world and are mentored by teachers or other adult coaches. In the running for scholarships and awards totaling more than $1 million, student participants learn collaboration, leadership and critical thinking skills that help raise their level of education and technological expertise. Awards are handed out across five categories: Arts & Literature, Science & Mathematics, Social Sciences, Sports & Health and Interdisciplinary. Finalists travel to the ThinkQuest Awards Weekend where they compete for the challenge's top prizes."
Think Quest Junior
www.thinkquest.org/tqjr/
"ThinkQuest Junior is a classroom-based competition that encourages girls and boys in grades 4-6 to take a meaningful interest in computers and technology. ThinkQuest Junior helps teachers promote the "Internet Style" of learning - an interactive, participatory method that encourages students to take advantage of the Internet as a constantly growing source of information and as a powerful collaborative tool. Making learning fun and contagious for other students of the same age, ThinkQuest Junior teams create educational Web sites on a variety of subjects. More than $250,000 in cash and awards is given to winning students, teachers and their schools."
U.S. Chess Federation
www.uschess.org/
"The USCF sanctions thousands of chess tournaments with a half-million rated games each year. It is the organizer of 25 national championship events including the US Championship, the US Women's Championship, and the Amateur, Junior and Senior championships. The USCF sponsors the National Scholastic Championships which annually draw over 3,000 players."
MISCELLANEOUS PROGRAMS
Scholastic, Inc.
www.scholastic.com
The software and book clubs are a great way for your group to buy at discounted prices.
Jason Project
www.jasonproject.org/
"A year-round scientific expedition designed to excite and engage students in science and technology and to motivate and provide professional development for teachers. The JASON Project has been praised as the leader in distance learning programs, and continues to expand its reach by adding more components to the Project experience."
Random Acts of Kindness Week
www.actsofkindness.org/
"Our role as the leader of the Random Acts of Kindness Week campaign has been to create, update and distribute guidance materials to community coordinators and teachers who want to get involved in the campaign, to provide constant verbal training and encouragement via phone to all those participating in the campaign, and to generate national publicity for the Random Acts of Kindness Week activities going on around the country. We continue to sponsor this event as it grows exponentially and changes positively every year."
FUNDRAISERS
PLEASE NOTE: These fundraising sites are provided to assist you. NHEN does not endorse any of these fundraising organizations. Helpful fundraising tips (including how to evaluate and select a fundraising company), checklists and safety information are available on the Association of Fund Raisers and Direct Sellers website.
Box Tops for Education
www.boxtops4education.com/
"Box Tops for Education is . . . available to accredited home school associations, K-8, in the United States that have a 501(c)(3) or 509(a)(1) tax-exempt designation and have 15 or more students."
for-schools.com
www.for-schools.com/
"We welcome the participation of all types of schools, home schools included. From our perspective, everyone involved with the education of children should have the opportunity to benefit from the rebate programs offered by our merchants. And no, no special tax status is required for participation."
FundingFactory.com
www.fundingfactory.com/
" . . . is the leading online destination for school fundraising, providing high-value fundraising programs that increase student and teacher access to technology products.
...FundingFactory would welcome your participation in the ETCEP and MaxBack Programs and encourages you to register today! We do not need to see your 5013c number!"
Human-I-Tees
www.human-i-tees.com/
". . . Human-i-Tees is the largest, most well established environmental fundraising company in the world."
Fundraising Cookbooks by Morris Press
morriscookbooks.com/index.htm
"Publisher of personalized fundraising or keepsake cookbooks. Ideal for churches, schools, communities, organizations, families, and individuals. You Supply the Recipes and We'll Do the Rest.ª"
Fun-Attic
www.funattic.com/fundrais.htm
More Fundraising Ideas. Most of these can be used by just about any type of organization. Ideas involving Fun-Attic products are listed after the general, more commonly known ideas.
