Charlotte Mason Homeschool Co-op

Who We Are

We are a Charlotte Mason based homeschool co-op in the Northern Indiana area that serves families with children ages 3 and up. We’re a tight-knit community with the goal of learning together and growing together. Our mission is to have a Christ-Centered community and fellowship with one another through a Charlotte Mason style co-op. We strive to support healthy friendships and create learning opportunities for our homeschool students.

We have families who come from over an hour away to be a part of our group since we offer such a unique curriculum. Charlotte Mason co-ops are often few and far between!

What We Do

Currently, we meet two Tuesdays a month from 11 am-2 pm for enrichment type classes. We also have nature walks and field trips sprinkled throughout the school year and summer.  Here are a few of the classes we’ve done over the years for our Form 1, 2, and 3 groups (1st through 9th grade).

• Nature study and nature journaling
• Science projects
• Handicrafts like sewing and crochet
• Music instruction and SOLFA
• Foraging and natural remedies
• Artist study and art instruction
• Composer study
• Hymns and folk music
• Homesteading (canning, weaving, churning butter, bookbinding)

Our Early Years group, ages 3-5, has a play-based, nature-focused curriculum. Charlotte called these years a quiet growing time so we focus on things like developing good habits, being creative, and developing a love for God’s creation.

Religion and Denomination

Charlotte Mason is decidedly Christian and so is our co-op. Although we don’t have any overtly religious curriculum like a Bible class. There are a lot of differences in opinion even among believers, so while our personal relationship with Jesus is part of the foundational principles of the group and influences our decisions, it’s not its own class. Our morning time includes group prayer, our students sing hymns, and teachers will point out the beauty of God’s creation. We aren’t affiliated with any specific denomination, we don’t teach or adopt a specific doctrine outside of the very basics, and we are respectful of our differing beliefs.

Most of our families are Christians and that is the perspective any instruction comes from. However, we also have some secular families in attendance who are amicable towards our Christian faith. No one is going to beat you over the head with a Bible, but God’s Word and principles will naturally be a part of our conversations.

Our group does observe, celebrate, and talk about mainstream holidays like Easter, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day. This may include classroom activities like dying Easter eggs and Valentine’s gift exchange. For families that don’t celebrate some or all of these holidays for personal or religious reasons, we will do our best to work around your personal preferences when it comes to your child’s participation in the group.

How Much Does it Cost?

We do have fees to help cover building rental and classroom supplies. We want to have the funds to be able to do a variety of activities and projects with our students, and this enables us to do that. The exact amount a family pays depends on the number of children and a few other factors. Younger siblings who are nursery age (2 and under) are free. Field trips are an additional fee per family/child, but we usually stick to nature trails and parks that are free of charge.

The Parent’s Role

This is NOT a drop-off program and each mom fills into the slot they feel comfortable volunteering for. Some moms teach or are a teacher’s helper, some help with lunch setup/cleanup and classroom cleanup, and some help in the nursery. There are more details in our group guidelines and policies, but here’s what you can expect as a parent:

• For safety and liability reasons, parents stay on-site during the co-op day.
• Co-op is a priority in our schedules. As a co-op, we can only function when we’re all sharing in the work and the fun. Exceptions include family emergencies and illness.
• Be proactive about informing the leadership of any necessary absences, IE don’t let us know only an hour before co-op that your child has a fever.
• After classes, we clean up after ourselves. Cleaning roles are assigned at the beginning of co-op and each family is responsible for making sure their tasks are done.
• Actively work with group teachers and leaders if behavior issues come up concerning your child.
• Excessive absences may result in the removal from co-op at leadership discretion. Parents must communicate any unusual extenuating circumstances. We want to work with you!

How to Join

Enrollment opens in the summer but we encourage you to visit our group first to see if it’s a good fit for your family. Visitation days are available in the Spring. We also have nature walks and field trips during the summer that are open to prospective families. In order to join the Charlotte Mason co-op new applicants need to fill out the application form by the deadline. Once accepted families are required to complete the following for acceptance into the group:

• Agree to the group policies and statement of faith
• Respond within 3 days to accept or decline an offered co-op position (after applications are accepted)
• Submit a non-refundable fee for building rental via check
• Attend one of the group informational meetings. There will be several dates to try and accommodate different schedules.

Contact Information

If you have more questions, would like more information about visiting our group, or want to fill out an application then we’d love to hear from you! Applications are open during late summer only.