Organization
All of the various activities of our organization begin with our parent volunteers. Every person who participates in the leadership of TEACH is a parent whose child(ren) are participants of the group. We are truly a parent-led entity and the quality of our programming flows from the truth that we are creating something of worth for our own children. We do well because it’s personal to us!
TEACH has a parent Board which makes sure all the wheels on the bus keep spinning. Meeting every second month, the Board consists of those who lead the various programs listed below along with those who see to administrative tasks. The Board members act as organizational liaisons to the parent volunteers in each program.
Programming
TEACH runs multiple programs. Members may be involved in as many or as few activities as is appropriate to each family with one caveat- all families are expected to volunteer and contribute to the group. Families may use their gifts in various ways- you may teach or assist in an academic class, baby-sit in the nursery, serve as a coach or assistant in an athletic activity, organize field trips or playgroups: your contribution rises from your abilities and availability! Don’t worry if you’re unsure how to contribute- we have a list of tasks we can always use help with!
Some of the programs that TEACH currently offers include:
- Co-op: Meeting 9am – 2pm on Tuesdays, September through April, this co-op offers academic and enrichment classes for children grades preK-12. Co-op is held at a church near Shady Maple, East Earl, PA.
- Fall, Winter and Spring Sports: TEACH coordinates various team sports opportunities throughout the year. Practices are held at Brubaker Park in Fivepointville, PA or Liberty Baptist Church gym in Ephrata, PA. TEACH also sponsors a spring Field Day allowing children to experience the fun of good, old-fashioned track & field sports.
- Cell Groups: Some of our families meet throughout the month for fellowship and activities for their children. This is a great way to form social bonds between children- and their parents!
- Tutoring & Music Instruction: TEACH hosts a variety of one-on-one tutors and professional music instructors within our group. Lessons are offered during our Tuesday co-op.
- Field Trips: Parents will often invite other members of TEACH along when they organize a local field trip for their families. Recent examples of this are the Joanna Furnace Hay Creek Festival Homeschool Day, Youth Day at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, and Brecknock Orchards Harvest Festival Days.
Costs
- Families register yearly as members of TEACH ( approx. $30 per family) which also grants them membership in the Coalition of Homeschoolers Across Lancaster County (CHALC) including a monthly subscription to Scrawls.
- Those whose children participate in our Bethany Grace Co-op pay a ‘facility fee’ each session (approx. $20 per family) which allows us to rent classroom space from Bethany Grace.
- Each ten-week class at the co-op has an associated fee (generally between $20 and $40). Some upper-level academic classes run for 30 weeks and the full payment for these are made in the fall session. Class fees are paid directly to instructors on the first day of class.
- Sports participation requires a registration fee ($70 or less per season) and generally does not require specialty equipment/uniforms.
The above listed payments are spread throughout the year and are charged ala carte to make participation as affordable as possible for the wide variety of families who attend our programs.
Getting Started
The best way to become involved with TEACH is to Sign Up your family on Homeschool Life and to provide the necessary criminal history/child abuse clearances. The instructions for the clearances are found on the Homeschool Life Page. Submission of these forms is the entry point for all our programming- please let us know if you have questions via our Contact page.
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