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By Root 311 0

’ve asked, but they make lots of excuses and always seem to have a reason (meeting, staffing problem, and so on) that we can’t have a particular room on a particular day. I say “excuses” because when we turn around and ask, “Well, what days are available?” they continue to be vague and say things like “Well, we might have a staff meeting, or we might not be here.” Also, they favor organized sports. They can’t fathom why parents would bring their children to our park gatherings if we don’t offer instruction in sports or league play. And they once allowed a league to use the gym the same day we had a permit for its use. Though mistakes do happen, there’s been a clear pattern of not working with us. Our name was clearly marked on the scheduling calendar and we had confirmed the dates in advance, so I know they just decided that a basketball league was more important than a small group of homeschoolers. And yes, we have tried calling elected city council members and talking to administrators. We were then grudgingly offered some dates and lots of hoops to jump through, and in the end we decided not to do that again.

All homeschoolers use community resources to some extent, but unschoolers are especially interested in finding ways to connect learning with the everyday details of life. Try looking at your community not just as the place you live and work and shop but as a collection of opportunities for learning. Consider a few of the possibilities you may be able to find within a short radius of your home.

Bookstores and Other Retailers

Bookstores run a close second to libraries as homeschoolers’ favorite resources. New books, used books, any books on any topic can become a part of a homeschooling curriculum. Trade books are often better information sources than many books specifically intended to be educational. Other retailers similarly useful as “curriculum” suppliers are toy stores, computer software and hardware dealers, hardware stores, nurseries and garden supply stores, and so on.

Any retail operation can be an interesting place to visit, just to see how businesses work: How do employees spend their time? Where does the stock come from? How is inventory tracked? How do the owners decide what their customers will buy? Even the most routine shopping trip can supply bits and pieces of the answers to such questions.

Museums and Other Cultural Institutions

Museums, although overtly educational, are like libraries in that there are no prerequisites for learning from them. You can pick and choose from their offerings, spending all your time in one gallery and ignoring the rest if you like. (And while you’re taking your time with whatever parts interest you, the odds are good you’ll also see a classroom group rushing through in small groups to complete the worksheets they’ve been assigned to make sure they see everything they’re supposed to see.) Many museums offer classes and workshops, and some will be happy to customize their offerings for an interested homeschool group.

One option often available from historical museums now is what are called environmental living programs (ELPs), known more familiarly as living history programs. Some museums and historic sites have year-round programs, with docents acting the parts of residents of the exhibited site and period. Other programs are designed specifically for student groups. Typically, students study the period enough to create a character or adopt a real historic character to play the part of. During the ELP event itself, the students wear appropriate costumes, perform tasks typical of the period with the equipment of the museum, and answer visitor questions as their characters. ELPs can be a terrific way either to spark interest in a historic period or to consolidate previous study.

Check with local museums and historic sites for information on ELPs in your area. You’ll probably have to put a group together for a program; most student ELPs are designed with classroom groups in mind. Most ELPs are happy to work with homeschoolers, though; homeschool groups often