Finding Your Military Homeschool Tribe

Episode #37 –  Moving is a fact of life for homeschooling military families. Still, making connections with like-minded homeschoolers can be challenging. This week, Crystal talks about ways to find your homeschool tribe wherever the military sends you and your family.

One great aspect of military life is that we know our time in any given community is limited, so we tend to work to get connected and make friends quickly. However, you may currently be in a season where you’re struggling to find your homeschool tribe or a tribe for your kids. Or you may find yourself facing that at some point in the future.

If this rings true for you, Crystal shares some tips to make like-minded homeschool connections, both within the military community and outside of it.

Start searching before you move!

 Orders are in hand; you know where you’re headed, but you’re still weeks or even months out from your PCS. Not much you can do tribe-wise at this point, right? Well, I’m sure you already know that there is a LOT you can be doing to prepare for a PCS well before moving day comes. You can even begin searching now for homeschool connections.

Virtual Reconnaissance Mission. Upon receiving PCS orders and even before your move, you can begin searching for your homeschool tribe via the internet.

• Google search– conduct a Google search of homeschool organizations, associations, and groups in the area. It’s super easy to do and so much information is right at your fingertips with just a few keywords typed in the search bar.
  
• State homeschool associations. Associations often have a database of homeschool groups and co-ops throughout the area. They may even assist in connecting you with a contact person for a group you’re interested in.
  
• Homeschool Facebook groups, Online Communities, and forums. These are great resources for getting a jump start on making connections before you move.
  
• Contact the school liaison for the military base located where you’ll be PCSing. The school liaison is an amazing resource for homeschoolers with loads of information about homeschooling, including homeschool groups and co-ops both on base and in the surrounding community.
  
• Military spouses! We, military spouses, are quite possibly one of, if not THE BEST, source of information for nearly anything of interest to a military family! Military spouses have been my best source of duty-station info and networking throughout all my years as an Army wife. We truly are family and want to help each other any chance we get.
  

Once you are settled into your new community, here are some additional ways of finding your homeschool tribe:

Check out on-base groups that may not be specific to homeschoolers, but can be a good way of networking and making connections, like:

• PWOC (Protestant Women of the Chapel) or CWOC (Catholic Women of the Chapel)
  
• MOPS (Moms of Preschoolers)
  
• Spouses Clubs
  
• Chapel & Religious Services
  
• Child & Youth Services
  
• MWR (Morale, Welfare, and Recreation)
  
• Library
  

Off-Base and in your local community, and in addition to homeschool groups and co-ops, you may also be able to find your tribe and your kids’ tribe through:

• Churches
  
• Parks & Recreation
  
• YMCA
  
• Some states allow homeschoolers to take part in sports & other after-school activities with the public school
  

Tips for making connections:

• Show up and keep showing up
  
• Volunteer
  

Last but not least, if you’re still struggling to find a homeschool tribe,

• Start a homeschool group yourself. Keep it simple and start small. In fact, it can be super easy and informal. If you know some other homeschoolers from your church or spouses’ group, organize a field trip or get-together and be the one facilitating the connection. Through word of mouth, your group will grow and in the meantime, even if it’s just you and one other homeschool family, you and your kids will be learning, having fun, and making connections with others.
  

So, now I would love to hear from you! How do YOU find your homeschool tribe in a new community?

Join Crystal and her guests each week as they bring relevant information to equip you, stories to encourage you, and content to inspire you. You don’t have to go it alone; tune in to the Military Homeschool Podcast and be energized in your military homeschooling journey!

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Got questions, comments, or show topic ideas? Contact Crystal via email at militaryhomeschoolpodcast@gmail.com or connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

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