Local Boys and Girls Club offers homeschooling program for parents

The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club of Creek County is working to provide more resources to the homeschooling community.

The program is designed to help fill the gap that students feel at home when they don’t have the opportunity to socialize. The program also gives parents the opportunity to get to know each other and work through challenges together.

Program Director Cheyanne Ware said the program is an opportunity to bring together parents and children who are navigating the unique challenges of homeschooling, while also providing children with experiences they may not be able to have at home.

The organization’s leaders said the homeschooling community has grown since COVID-19 and that these efforts are helping to meet a great need in Creek County.

“There aren’t as many resources as we would like for the homeschooling families,” Ware said. “So we realized we need to get involved and help reach all of these families, whether it’s through homeschooling, an afterschool program or a summer camp program. We want to make sure we’re helping as many people here as possible.”

The program was launched in the spring by the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club of Creek County. Leaders said the homeschooling program was successful at first and that they have continued to expand it over time.

The curriculum focused on STEM, art and physical education. The curriculum has since been expanded to include learning units and swimming lessons.

Club leader Mallory Parker said the club’s goal is to give children experiences they can’t have at home without having to attend a regular school. She said starting the school year off right is also crucial for students learning from home.

“It gives a sense of structure without it being an eight-hour, full-day structure,” Parker said. “They have a short time structure and then the freedom to learn in the way that suits them best.”

Classes begin in early September and interested parents can fill out a Google form on the website.