What is the Unschoolers Network?
The Unschoolers Network was born in the mid 70's when I began an intense search for something...anything legal...that I could do to avoid sending my almost-school-age young son to school.
My husband and I disliked school as children. We found it so distasteful - why would we send our son there if there was some other choice? That was the problem. Nobody seemed to think there was any choice.
I was lucky. My search connected me with author John Holt shortly after he began publishing a newsletter he called Growing Without Schooling. In it he urged families to avoid school for their kids by just teaching them at home. The newsletter, and John, eventually launched home schooling as a movement. But at first, it was just a brave new idea.
At my request he graciously sent me addresses of New Jersey families whenever they wrote to him for information. The families began an excited flurry of writing and calling to exchange stories. But we were scattered throughout the state, and it was frustrating that it was so hard to meet in person with any regularity.
We developed a plan to help each other find local support. We organized a series of meetings, one near each family's home. The first meeting turned out 15 people; we were stunned and delighted. It seemed like a lot at the time. Gradually, by persistent networking and holding regional meetings, we all did meet people near us and support groups began to form.
Today New Jersey has one or more support groups in every county, almost all of them with bigger membership than that first meeting. These families meet together, with their children, for field trips and fellowship.
Getting to know such a wide variety of dedicated people around the state had been a rich experience. I wanted to do something to keep us all connected in spirit as we grew in numbers. And so I began a newsletter, the Unschoolers Network, now over 30 years old.
Every state across the nation has a similar story of growth to tell about this movement.
Nancy Plent, Director
We Offer Support Services and Curriculum Guides.
Let us help you with your homeschooling! Located in central New Jersey, we have been helping homeschool families since 1977. We offer curriculum guides, resources, and support services for grades pre-K through 12. We can help you personalize your curriculum and develop a custom plan that is tailored for your family.Our researched guides satisfy school requirements, list subject areas, include book and resource lists, a checklist format for record keeping, and instructions for personalizing curriculum to your needs.
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