Frequently Asked Questions
What's AnySchoolers?
AnySchoolers is a volunteer-run 501-c-3 nonprofit organization with many visionary goals.
Our mission:
AnySchoolers gives secular, inclusive support for homeschooling families who need physical, emotional and relational safety, no matter where and how they school, through direct education, caregiver peer collaboration, resources, networking with other agencies, and social connections.
Where is AnySchoolers?
Our dream is to be anywhere that homeschoolers are! Kansas City is the prototype branch, so right now in 2023, most of our activity is in the Kansas City Metro area.
We also host virtual classes when teachers are available to provide them, as well as online chats for parents and their children with other homeschoolers like them in a private, secure Discord server. Access to the server is gained by making an annual donation in the form of subscribing to the website.
As a grassroots organization, we have plans to branch out and establish roots in many parts of the country. We are working on building a system of local branches, where homeschooling families can connect in-person, all over the United States and even around the world. We are in quiet conversation with several other areas to get AnySchoolers branches in other parts of the country. If you want us to help you start up a branch in your area, send us an email!
Who is AnySchoolers?
AnySchoolers is parents, children, and teens of all walks of life. We are a secular, inclusive community and welcome anyone. AnySchoolers are people curious, exploring and deeply invested in homeschooling. AnySchoolers are also supportive professionals, educators, tradespeople, and other adults who advocate for homeschooling families.
Are you a co-op?
Not really. AnySchoolers is more than a co-op ("cooperative"), although it will have many of the features you'll find in a typical homeschool co-op group. AnySchoolers is a volunteer-run 501-c-3 nonprofit organization with many visionary goals. The difference between a traditional co-op and AnySchoolers:
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In a co-op, there is usually a membership fee for all activities and closed activities. AnySchoolers has no membership fees for educational activities, and has weekly social activities that are open access.
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Co-ops are generally "inward facing" (a set of families trade teaching/resources with one another in a closed circle). AnySchoolers is "outward facing" - open to community members to come and check out activities anytime, even if a family is not subscribed or regular participants.
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Co-ops are typically educationally driven, providing a group learning experience to homeschoolers. AnySchoolers offers more than only in-person and virtual group learning experiences: podcast, blog, merch, community service, social network connections, referrals, parent support and adult only activities, mental health and educator workshops, scholarship opportunities, teen volunteering within the organization, We even have curriculum and online courses coming soon, and we offer opportunities for writers and educators to use our platform to bring education to homeschoolers!
Can I start a hub group in my area?
We are working on building a system of local branches, where homeschooling families can connect in-person, all over the United States and even around the world. Kansas City is the prototype branch. We are in quiet conversation with several other areas to get AnySchoolers branches in other parts of the country. If you want us to help you start up a branch in your area, send us an email!
What does child-led mean, and what does adult-led mean?
Answer
Why is it important to be “under the AnySchoolers umbrella”?
AnySchoolers is not a “big organization” - it started with two moms texting about a dream, starting small and a fire catching quickly. The AnySchoolers umbrella is about enacting social change together. If we are going in a thousand directions, we will be less effective, and the school institutions, culture, norms will continue by default. Secular homeschoolers need to move together as a movement. AnySchoolers is a “mostly democratically lead, feedback and new ideas welcome” group of people, believing in the same basic principles and values. Within the framework we set up, there’s freedom to do whatever works for your own family, pod, city branch.
How much does AnySchoolers cost?
Our educational activities are open-access with no membership fees or volunteering requirements because we believe education should be available to anyone. Events are a la carte, and you can pick and choose what you need for your family on our website calendar. Anyone can register for our classes, labs, workshops, and other educational options.
We have a requested annual donation for those who want to connect with our community at a deeper, social level. We call these donors our "Supporters." It consists of a minimum tax-deductible donation ($60 annually or $15 quarterly) that brings you some extra benefits. Many of our donors like to give a higher amount, which raises funds for the nonprofit's operations and scholarships for other families. Supporters have a private calendar of social events, access to Matches
AnySchoolers does not gate-keep education. All educational opportunities are open-access. Even a student in a traditional school environment whose parents are curious about homeschooling, for example, is welcome to attend our educational activities. Being a nonprofit doesn't mean operating at no cost! If Supporter scholarships for hard times are needed, we give them away like Oprah's favorite things - all you have to do is ask for what you need! Anyone can become a Supporter at any time. The annual donation renews one year from the time it is submitted, so everyone's renewal date is different!
What’s the money I donate used for?
It might help to read out "Why Give Us Your Money" section on the do
Can I advertise an event, program, etc?
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Once I make my annual donation and become a Supporter, what happens?
You can make an annual donation by subscribing to the website.
Once you've donated/subscribed, you'll receive a thank you email confirmation/receipt, as well as an automated invitation to our private Discord server for Supporters only.
What's the Discord Supporter Server?
This server is where we share the private event schedule, the monthly password to the private Supporter social calendar. The Discord server is also where you can chat with other Supporters, your children/teens can video/audio/type chat in a supervised site (flags will appear for language/content). The Discord Supporter Server will also be where we announce early access to educational activities with limited spots. The server will also host special virtual events, photo sharing. It's where new homeschoolers can find existing homeschoolers and we can match (we're rebranding pods/groups as "Matches" in September 2023).
What are all the platforms AnySchoolers uses for communication with its community at large?
Official Website: www.anyschoolers.com (You are here!)
This is the place to find our calendar of events, store with merch, resources, volunteer staff contact information, descriptions of our programming and all the things we are trying to accomplish together.
AnySchoolers on Spaces: This is the app version of the website, separate from the web browser version.
Discord: We have two servers - a server for volunteer staff to communicate with one another, and a server for our donors/”Supporters” who are connecting at a deeper level with one another through clubs, support groups, pods and social activities.
Facebook AnySchoolers Page: the official “page” of our nonprofit organization
Facebook AnySchoolers Groups: the official groups that are front doors to the rest of the homeschooling world in local areas
Other social media platforms: Threads, Instagram, Pintrest, Amazon Business
How do I download the Spaces app? Why?
In your device’s app store, find “Spaces” by “Wix,” and download. AnySchoolers is a business that is hosted by Spaces, rather than AnySchoolers having it’s own unique app in the app store. We have a long term goal to develop an app for homeschoolers, but that takes big money. Hang in there while we use what we have available to us!
What is the Discord Supporter Server?
What's Discord?
Discord is...
What's the Discord Supporter Server?
This server is where we share the private event schedule, the monthly password to the private Supporter social calendar. The Discord server is also where you can chat with other Supporters, your children/teens can video/audio/type chat in a supervised site (flags will appear for language/content). The Discord Supporter Server will also be where we announce early access to educational activities with limited spots. The server will also host special virtual events, photo sharing. It's where new homeschoolers can find existing homeschoolers and we can match (we're rebranding pods/groups as "Matches" in September 2023).
What is AnySchoolers' specific philosophy of homeschooling?
AnySchoolers doesn't ascribe to any specific model of homeschooling. We welcome any homeschoolers. The only important thing to know about AnySchooler's approach is that it is secular, inclusive of all humans from all walks of life. Decisions about class offerings and social programming are driven by peer-reviewed research and evidence-based practice.
I’m a neurodivergent parent. Or I have a neurodivergent child. What is here for me?
So much! Many homeschooling families are motivated to pursue their schooling freedom specifically because of their children’s neurological and sensory needs. Classroom environments are often not conducive to human needs. Our organization has support groups and clubs/pods for the neurodivergent community (and we also believe that all humans are diverse) within our offerings for Supporters. We offer occasional mental health and occupational therapy workshops for teens/parents/children. We also vet partner organizations that host classes or educational opportunities are informed about neurodiversity and are inclusive.
How are events decided?
Volunteers, volunteers, volunteers! We train volunteers to plan events, add them to the calendar, and execute the event as a “point person” on the day of. Within the Discord Volunteer Server, we chat with each other about what cross sections of our public community need serving. We talk about targeting developmental ages/stages, narrower geographic areas of a city, and even whether we are in need of more child-led or adult-directed activities on our calendar. We have a “brainstorming bullpen” of ideas where volunteers share thoughts before they take off. Anyone is welcome to join our AnySchoolers volunteer team and plan events!
I’m a business owner (sole proprietor, small business, large corporation). How do I offer my services to this community?
First of all - thank you! We want your partnership! Our Fundraising Team has designed several packages for businesses to engage in sponsorship, donate supplies or materials, and provide services to homeschoolers. If your business is one that can provide educationally to our community, we have a liaison who will organize classes, immersions, labs, field trips and such to expose children and teens to your expertise! If you want to donate your teaching, we love it. If you need to make an income through teaching, we have a plan for that too - all you need to do is contact us, and we’ll get the ball rolling.
How are events decided?
Volunteers, volunteers, volunteers! We train volunteers to plan events, add them to the calendar, and execute the event as a “point person” on the day of. Within the Discord Volunteer Server, we chat with each other about what cross sections of our public community need serving. We talk about targeting developmental ages/stages, narrower geographic areas of a city, and even whether we are in need of more child-led or adult-directed activities on our calendar. We have a “brainstorming bullpen” of ideas where volunteers share thoughts before they take off. Anyone is welcome to join our AnySchoolers volunteer team and plan events!
Is there a drop off program?
No.
AnySchoolers does not have, in any of its branches, a program that is run by AnySchoolers volunteers that you can drop off and leave your child. We do partner with businesses, venues, or other organizations that allow drop-off attendance though!
Do I have to volunteer?
Nope.
We do not require volunteering of the adult members of homeschool families in order to have participation. Volunteering comes from the heart. Our volunteers are enthusiastic about serving. Our volunteers also do not get any perks or benefits - they're usually participants just like you! Our team meetings are full of food, snarks, laughter, kids running around together, and of course, coffee. We have a Discord server where volunteers have tons of open chats for planning, brainstorming, feedback, sharing their lives - you're invited to join in the chats or just watch to get a feel for what's going on behind the scenes.
Religion?
From our Code of Ethics:
People of all walks of life and belief systems are welcome in AnySchoolers. Our organization does not allow any teaching how-to’s, recruitment, evangelizing, or otherwise sharing of belief systems. This includes, but is not limited to major world religions, astrology, agnosticism, atheism, pantheism, polytheism, mysticism, mythology, unitarianism, antireligion, and any other assertions about faith or spirituality that encourage a following or unfollowing. We do make space for learning about belief systems and practices around the world and in our backyards, but we do not invite or teach religious practice at all. If a discussion of spirituality is to occur between two participant adults, this conversation must be by consent of both parties (For example, “Would you like to discuss this from a spiritual perspective with me?”), so that a gentle “no” is invited and welcomed. At no time shall an adult from a different family teach/discuss religious practice with a minor from another family.
How do I change my RSVP for an event that I can no longer attend?
We have two types of event registrations: ticketed events and RSVPs. You should be able to change your RSVP from your AnySchoolers web account on a browser or within the Spaces app. You cannot currently change a ticketed event registration without contacting the volunteer staff through the website chat feature, the event discussion board, or anyschoolers@gmail.com.
Do I have to be a financial donor/Supporter to volunteer?
No. Some give their time without making a financial donation for social engagement, but we recommend our Supporter program to absolutely everyone in the homeschooling community!
I want to teach! Do I have to be a homeschooler?
Not at all. We want our homeschoolers to learn from anyone in the world. If you have a class idea, we have a submission form. You can either donate your teaching time/materials, or you can donate a portion of time and make an income from teaching. AnySchoolers will manage class registrations and advertising. Your class will appear on our open-access educational calendar.
We also have online course writing technology, a blog and podcast, and other places for content creation where we can use you!
Are teachers compensated?
You can be compensated if you'd like to earn money for your time. You can also gift your time and energy teaching as a donation to our work as a nonprofit. Our organization is volunteer-run, so all manpower is a gift in our world, but we also believe that expertise should be honored and are particularly fond of helping homeschooling parents make income. If you need to make an income, we have a contract for each teaching event and we'll get it for you; if you want to give the gift of education to AnySchoolers families, we are grateful for the generosity.
What's the difference between a live online class and a self-paced course?
A live online class is an event with date/time and a real person on the other end of a video platform like Zoom, FaceTime, or Discord. A self-paced course is a set of videos, assignments, steps, instruction and quizzes set up in advance for learners to navigate at their own pace (families, parents, children, teens). AnySchoolers has both!
Who's in charge here?
AnySchoolers was founded by two homeschooling moms. It runs collaboratively with other homeschooling parents. One of the founders is the acting volunteer Executive Director of AnySchoolers, supported by other volunteer directors and specialists. Governance will be provided by a Board of Directors when the organization reaches its initial fundraising goals. Volunteers work together to reach consensus on teams (fundraising, education, developmental ages, marketing/communication, etc). General vision, mission and value decisions come to the founders for a check-in, but most of the time, volunteers who have been working in the organization and are familiar with the mission and culture will make decision that are in line with the long-term grassroots goals, and we operate with trust that everyone is here to help!
Do I have to volunteer?
Nope.
We do not require volunteering of the adult members of homeschool families in order to have participation. Volunteering comes from the heart. Our volunteers are enthusiastic about serving. Our volunteers also do not get any perks or benefits - they're usually participants just like you! Our team meetings are full of food, snarks, laughter, kids running around together, and of course, coffee. We have a Discord server where volunteers have tons of open chats for planning, brainstorming, feedback, sharing their lives - you're invited to join in the chats or just watch to get a feel for what's going on behind the scenes.
Who do I contact about XYZ thing?
The best place to look for the volunteer that’s in charge of something specific is our Teams page on the website. If you have a question about a calendar event or class, it’s also a good idea to check and see if there's a point person listed on the event description. Another easy way to find the right person is to use the website chat feature: message the website with your need, and a volunteer will see it and make sure the correct person responds or gets the message!
I don't see something for my kid. What should I do next?
Ever build a garden from a brushy area of land? We have to clear the brush and weeds, cultivate the soil, plant seeds, then wait for them to germinate. We nurture it with water and sun and warmth. If you don't see something in our garden that your child needs for nourishment, tell us what you wish for, and we will start to grow it! Even better... you and your child might even help us figure out how!
If AnySchoolers continues to grow, will it be as warm and friendly as it might be now? Won't people get lost in the crowd?
We are setting up a relational connectivity with our Matches system (formerly pods/groups), so that each connection you make is with a small enough group of families within the organization's local branches that you will feel enjoyed, appreciated and safe. Emotional, relational and physical safety are part of our mission statement, and making sure that our branches function with warmth and kindness will always be central to our decisions.
How do I submit a concern?
We have an Incident Report Form here.
If you have questions about behavioral expectations, check our Code of Conduct, which also has a Relational Restorativ Conversation guide.
In the Discord Supporter Server and the Discord Volunteer Server, there are Help Tickets available for incidents, conflict mediation, and technical support.
Do you give scholarships and financial aid?
We do! We give them away like candy!
We give scholarships for annual donations (subscription to the website) to have access to social activities. We also provide financial aid for specific events.
There are two requirements for our scholarships: (1) you have attended at least 3 recent free or paid AnySchoolers events, such as Weekly Starters, and (2) we have the funds available.
To ask for a scholarship, fill out this form.