Bridges Overview

How Bridges Works:

Bridges Homeschool Co-op is a secular homeschool group which offers activities and classes taught by parents for children 0-18. Weekly classes are held Mondays between 9-noon during September-December and February-May. Parties, field trips, mom’s nights, and other activities are offered each semester, and families may choose to attend “activities-only” if classes don’t fit into their homeschooling schedule.


  • Weekly Classes: Each child will get to take about 4 classes each Monday. Subjects depend on what parents suggest and are willing to teach, but the board considers student preferences to make an appealing and well-balanced mix each semester. Past terms have seen classes like Lego Robotics, Poetry, Around the World Geography, Fun with Math, Tiny Art, etc. Classes are split by age groups, and class sizes are typically around 6-8 students. Our activities are included when you join weekly classes.
  • Activities-only: This option is available to those who cannot attend weekly classes.

    Each semester, our activities include things like class parties, field trips, child activities, a mom's night out, and an end-of-year showcase. Park days during the summer are free and open to the public.


Cost:

There is a modest fee for joining the co-op, simply to keep it running! We pay for rent, insurance, and activities. The rest is done through volunteering and cooperation.


  • Activities-only is $25 per semester per family with occasional small fees for field trips. Summer park days are free.
  • Weekly class tuition depends on our enrollment numbers. # of students / rent + insurance is the formula, so the more students we have, the cheaper the cost! Costs have typically fallen within the range of $40-80 per student per semester for ages 3 and up. Children under 3 are $10 per child per semester. Activities are included with weekly class costs. Some classes will have a small one-time fee to cover supplies (if a parent needs to buy specific supplies for a class, for example), but these additional class fees are usually under $15 per student. 

Bridges enrollment fees are currently reimbursable through OpenEd.


Parent Involvement:

  • Weekly Classes: Families are required to attend co-op classes each week during the semester, unless due to illness, emergency, or pre-planned family events. As this is not a drop-off program, students must be accompanied by their parent to classes each week. Each parent is responsible for teaching one class each week (or more if desired). Parents submit a few class ideas they are willing to teach before the new semester starts, and the board of directors picks from the pool of class ideas. Parents teach about their chosen topic each week for 30-45 minutes, depending on age group and final scheduling. There are typically 12 class days each semester within a 14-week period (September-December or February-May).
  • Activities: All activities are optional. However, families are responsible to help host or plan one activity each semester, whether you join for weekly classes or activities-only.