[email protected]

I've been wanting to start a local club for homeschooled kids where the focus
is not on getting badges, beads, or emblems. Something like Earth Scouts or
Campfire USA or 4-H....but a more laid back, less structured version. Perhaps
the field trips or learning experiences and leaving the other out. Does
anyone know of a national club that would be unschool friendly? Or am I wrong in
feeling like the other would be a hinderance to unschooling? I just have the
idea in my mind that I want them to be doing whatever to have FUN, not in order
to 'earn' rewards/badges....something that was not so 'goal oriented', ya
know?? What are you and your kids involved in? After searching around on the
internet tonight I'm beginning to think we should just start our own little
Discovery Club and wing it!

Warmly,
D


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[email protected]

In a message dated 8/10/2004 10:57:44 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
we3deeves@... writes:

I've been wanting to start a local club for homeschooled kids where the
focus
is not on getting badges, beads, or emblems. Something like Earth Scouts or
Campfire USA or 4-H....but a more laid back, less structured version. >snip<
What are you and your kids involved in? After searching around on the
internet tonight I'm beginning to think we should just start our own little
Discovery Club and wing it!<<<<

Tuck'll be by shortly. She's a big "Campfire-er" --Campfire-starter? <g>

~Kelly







[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

heather mclean

Hi. I've done/am doing this! We thought we'd do
Campfire. The regional director is here in Tucson AND
she was a homeschooler. BUT we had to agree to sell
candy bars and another fundraiser. We weren't allowed
to choose to do something different to get out of the
candy bar sales, OR to just donate the money
ourselves.

So I did some searching - I think I actually found out
about this on a homeschool/unschool list, but I don't
remember which one - and we ended up starting a Roots
& Shoots club. This is a Jane Goodall organization
for kids. Focus is one caring for the earth, caring
for people, and caring for animals. They offer
"lesson plans" for younger kids. I guess a lot of
their clubs are in schools. But the California office
interviewed me & put a little blurb on their "new,
improved" website last year.

It is VERY flexible and NO badges/beads stuff which is
exactly what I wanted PLUS we are linked to an
international organization which is pretty cool (for
me anyway LOL).

I'd be happy to share some of the cool stuff we've
done , if you are interested. You can check out their
website at http://www.rootsandshoots.org/

Our homeschool blurb is under "Communities" and
"homeschool". (Sonoran Desert Homeschoolers Roots &
Shoots club)


sincerely,
heather m
tucson

--------------------------------------
I've been wanting to start a local club for
homeschooled kids where the focus
is not on getting badges, beads, or emblems. Something
like Earth Scouts or
Campfire USA or 4-H....but a more laid back, less
structured version. Perhaps
the field trips or learning experiences and leaving
the other out. Does
anyone know of a national club that would be unschool
friendly? Or am I wrong in
feeling like the other would be a hinderance to
unschooling? I just have the
idea in my mind that I want them to be doing whatever
to have FUN, not in order
to 'earn' rewards/badges....something that was not so
'goal oriented', ya
know?? What are you and your kids involved in? After
searching around on the
internet tonight I'm beginning to think we should just
start our own little
Discovery Club and wing it!

[email protected]

In a message dated 8/10/2004 9:57:45 PM Central Standard Time,
we3deeves@... writes:

I've been wanting to start a local club for homeschooled kids where the
focus
is not on getting badges, beads, or emblems. Something like Earth Scouts or
Campfire USA or 4-H....but a more laid back, less structured version.
Perhaps
the field trips or learning experiences and leaving the other out. Does
anyone know of a national club that would be unschool friendly? Or am I
wrong in
feeling like the other would be a hinderance to unschooling?


~~~

You can use any of the materials of those organizations in an unschooling
friendly manner. What I had the hardest time with in my Camp Fire club was
having to include schooled kids. I just had to deal with them differently than
I did unschooled kids. I couldn't reach them unless I spoke in language they
understood (school speak).

Camp Fire doesn't require that you do anything the way it is written, unless
you're going to compete in national things. We were very free form in our
club. And I never considered the beads and emblems as "earned", really. I
stressed that they were momentos of an experience they had, something to remind
them of a good time.

If you could get a whole club full of unschoolers, I can imagine that would
be one awesome club.

Karen


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