Local & State Groups
Support groups offer a way for those interested in homeschooling or new to home education to get information and support. They also offer opportunities for social activities, group learning, and networking. Find a support group near you in Iowa.
Resources
Not Back to School Camp

Not Back to School Camp is a non-denominational, non-religious homeschool camp. The camp offers workshops, spontaneous events, and special evening gatherings, bringing together campers who are excited about life and willing to be themselves and to reach out and connect with the others. 

Local & State Support Groups
LEARN Home Education Network
An all-inclusive, secular, home education support network based in the metro Kansas City area, L.E.A.R.N., was born in 1994 when a handful of families gathered to share friendship, activities and homeschooling resources. Currently L.E.A.R.N. supports 200 families with a wide variety of ideologies regarding home education. These families reside in Kansas, Missouri and Iowa, and belong to L.E.A.R.N. as part of their home education support network.
Iowa Licensed Teachers Serving Home Educators and Homeschooling Parents Utilizing Iowa Licensed Teacher Services
NICHE has a variety of resources to assist Iowa licensed teachers serving as supervisors or portfolio evaluators and to assist Iowa families seeking the services of an Iowa licensed teacher. Supervision of an Iowa licensed teacher and portfolio evaluation by an Iowa licensed teacher are two of the methods that the Iowa law offers to homeschooling parents to ensure that home educated children are making educational progress.
Home Educators Network (HEN) - Nebraska Homeschool
The Home Educators Network is a Christian directed service organization designed to provide practical help, support and encouragement for homeschoolers throughout Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa. HEN provides a bi-monthly new homeschooler orientation meeting, a summer conference, a used curriculum sale and an email tree, as well as a monthly newsletter complete with timely articles and information about groups, activities and opportunities of interest to area homeschool families.
Iowa Homeschool Support Groups
This referral service will connect you with local support groups near you. NICHE maintains a list of over 120 support group contacts throughout Iowa. This service is for individuals who are either currently homeschooling or about to start homeschooling.
Homeschool Iowa Foundation
The Homeschool Iowa Foundation was created in December 2012 as a supporting organization of the Network of Iowa Christian Home Educators (NICHE). Their mission is to build a legacy of funding and leadership for the advancement of Christian homeschooling and discipleship in Iowa.
Network of Iowa Christian Home Educators
The Network of Iowa Christian Home Educators (NICHE) is a Christian organization promoting home education in the state of Iowa. Their mission is to provide Christ-centered events, communication, and resources to better equip, inform, and encourage Iowa home educators to the glory of God.
Local & State Online Groups
Home-Schooling the Only Child
Homeschooling an only child can be quite challenging at times. This group is open to anyone for support, enrouragement and ideas for those who choose the home-schooling road for you and your child. Although they are based in NC, anyone can join for support. They have a database that you can access to see who is in your state to get together with.
Iowa Inclusive Homeschoolers
This is a friendly, casual email loop for all who homeschool, or are interested in homeschooling, in the state of Iowa.
Iowa Single Homeschool
This is for single homeschooling parents in Iowa.
Iowans Dedicated to Educational Alternatives (IDEA)
"IDEA" is a non-profit, non-sectarian organization dedicated to providing information, support and encouragement to pursue life-long learning outside the school environment. This group recognizes that Learning is an internal process that thrives when people are free to explore life on their own terms, this philosophy is often called unschooling. Realizing that families come for support from various backgrounds and levels of homeschooloing, IDEA has no official political or religious orientation and does not endorse any one resource.
Unschooling in the Midwest
This group is for unschoolers in the midwest to offer support to other life learning families and to organize activities.
Iowa City Homeschoolers
Support and information to get started and connect with other Iowa City area homeschoolers.
homeschool-Iowa
YahooGroup email list for homeschoolers in Iowa.
Homeschool Iowa Kids
Penpal and discussion group for homeschooled kids in Iowa.
Homes With Heart And CM
Central Iowa Homeschooling families encouraging one another and supporting each other through monthly meetings, and who use Charlotte Mason methods in their homeschooling.
CMDallasTX
This group is for Christian folks in and around the Dallas, Texas, area who seek to follow the Charlotte Mason method of home education.
Iowahomeschool
This is a mailing list for people who home school or are thinking of homeschooling in Iowa, kids and parents alike. Here you can exchange ideas, support each other, and share resources and information.
National Forums
Encouragement Forum at vegsource.com
If you are feeling burned out or need encouragement, this forum is for you. Share your struggles and get help, ideas, and support from those who have walked in your shoes.
Single Christian Homeschool Parent Message Board
Single Christian Homeschool Parent Message Board offers discussion with other parents, widowed, divorced, or legally separated, who are homeschooling solo.
Secular Homeschooling Forum at vegsource.com
A message board at vegsource.com for those who homeschool for non-religious reasons.
Adoptive Homeschooling Parents Forum at vegsource.com
This forum at vegsource.com focuses on parents with adopted children who choose to home educate.
Charlotte Mason Forum at vegsource.com
Discuss Charlotte Mason's ideas and find new way to implement those ideas at the forum sponsored by vegsource.com.
Military Homeschoolers Forum at vegsource.com
Connect with other military homeschooling families at this vegsource.com message board.
Unschooling.Info Forum
This message board is designed for unschooling parents to connect, ask questions, share information and ideas, and get support.
Unschooling Forum at vegsource.com
Unschoolers meet to talk and share ideas at this vegsource.com message board.
Community Homeschooling Forum at vegsource.com
This is a general message forum at vegsource.com designed to discuss all general homeschooling topics.
Single Parent Homeschoolers Forum at vegsource.com
This is a message forum at vegsource.com especially for single parents who are home educating their children.
National Online Groups
Charlotte Mason Cottage
You are invited to spend a year in the home of a homeschooling mother who uses the Charlotte Mason method of education, combining this "gentle art of learning" with Montessori centers, living literature studies, and observation of the Roman Catholic liturgical year within the framework of real life learning. This list will serves only as a journal in the life of a family who uses the CM method. It is not a discussion medium.
Homeschooling Catholic Montessori
Here is a place for home schoolers, using Montessori Method in their home education, to share and learn.
Single Parents and Homeschooling
A single mom started this email group to provide a means of sharing the unique problems and solutions a single, working parent faces in their homeschooling pursuits.
HEM-Networking
This list is sponsored by Home Education Magazine (HEM) for networking and communication within the online homeschooling community.
Homeschool Helper
Homeschool Helper is an email group that focuses on specific curriculum questions, needs, and concerns.
Large Family Moms
This list is for moms only that are part of a large family consisting of four or more children. Large families are wonderful, exciting, and very challenging. Here you will find time and money saving tips, advice and support.
Homeschooling Boys
Boys... whether you have one, two, three or more---this is the spot to discuss their special needs. This is a group of mostly homeschool Moms who are devoted to their sons and are on a constant search for resources and wisdom for raising young men with character, integrity, preparing them for life.
Blind Alternative Parenting
This group is primarily for blind parents who are interested in alternative parenting styles and issues. This includes atachment parenting, family bed, baby-wearing, gentle disipline, loving guidance, breastfeeding, healthy eating and living, health prevention, nonviolence, nonspanking, unschooling or homeschooling, spirituality, and more.
Unschooling Discussion
Large traffic email list whose stated purpose is to move out of comfort zones and critically examine beliefs, ideas, and viewpoints about learning, and seek a deeper understanding of unschooling and more respectful relationships with one's children.
Christian Solo - Parent Homeschools
A place for Christian single-parent homeschoolers to find encouragement and support.
HomeSchooling Singletons
Homeschooling families with singletons have issues that are very unique. Join in to offer support and encouragement to other single child homeschooling families.
K12 Large Families
This group is for large families using the K-12 curriculum created by Dr. William Bennett. Both homeschooling families and Virtual School families are welcome. It is particularly intended for families with more than 3 children in K-12 as well as additional teens, toddlers and babies. Discussions include both the curriculum and the challenges of implementing it in a large family.
Classically Eclectic
This loop was created for homeschoolers interested in presenting school materials, real books, and/or purchased curriculum in a manner consistent with Classical Education philosophy. Specifically, Classical Education refers to educational models (such as the Trivium) described by Laura Berquist, the Bluedorns, Dorothy Sayers, Doug Wilson, Jessie Wise, Susan Wise Bauer, and others, in which material is presented to children according to their stage of development (i.e., Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric stages). The purpose of this loop is practical in nature: to share resource suggestions, reviews, schedules, ideas, and encouragement, in order to help one another provide Classical Education within the homeschool environment.
Families of Color Utilizing Home Schooling (FOCUHS)
This list is for Christian families of color who've opted to home educate their children. They exist to offer support, fellowship and to share resources with other African American and bi-racial Christian homeschooling families.
Eclectic Home Educators
This is an online support group for families who are pursuing an eclectic style of homeschooling. Although many members of the group are religious-minded, the list itself is secular.
Single Parent Homeschoolers
This is a list for single parents homeschooling their children. The purpose of this list is to support single parents.
HS1Mom
This is a list for single moms who homeschool their children. This is open to all single moms, no matter what type of curriculum they choose to use. It is predominantly a Christian list -- though others are welcome, also.
Chevra
Chevra was formed in September 1998 as an online support community for Jewish homeschoolers of all varieties. It tends to be a very chatty place where they discuss Jewish observance, homeschooling, family life, outside interests, and (the favorite topic) why the laundry never seems to get done. If you are looking for a group that discusses only homeschooling and Judaic resources, you may very well be disappointed in Chevra's free-wheeling discussions of everything under the sun, but there is lots of great information here.
Unschoolers Coffee Talk
A place for unschoolers to come together to discuss our adventures and experiences,share resources and information.
Catholic Charlotte Mason
Online support group for Catholics interested in the Charlotte Mason method.
Unschooling Families
This list is a friendly place for all to chat about anything you wish to explore. Parenting issues, schooling issues, political issues . . . as unschoolers, we know that nothing is off topic.
Classical Ed Books
This is a free email loop for those educating their children with classical materials. Anyone may post want to buy (WTB) or for sale (FS) ads on this list.
Literature Alive
Literature Alive! is an email group list for the literary website of the same name. This list seeks to encourage and support parents who have a love for literature and a desire to share good wholesome books with their children. Its purpose is to develop the art and excitment of using great living literature in a learning lifestyle. This group will share information on how to turn a living book into a cherished book within the home. Different literature study methods enhanced by Charlotte Mason's writing will be discussed: lapbooks, notebooks, journals, book clubs, reading settings, etc.
Christian Unschooling
Christians can and do unschool. Here you'll find support and more.
Pregnant Again
This is a list for all who are pregnant for the third or more time and are having a large family by choice. Discussions include the difficulties of having several at home when dealing with sickness and fatigue, homeschooling, and more. This is a supportive list where people believe that large families are wonderful.
Christian Classical Charlotte Mason
This is a loop for Christians who are combining classical education methods with Charlotte Mason ideas in their homeschools.
Blind Homeschoolers
This email group is for families who are homeschooling/parenting a blind child. Teachers of the Visually Impaired who would like to share tips and suggestions are also welcome.
Charlotte Mason Group for Fruity Catholics
Fruity Catholics are Catholics who are doing their best to practice the Fruits of the Holy Spirit, especially Charity. This group discusses the Charlotte Mason philosophy of homeschooling from a Catholic perspective.
Mater Amabilis Teacher Training Forum
Mater Amabilis is a free online homeschool curriculum, which takes the methods of Charlotte Mason and applies them for the 21st century Catholic family. Offering a detailed and flexible syllabus for each age level, Mater Amabilis can be used as a complete curriculum or simply as a springboard for learning. This online teacher training forum provides support in implementing the methods of Charlotte Mason and tips for adapting these methods to today's family.
Always Learning
Discussion for homeschooling fans of John Holt, whose books Learning All the Time, Never Too Late, and Teach your Own have made unschooling an option for thousands of families.
TheHomeSchoolMom In The Kitchen
TheHomeSchoolMom In The Kitchen is an e-mail group designed to provide economical, balanced meal ideas that are quick and easy for busy moms. Provides dinner tips, recipes, and resources that help take "piranha hour" and turn it into calmer and more peaceful time.
Large Families Home School
This list is to encourage and support those who homeschool many children. How many? To some 3 is a lot! If you have a large family (whether natural, adopted, foster or blended) and homeschool, you know that there are a lot of unique challenges ranging from orchestrating family harmony, dealing with multiple ages, trying to homeschool in a sometimes chaotic environment, keeping up with the never-ending laundry, transportation, cooking, chores, and more. This is a Christian list.
Tons of Kids
This mailing list is set up for parents of large families. Large for this list is defined as having five or more kids. They welcome everybody who has at least that many of any religion, or even no religion.
Unschooling Basics
A list designed for those new to the philosophy of unschooling. Ask experienced unschoolers all those niggling questions, and find out how unschooling works in real families. If you're familiar with John Holt's work, but unsure of how to begin or what an unschooling day really looks like, this is a place for you to discuss, question, ponder, and become deeply familiar with natural learning and how it affects our entire lives. From parenting issues to learning from the whole wide world and beyond, come explore the issues that unschooling families have dealt with in the past and how to get beyond "school-think" to a joyful unschooling lifestyle.!
EclecticHS
This email list is an adjunct of the Eclectic Homeschool Online. Discusses information and resources helpful to eclectic homeschoolers.
Catholic Homemaking and Homeschooling
This discussion group/email list is focused on the rich Catholic heritage and how to incorporate the Liturgical year into your daily life as a homeschooling family.
CM4earlyyears
Email list designed to discuss the Charlotte Mason method of homeschooling for children, ages birth through 6 years. While this list is not primarily religious in nature, there are often discussions of Christian topics.
Expatriots Homeschool Email Group (expat-homeschool)
This list is for expatriates who homeschool their child or children.
BVI-Education
The BVI-Education mailing list is a list for the discussion of all aspects related to the education of blind, partially sighted and deaf-blind students, as well as visually impaired students with multiple disabilities.
Homeschooling Your One And Only
This group is for parents who are currently (or are considering) homeschooling their only child.
Featured Resources

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A Different Kind of Teacher: Solving the Crisis of American Schooling
In 1991, shortly after receiving both the New York State and New York City Teacher of the Year Awards, John Gatto resigned to begin a new career as an education reform advocate. In this collection of 16 essays, Gatto analyzes the problems of American education and suggests solutions for revitalizing the system — prescriptions that run counter to current trends.
Ideas and Books: The Method of Education
A selection of Charlotte Mason's writings on the topic of the place of ideas and books in the education of children. Mason's teachings on the topic of education required six large volumes to cover. This book makes it simple for homeschooling parents to find exactly what they need to learn about Charlotte Mason's thoughts on ideas and books. The teachings and philosophies of Charlotte Mason, a British educator from the last century, are currently experiencing a revival, especially among American ...
Dr. Montessori's Own Handbook
A short, illustrated guide to the use of Montessori classroom materials. Describes how to set up a "children's house" - an environment for learning where children can be their own masters.
Diana Waring--History Alive!
Diana Waring--History Alive! produces books, tapes, videos, and history curriculum for the homeschool market.
Catholic Homeschool Companion
Here’s your one-stop resource for information, insight, and inspiration about every aspect of educating your children at home — written by those who understand it best: homeschooling parents themselves! Would you like to teach science or phonics better? Introduce your child to Latin, piano, or great works of art? Try new classroom approaches that other parents find effective? In these pages, you’ll find helpful essays from more than forty veteran homeschooling parents to help you do all this and...