[Homeschool laws vary by state. Many comments about homeschooling below are general in nature, and may not apply to a specific situation.]
Begun primarily by religious conservatives almost 30 years ago, today you can find homeschoolers of every religious and secular stripe.
Some homeschoolers fall under the Lone Scout or Lone Cub Scout programs.
Many units have homeschooled Scouts, and occasionally you will find a homeschooled unit. Overall, my experience has been that few councils have actively pursued this group of kids and have almost no understanding of homeschool families and homeschooling.
Big mistake. These kids are involved and often exhibit the qualities we would like to see demonstrated in our units--polite, interested, parental involvement. They often use the Scout awards as supplements to their homeschooling efforts.
So what is homeschooling?
Homeschooling is not "school at home". Of course education happens, but very few families try to repeat the school model at home: desks, fixed hours, busy work, grades and grade levels. Sure, many do at first, but they quickly realize that there is more to homeschooling than that.
If you "get" fractions, you move on and don't dwell on the endless repetition. Need help with algebra? Take as long as you need until you finally grasp the subject matter.
Homeschooling is life experience. These kids are active in sports, their churches, youth groups, hobbies, field trips and community service.
At our church for instance, 80% of the altar servers are homeschooled.
Many homeschooled kids follow their own interests outside of the basic academics for part of their days.
What does Scouting offer to homeschoolers?
People homeschool for a variety of reasons: special needs kids, learning disabilities, academic opportunities, religious values, aversion to school "social" programs and peer pressure, support of the family structure, travel and more.
Scouting offers the chance for homeschooled kids to be a part of the larger community and to explore more opportunities. It can offer a variety of leadership opportunities and value formation.
So, Scouting offers homeschoolers the same things it offers everyone else!
Coming soon: Part 2--Why Homeschoolers Won't Join Scouting...
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