Gabe Stark
Reporter

What began as a few homeschooling families getting together has grown into a group serving about 70 school-age children, with hands-on activities and friendships that extend beyond the educational lessons.

Danielle Houston, who helped start the Tri-County Homeschool Group six years ago, said the group began with three or four families looking for opportunities for their children to develop friendships and learn together.

“It seems each year we keep growing more and more,” Houston said.

The group draws families from communities including Chillicothe, Carrollton, Princeton and Bethany, as well as communities in between. Houston said several new families have joined this year, making the group slightly larger than last year, although she had not yet completed an exact count after its first meeting. Younger siblings also attend.

Classes meet twice a month from September through May. The group also offers a sewing circle, a physical education club and optional field trips throughout the year, with a year-end party in June.

Houston said the gatherings have evolved from a small playgroup into opportunities for hands-on learning. Among the children’s favorite activities are STEM stations, where students rotate through different science, technology, engineering and mathematics activities.

The meetings supplement what families teach at home. Each family remains responsible for its own curriculum, while the group provides additional learning opportunities and time to socialize.

“We still look at them as just getting together, socializing and then also being able to learn something in the process,” Houston said.

Houston has helped lead the group since its beginning, handling much of the planning and organizing. A teaching committee made up of several other mothers also helps decide which classes to offer.

Building relationships remains a central purpose, both for the children and their parents.

“We do see a bond that is formed, not only through the kids, but also through the adults, and it’s pretty awesome,” Houston said.

Those connections often lead to outings outside the regular schedule. Through a private messaging group, families can invite others to join them at a park or take part in another activity.

Houston said she recently invited families to join her household on a trip to an apple orchard in St. Joseph, where she planned to purchase apples for homemade applesauce. Several families responded with plans to meet them there. Although the orchard visit had been replaced on the group’s field trip schedule, it remained an outing families could enjoy together.

For Houston, homeschooling began with a practical challenge before the COVID-19 pandemic. She was operating an in-home daycare, had one child in public school and another preparing to enter preschool. Her daycare responsibilities made preschool drop-offs and pickups difficult.

The family decided to try homeschooling. The following year, Houston withdrew her older daughter from public school and began teaching both daughters at home. She eventually stopped operating the daycare and now homeschools three children. Her fourth child is 2.

Houston said families choose homeschooling for a variety of reasons. For her, one benefit is the ability to adjust lessons to each child’s needs.

A student might be ready for more advanced math while needing additional time with reading, she said. Homeschooling also allows families to adjust their schedules when a child needs a break, returning to lessons later in the day.

“The homeschooling aspect itself gives such a freedom for each family to be able to tailor the learning that their child needs at that moment in time,” Houston said.

Group meetings typically begin after lunch and last three to four hours. A participation fee helps cover supplies and snacks, with remaining funds going toward field trips.

Enrollment remains open throughout the year, and families interested in learning more can visit to see whether the group is a good fit. Houston said they can contact her through the Tri-County Homeschool Group on Facebook by searching “Tri-County Homeschool Group” or clicking the link in the online version of this story at TrentonTelegraph.com.

As the group continues to grow, Houston said one long-term hope is to have a building of its own. The group has changed meeting locations several times after outgrowing previous spaces. A permanent home would provide room for students, supplies and displays of their artwork.

For now, she plans to continue the activities and connections that have helped the group grow.