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Online Resources
Support Websites
Whether you are just starting out homeschooling,
or are a veteran, these sites provide some terrific online resources.
They also provide information on local support groups from across
the country.
Illinois Support Groups
Support group information updated 7/24/05.
Check each group website/contact information for any changes to fees
or membership requirements.
- APACHE -
Association of Peoria Area Christian Home Educators - APACHE
is a not-for-profit corporation governed by a board of directors.
We are not a membership organization, but instead offer a monthly
newsletter to subscribers. We have a group of dedicated volunteers
who plan, organize, and oversee various activities that fulfill
our mission statement and accomplish our vision. Activities
include: a monthly newsletter, annual convention and curriculum
fair, library, choir, a track and field day, history fair,
science fair, talent night, and smaller local support groups
and parents' meetings. Newsletter subscription is $20 for email
version and $25 for print.
- CHESS of Illinois; 129 Webb St, Calumet
City, IL 60409-4821
Phone: (708) 802-1996
- Christian
Home Educators Coalition (CHEC) - CHEC was organized
in 1986 as a volunteer organization to monitor legislation
in the Illinois General Assembly which would be detrimental
to homeschooling liberties in Illinois. Every spring, CHEC
organizes a homeschool legislative day in Springfield. CHEC
offers a bimonthly newsletter, CHEC Connection,
for an annual fee of $25. Visit website for more details.
- Homeschool Resource Center -
The Homeschool Resource Center exists to provide information, advice,
encouragement, fellowship, and resources to Christian homeschooling
families. The Center also conducts monthly meetings that include discussions
on various subjects pertaining to the heart of homeschooling and home
discipleship. We offer homeschooling families in the area two co-ops, e-mail information loop, large resource library, discounts to ICHE and HSLDA, beginning homeschool packets, etc. The group meets at 6645 W. Steger Road,
Monee, IL 60449; call 708-235-1901 or email [email protected].
- Illinois
Christian Home Educators(ICHE) - Offers many activities
for homeschoolers, including conventions. ICHE offers The
Alliant, a magazine for home educators. ICHE also offers
an email list.
- Illinois
H.O.U.S.E. - H.O.U.S.E. is a network of homeschool support
groups whose purpose is to support families in exercising
their right to homeschool regardless of age, color, creed,
ethnic background, family composition, financial condition,
gender, learning disabilities, race, religion or lack thereof,
sexual preference, or special educational needs. Various
Illinois support groups are part of HOUSE. Each HOUSE support
group submits a $2 fee, per family, to the main HOUSE organization.Individual
H.O.U.S.E. support groups charge their own fees for membership.
- Northside
Unschoolers of Chicago - The Northside Unschoolers Group
(NUG) is an open support group for homeschooling families in
and around Chicago.
- Will
County Unschoolers - Meets every Wednesday, alternating
between Jolie and Aurora/Naperville areas. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/will_unschoolers/ -
Visit group site for further information. Membership requires
approval by existing members; you will be required to send
a letter of introduction and attend a meeting before being
accepted into the group.
Email Lists
- Yahoo Groups: offers
a wide variety of email lists for homeschoolers. Visit groups.yahoo.com for
more information. Type in homeschooling in the search box.
- Illinois Specific Email Lists:
- ILHS
Announce - This list is for all Illinois homeschoolers,
or those who are interested in homeschooling in Illinois.
Participants are requested to introduce themselves. This
is to be an inclusive list, so while you may certainly
identify your religious interests and how it affects
the home education, we will not encourage comparative
religion discussions.
This list is intended for announcements of area activities, field trips,
speakers, group meetings, and legal information. Legislation information,
whether local, State, or Federal, is requested although this list is
not a source of legal advice. However, discussion of alerts from various
sources is always encouraged.
- ILL-Homeschool-
Open, secular list for home-educating Illinois parents,
who discuss information and interpretations of homeschool
legal and legislative issues, and how to contact district
officials when problems arise. We will use our file space
to collect links to pertinent legal information.This list
is NOT commercial, and initial introductory messages will
be approved by a moderator in an attempt to reduce the
likelihood of spam.Although there is likely to be vehement
discussion, moderators will not allow name-calling, insults,
threats, and other uncivil forms of behavior.
- Moms
Home Room Email List- Pull up a keyboard mouse,
grab some coffee and chocolate and come chat with some
moms....share your homeschooling adventures, get some
homeschooling advice, in a safe, friendly place. This
list is for informational purposes and sharing of ideas
among area homeschooling moms. This list has members
from all over the Chicago area and from many different
religious backgrounds. Members also have different
homeschooling philosophies. The common ground is homeschooling.
- Off
The Beaten Path - an inclusive support network of
unschooling families based in Lake County, Illinois. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OffTheBeatenPath/ (site
link added to this page 7/22/05)
- Northern
Illinois Homeschool News - offers a free email newsletter
to recieve information on homeschooling in northern Illinois. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NorthernIllinoisHomeschoolNews/ (site
link added to this page 7/22/05)
- Splendor
of Truth Catholic Home Schooling - This group will
be an email resource for members of the Splendor of Truth
Catholic Home School group comprised of members from
northeastern Illinois (Winthrop Harbor, Zion, Waukegan,
Gurnee, Wadsworth, Russell, etc) and southeastern Wisconsin
(Kenosha, Racine, Pleasant Prairie, Sturtevant, Mount
Pleasant, etc.). http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SplendorOfTruthCatholicHomeSchoolers/ (site
link added to this page 7/22/05)
- Homeschool
Illinois - Email list for Illinois homeschooling
families. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/homeschoolillinois/ (site
link added to this page 7/22/05)
- Homeschool-illinois -
This list is for the discussion of topics related to homeschooling
in Illinois. Posting of events, organizations and homeschool
websites is welcome. But please do not post any affiliated
links or advertisements. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/homeschool-Illinois/ (site
link added to this page 7/22/05)
New Homeschool Support
Other
Links Helpful to Homeschoolers
- College
Zone - www.collegezone.com - College Zone provides a wealth
of information for the college bound student and his parents.The
Illinois Student Assistance Commission, the State of Illinois'
centralized agency responsible for administering and promoting
student financial aid programs, has unveiled an addition to
its Web site, collegezone.com. In addition to providing trusted,
comprehensive information for students and families on how
to plan, find, apply and pay for a college education, students
now can also research career options and complete skills assessment
tests that will help match their skills to possible careers.
Download an information packet about College Zone here!
- www.kidsforsavingearth.org The
National Kids for Saving Earth Club website offers many resources
for teachers, parents, and children. Visit for a free teacher
resource packet.
- Illinois
4-H Clubs Provide youth groups for children from ages
6-18. Project books provide a great resource for homeschoolers.
Details about 4-H Club programs may be found here. There
is also information on projects, too.
- Boy
Scouts of America Many homeschoolers take advantage
of the varied programs offered through BSA. There are programs
available for boys ages 6-20 and for girls ages 14-20.
For information specific to homeschoolers in scouting,
visit Scouting
for the Homeschooled.
- Girl
Scouts of the USA provides programs for girls from
ages 5 to 17 (kg. to 12th grade). Information on finding
a troop in your area is available through this website.
Other
Resources
Internet
Access
Please
check all terms of use before using any service!
-
Public
Library Internet Access
-
Access4Less
(unlimited service; $5.95 per month) www.access4less.net
-
Netzero
(10 hrs./month for free; $9.95 unlimited) www.netzero.net
-
Juno
(cannot be "heavy user" for free; $9.95 for unlimited) www.juno.com
Juno Email is also available via the web, which means
you can check your email on any computer, any where
-
America
Online $23.90 for unlimited - www.aol.com
AOL is good for new users of the Internet
How
to get FREE email - Please check all terms of use before using
any service!
Many
sites offer free email to users. Some are accessible only on a web
page (called Web Based Email), others are available both on a web
page and via a program you install on your computer.
All
of the above services are available as web based email addresses.
This means that you can access them on any internet connected computer,
including those at the library. Yahoo and Juno both offer the ability
to download your email to your computer (which means you can read
it while you are offline, or not connected to the internet) for a
fee.
How
to find what you need
Search
Engines
When
you do a search, type in your key words within quotes. For example,
if you want to search for information on homeschooling in Illinois,
type in "homeschooling in Illinois" in the search box.
Other
sites to help you find what you need:
Public
Libraries Online Search - Check for your local library online!
Please
read about internet safety for your children.
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