Over the last few years, homeschooling rates in the United States have risen significantly. Before remote learning in 2020, there were about 2.5 million home-schooled students in the United States, that number grew to 3.1 million in the 2021-2022 school year. As more families transition to home learning, AnnaSharp, Ag Education Coordinator with Ag in the Classroom shares a new opportunity to encourage agriculture as part of the curriculum through the Warren County Public Library.
“The first Friday of every month they have programming for home school families to come in. I know some of the groups at our meeting; U of I, Extension, 4-H, Buchanan Center, the Girl Scouts, OSF, the ROE, the Stuart house, and then myself, Ag in the Classroom,” says Sharp. “So throughout the year, we’ll offer different programming for those families. So that’s kind of a newer thing that I will be excited to be involved with, be able to offer some of those families the same things that I offer all of our kids at the schools.”
Sharp adds that she has previously worked with homeschooled families through community events and other library programs. Through the Home School Friday program. Sharp looks forward to working with homeschooling more formally.
“That is an area that I have not been, as one on one involved with, but I have seen them and offered resources. So that’s kind of why I’m excited to be meeting them formally,” says Sharp. “To show them what resources are free that I have to offer, and they will have access to our education kits and our ag mags and anything that I’m offering to our schools and our teachers, I am able to offer to them too.”
Home School Friday will take place on the first Friday of the month at 10 am.
