jamajo Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 open a business that supported your local homeschooling community what would that business be? why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 If money was no object? I'd open an art museum. A big one. With lots of expensive art. And a sculpture garden. With a waterfall. And can I have an attached zoo? :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeaganS Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 If money was no object? I'd open an art museum. A big one. With lots of expensive art. And a sculpture garden. With a waterfall. And can I have an attached zoo? :D Don't forget the aquarium and the discovery museum too! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Curriculum consultant. After 17 years, I either seen it, used it or rejected it. There's also a good chance I have it stored in my basement. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swimtaxi234 Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 I would build a huge natatorium with a 50m pool and diving well. It would also have a running track and gym. Plus since this is a fantasy, it would also have an outdoor pool with big water slides. This would be for the community, swim teams, and of course, I would offer a discount to homeschoolers. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C_l_e_0..Q_c Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 A computer lab... Where you could learn programming, photoshop skills, and work as a team. And even do some networked gaming in there! That's what I miss the most. OK so I'm a geek. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 I might start a curriculum library. Check it out. Try it out. No risk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 A kindergarten parents and younger siblings could attend like they have in NZ. From what I've heard, they're a bit more formal than our playgroups but a little less formal than our kindergartens. My dd would benefit immensely, I think. If this was not a business but a large amount of money to donate, I'd put fences around all the playgrounds in the state. Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Used bookstore. Hands down. Not curriculum. What used to called "living books" and classics, especially children's classics. A few months ago, I found out one of my children's books is worth 50 bucks. I paid a quarter for it at a yard sale. Well, it would be $50 if it was still in good condition, it's been loved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 A book store/coffee shop. Big comfy chairs. Maybe set up in an old house so you could rent rooms to do school, all set up with different themes. We have a library area, have an ordering area, do some consignments. We host events for homeschoolers, have a set up for kids and teens to just hang out. We have special hours once a week or night, just for parents to come and chill. It's starting to sound like a commune, but that would be kind of cool. :D We have musical instruments so kids could try before their parents buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoVanGogh Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 I would build a huge natatorium with a 50m pool and diving well. It would also have a running track and gym. Plus since this is a fantasy, it would also have an outdoor pool with big water slides.Yes!Actually, we had a health club go out of business a few years ago and I entertained the idea of a swim club/gym/homeschool bookstore/lending library type place. Your one-stop-shopping. :lol: I would love to have a great exercise facility that allowed me to workout at the same time my son got to work out. I hate sitting on my behind while he is taking classes and I am waiting... I hate the thought of taking him to the daycare at the gym while I work out. But I could combine that desire with a bookstore/lending library - awesome! (The lending library would have mostly science equipment like skeletons, microscopes, etc.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoVanGogh Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 We host events for homeschoolers, have a set up for kids and teens to just hang out. That is a good one!I know many people that give nature/science lectures and I would love to hire them to come talk to homeschoolers - but I don't have space! I would love to just have a space for events. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 A bar. decorated with books. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 A bar. decorated with books. :D I think we have a winner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 you could rent rooms to do school, all set up with different themes. OK love this! You mean my house could stay clean all day?! You're a super-genius! I'm thinking about this more. I'm thinking a giant museum-like science lab, fully staffed and stocked for experiments that you don't have to clean up or explain! The doctoral level staff does that, of course! :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 I think we have a winner. Waaaaait, I just thought of the best part. Kilted bartenders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 I might start a curriculum library. Check it out. Try it out. No risk. A bar. decorated with books. :D These two ideas need to get together and have lots of hands-on material babies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Waaaaait, I just thought of the best part. Kilted bartenders. DH would not be down with this. He despairs enough every time I set foot in Half-Price Books. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Waaaaait, I just thought of the best part. Kilted bartenders. :D I'm there. Can we color-code the men by kilt? We'll need a way to keep track of our favorites, and names are just too much work when you're plowed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendi Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Ds and I have talked about owning a sort of homeschool community center. Part coffee shop, part used/new curriculum and bookstore. With private rooms that groups could rent for holding classes, book clubs, etc. A little stage for open mike nights or presentations. A computer lab. Sound like fun? Wendi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamajo Posted January 5, 2012 Author Share Posted January 5, 2012 A bar. decorated with books. :D Great idea inside of any business place with a bar area. Sends a great subliminal message as well. Love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamajo Posted January 5, 2012 Author Share Posted January 5, 2012 :D I'm there. Can we color-code the men by kilt? We'll need a way to keep track of our favorites, and names are just too much work when you're plowed. Okay ladies....stay focused:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWOB Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 A bar. decorated with books. :D :001_wub::smilielol5::iagree: I would purchase a house in town and dedicate it to the homeschool community. We could use it for meetings, co-op classes, and whatever else we wanted. I would hire speakers/presenters to come at least once a week and give a lecture about anything and everything. This fantasy house would have a full science lab, complete with everything imaginable related to science. There would be a large indoor heated pool out back with dark windows (so the public doesn't have to see me in a bathing suit). There would be a fabulous library, a full bar, and a kilted RDJ bartender;). (If money is no option, I could rent RDJ for bartending services, right?) We would also have a fancy bus to take all of us on field trips since we live so far away from everything. Oh, there would also be a highly-qualified babysitting service to provide childcare during our monthly Mom's Night Out. It could happen. I would settle for RDJ in a kilt serving me drinks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWOB Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Waaaaait, I just thought of the best part. Kilted bartenders. :lol: I was posting the same thing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Waaaaait, I just thought of the best part. Kilted bartenders. Does this library bar have ladders? Because...well...I am just saying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 I would open a kid delivery service. If you have a child who has swimming at 3pm, the delivery service picks them up from your home, takes them to swimming and then brings them back! The kids could do activities, but the entire family wouldn't have to go along every time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 I would open a kid delivery service. If you have a child who has swimming at 3pm, the delivery service picks them up from your home, takes them to swimming and then brings them back! The kids could do activities, but the entire family wouldn't have to go along every time. You could call it The Magic Home-School Bus. (Alternatively, The Magic Home-School Bus could be the vehicle that takes inebriated HS moms home safely after they get blitzed at the curriculum bar.) :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 You could call it The Magic Home-School Bus. (Alternatively, The Magic Home-School Bus could be the vehicle that takes inebriated HS moms home safely after they get blitzed at the curriculum bar.) :D Brilliant, you just provided a night shift for my employees! Maybe I could also have a car that drives cranky babies around so the parents could sleep. I am seeing all kinds of uses for my bus! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Okay ladies....stay focused:lol: Oh, I'm focused. Very, very focused. I like green kilts. Mmmm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamajo Posted January 5, 2012 Author Share Posted January 5, 2012 Brilliant, you just provided a night shift for my employees! Maybe I could also have a car that drives cranky babies around so the parents could sleep. I am seeing all kinds of uses for my bus! :lol::lol::lol: I am really laughing as I am REALLY searching for good ideas here...seriously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamajo Posted January 5, 2012 Author Share Posted January 5, 2012 Brilliant, you just provided a night shift for my employees! Maybe I could also have a car that drives cranky babies around so the parents could sleep. I am seeing all kinds of uses for my bus! Hilarious:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 :lol::lol::lol: I am really laughing as I am REALLY searching for good ideas here...seriously. Lol... Once the conversation turns to kilts, it's usually all downhill from there. Or uphill, depending on your pov. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 :001_wub::smilielol5::iagree:This fantasy house would have a full science lab, complete with everything imaginable related to science. It could happen. I would settle for RDJ in a kilt serving me drinks. We'd be getting all liquored up and getting excited about looking at slides under the microscope, figuring out who was going to give the next blood prick or olive slice. Does this library bar have ladders? Because...well...I am just saying. We'll make sure the most popular books are on the very top shelf. ;) We'll all be under secret oath, of course, to never tell the bartenders when they ask why we don't use the Dewey Decimal System. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 :lol::lol::lol: I am really laughing as I am REALLY searching for good ideas here...seriously. If I could do anything I would create a Netflix-like service for manipulatives and other educational supplies. I can't justify the expense of some things that I would live to use for a short period of time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 All right, in all seriousness I would set up some kind of regional system for homeschool families to meet up without having to join an actual co-op. Sort of like a dating service, but for homeschoolers. Finding someone in your area on the internet is a crapshoot, and you never know if they're going to be wackaloons. It'd be great to have someone that could coordinate all the hsers in a given area and match up families. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Okay ladies....stay focused:lol: I was totally serious! :D Ok, ok. Montessori manipulatives rentals. Curric rentals that came to you on a bus. Lab rentals. Movie ques that went along with age/grade/history level. Option to buy, of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamajo Posted January 5, 2012 Author Share Posted January 5, 2012 What I see lacking and would like to have is a place for kids to do PE especially in the winter months. Sometimes the leagues (soccer, volleyball, gym memberships, etc. are so expensive. If I want to log 2 days of PE I want to go someplace run around the track, play basketball or dodgeball, etc. I like the idea of an indoor track but then I would still need rooms for people to have classes, etc. Has to be a multi purpose space so that they are multiple streams of income to support the space. Exercise is the one thing missing in my homeschool day. Any other ideas? :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Ds and I have talked about owning a sort of homeschool community center. Part coffee shop, part used/new curriculum and bookstore. With private rooms that groups could rent for holding classes, book clubs, etc. A little stage for open mike nights or presentations. A computer lab. Sound like fun? Wendi Dh and I have said we want to do this for years! I would open a kid delivery service. If you have a child who has swimming at 3pm, the delivery service picks them up from your home, takes them to swimming and then brings them back! The kids could do activities, but the entire family wouldn't have to go along every time. Um? Call a taxi?;) I actually had to do that this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 An art studio for kids. A REAL studio with REAL artist supplies, not one with dumbed down craft projects. Of course it would be located on my beautiful farm that offers hands on homesteading experiences for kids as well. I can dream right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennsmile Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 In our area the local YMCA does homeschool PE two days a week, not that I participate but it is an option. There is also homeschool gymnastics. My dream would be the pool indoors walking distance from my house. Second would be a music conservatory offering suzuki strings, band, choir, show choir, jazz, and a theater troope. All with individual lessons available. And a play room for younger siblings with of course kindermusik and signing time. All of this would be next to riding stables. And if you get hungry a wonderful state of the art healthy eating place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 What I see lacking and would like to have is a place for kids to do PE especially in the winter months. Sometimes the leagues (soccer, volleyball, gym memberships, etc. are so expensive. If I want to log 2 days of PE I want to go someplace run around the track, play basketball or dodgeball, etc. I like the idea of an indoor track but then I would still need rooms for people to have classes, etc. Has to be a multi purpose space so that they are multiple streams of income to support the space. Exercise is the one thing missing in my homeschool day. Any other ideas? :bigear: I want something like this with an indoor pool and an indoor running track and equipment that isn't restricted to those over 16. I'd also like to see it big enough to have classrooms and meeting space. Something more like a Y than a Gold's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Money's no object? A fully outfitted homeschool center. Science labs, art studios, music hall/auditorium, gymnasium, sports fields, pool, classrooms, all run as pick-and-choose with a combination of parent-teachers and specialty teachers (particularly for the arts). Weekend and evening classes available to the community at large. Also, a bookstore with new and used materials. And a large conference room for parent workshops and community events. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelia Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 An athletics center and fine arts academy. It would have a big swimming pool, stage, dance studio, art studio, practice rooms, indoor tennis and basketball courts because it gets HOT here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 I would love a huge warehouse where we could have a coffee shop/food area, a well staffed toddler area so the moms can hang out with or without small ones. Rooms for classes, including fully stocked instruments for band/orchestra, a full art room with student art decor and supplies and a teacher full time, a Math lab for those struggling with math as well as a special needs/special help resource room fully staffed with tutors. A game room for hanging out with pool, ping pong, plenty of tables for board games, etc.... Bookstore AND library for checking out books. And for us, we would have all the rooms and areas available for our homeschool scout unit to meet (we are often crowded in our current location although we are building another area to meet in.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Waaaaait, I just thought of the best part. Kilted bartenders. Can we get real Scotsman? You know, for cultural studies. :D I would really love to see an art, science, and PE center. Bunsen burners and diving boards, a liability insurance goldmine. :D How about a Geek Squad, where old computers and hardware become fodder for kids to take apart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigger Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 I've actually written an entire business plan out to see just how much it would be to create a learn-through-play and study center. Financially it's really not feasible unless money is no object and you can continue to fund it forever, because, for the most part, homeschool (and regular families with children) families do not want to spend the money it really takes to have such a place in the community. That said, if I had the money, and could fund it indefinitely, I'd have: A huge indoor area with mini-buildings within to create a "village" kids could come and play to learn.....a play house, barn, vet, doctor, grocery store, firehouse, police station, restaurant, etc. would all be within the area and kids could dress-up and pretend play anything they wanted within the space. This area would be designed for kids 8 and under and I'd want it to be designed so it could have different types of things rotate on a fairly regular basis, that way it doesn't get stale. Next there'd be an indoor play structure, an indoor play field (half court minimum) and track around it all for physical activities inside. A real art studio is a must - stocked and supplied with a wide assortment of media to do arts and crafts, teach art and allow kids a space where making a mess is okay. I'd install a large lab - complete with scientific equipment and supplies, with areas for each of the science disciplines - physics, life science, earth science and chemistry. Offer classes for different age groups that are age appropriate and relevant. Add a computer room with at least six computer stations, and a media room with a large selection of documentaries and other educational videos. A couple of large conference rooms would be available for groups, designed to be classrooms, meeting rooms or could also be used for birthday parties or other events with a larger number of people in attendance and in need of their own space. A couple of acres would be ideal to have some outdoor space to run, play and engage - again, like the indoor village, I'd put in a number of spaces created to foster play and learn, things like a pioneer camp site, an organic working garden, a playground area, picnic area, story garden, etc. And lastly, if space permitted, a lending library for a wide variety of books often used by homeschool families. I'd also want the space to be able to do things like curriculum swaps, science fairs and other community type events. To fully do the above, it's at least $1-million dollars to get started with about 20,000 SF on four acres here and could be as much as $3-million - the annual operating budget to keep it open and supplies stocked is about $500,000 a year (based on estimates for overhead, staffing, supplies, insurance, etc.) - this area simply can't support such a place, even open to the general public, even with a large homeschool community - there just aren't enough people with enough money to make it happen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamajo Posted January 5, 2012 Author Share Posted January 5, 2012 Tigger, Your vision is VAST. I am gleaning and a do see some of the services as doable but on a smaller scale. I'm glad to see others are thinking along the same lines which means we would patronize such a place but you are correct you have to find the right formula to make it financially feasible. Thinking, thinking, thinking...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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