Fox Valley Free Learners
Frequently Asked Questions
SILVER Membership: This covers basic group membership, access to our private FB group and Google calendar, where we post all outdoor activities, events and field trips. This is a once a year fee per family.
​GOLD Membership: This option is billed per semester. We meet at our Dundee location for 12 weeks per semester. There is one fee per family, plus a small per child supply fee. Silver membership is included with this option for the entire school year.
Where and when do you meet?
We meet on Tuesdays, in Dundee, IL for our indoor co-op. In addition to the co-op days, we host other events that may fall on different days of the week.
How much does FVFL Cost?
Silver Membership is $25 per family. This includes access to outdoor meet-ups and field trips. This fee helps cover group costs such as insurance and administrative fees. -- although many of our activities are free, some may have an additional fee.
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Gold Memberships $150/family plus a $10 per child supply fee. This options covers one semester (12 weeks) of our indoor co-op. It also includes access to all silver level activities for the remainder of the school year.
*No refunds can be given due to members withdrawing. Our insurance is paid at the start of the school year and is based on the number of members. We are still under obligation to pay rent to the church, and our rent does not change based on the number of families attending. If the church has to shut down due to an emergency or other obligation, we will either refund the difference for that day, or schedule an additional day.
What is expected of parents at co-op?
Parents are expected to share in the responsibilities of running the co-op. At a minimum we need every parent to keep an eye on the activities and help clean up. Regular attendance is expected. We foster a community and students want to see the same faces every week.
We also encourage parents to support learning in any way they can. Whether that’s playing games with the kids, helping them organize a party, club, or activity, mentoring, or teaching a skill -- we want to foster life-long learning in everyone!
Note: FVFL is an all-volunteer co-op, not a child care provider. Parents/guardians are responsible for their own children at all times.
What is the minimum age?
At least one homeschooled child must be 6 or older to join FVFL.
What does Self-Directed and Sudbury-inspired mean?
It means that we are very inspired by self-directed learning as well as the democratic and community building principles of Sudbury schools.
We want to give our kids as much freedom as possible to pursue their interests but we also need parents on hand to make sure everyone is self-monitoring, and cleaning up work areas. We do our best to balance the church building rules with the freedom to move about and learn as the kids see fit.
What classes are offered at FVFL?
None!
FVFL is not at all like traditional homeschool co-ops and we like it that way! We encourage the kids to explore their own interests and plan their own projects. When meeting at the church, we have "class rooms" set-up to facilitate various activities such as an arts & crafts room (stocked with supplies), a game room (with a selection of games), and various other multipurpose rooms. We also have to access to a kitchen space. That being said, we do encourage kids and parents to plan workshops to share their unique talents and skills. Sometimes younger students need help figuring out what they want to do.
Past workshops include designing T-shirts, NERF wars, paper airplane classes, soap making, book-binding, party planning, writer's club, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh and Beyblade tournaments, D&D campaigns, and more. Of course the kids also spent a lot of time painting, sculpting, sewing, game playing, dressing up, robot building, programming, and even did some reading and writing! The activities that the students engage in changes from year to year, semester to semester and week to week. Your students can bring in items to facilitate projects or activities. The students also have a supply budget and can request the purchase of items that we do not have.
Can my children bring their phones, laptops, or other electronics?
We currently have no official policy on electronics. Our hope is that kids will use electronics to enhance their play and learning (which so far has been the case). Our electronics policy will most likely continue to evolve based on our members' needs and preferences.
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What do I need to do to join?
Please click join us to start the process!
There you will find a link to our Pre-admissions Form. Fill that out and a member will contact you shortly to arrange a visit or a meet-and-greet.
FVFL is not first come/first served and admission is not guaranteed. We strive to maintain a good balance of children of different ages. There are many factors that we consider, but we aim to accept families who already support self-directed learning and will be a good fit for our community. Taking the time to learn about self-directed education is a plus but not required!