Thank you for your interest in Family Education Days (FED).   We think our group is pretty special and would love to share it with you.   

Membership is open for new members in late April/early May each year based on the spots available.  We accept members, regardless of belief or background as long as they meet these requirements:

• Have at least one school-age child age 5+.
• Agree to abide by our guidelines and respect our Statement of Faith while participating in FED activities on or off campus.
• Meet with several members of our board who agree your family's needs are best met through the program we offer.

Please understand that decisions on which families receive the limited spots for new membership are not based on a first-come, first-serve basis but are determined by how a family's student(s) fill our existing classes and programs.  We would love to accept all homeschool families but doing so would cause us to grow too big and we would be unable to fulfill our mission statement!

All the information you need to request membership for the 2024-25 school year at FED is below.  Please take the time to read all the details.  We wouldn't write it if we didn't think it was important! If you have any questions along the way, email [email protected].

It's important to us that those interested in FED have a good understanding of who we are and how we operate!

• All potential families are required to view the New Family video at familyeducationdays.com/video.  You will have to sign in and show 100% completion.

In addition, here are a few pages/documents that will help you understand who we are:

• Who are we?
• 2024 School Year Calendar
• FED Handbook
• 2024 Class Schedule

We have two events in the Spring that potential families can attend. Click the link below to be taken to the appropriate calendar entry for details.

• April 15th Open House - This is a time to talk to tutors about their classes and ask ALL your questions.
• May 1st Campus Preview Day - Potential families can join us on campus for a portion of the day to see what a co-op day looks like.  Requires pre-registration.

Only continue with the registration steps when you have watched the New Family video and are sure we are a good fit for your family.

In this step, you will be applying for membership with FED.

This step includes 4 pieces.  For your application to be complete, you must complete ALL 4. 

1. Create an account on the FED Website and complete the application
2. Review and sign the Enrollment Contract
3. Review and sign the Camp Hoblitzelle Facilities Waiver
4. Sign up for a New Family Interview (see notes on next step)

   In the last step, you signed up for a Family Interview time.  This step is to have that meeting!

  The meetings are painless! We meet at a local coffee shop and spend 45 minutes getting to know your family and your homeschool journey.  We'll ask some questions, tell you a bit about us,     and give you plenty of time to ask your questions.

  Who should participate?
  For sure the parent that is going to be responsible for homeschooling and the one that will be on campus on FED days (if it's not the same).  We would love to meet your teens if at all possible. Including your spouse and younger children is completely up to you, your family's schedule, and your younger children's ages. 

  We're excited to meet you!

The board will make membership decisions around May 17th.  Once we have made those decisions, you will receive 2 emails - a personal one from us welcoming you to FED and a system message from [email protected] approving your website account. You will need to return to the FED website to complete the remaining steps at that time.  Because that process gives you access to the member portion of the website, none of the links in this step will work for you before your membership is approved.    

Please understand that approval of memberships is not on a first-come, first-serve basis.  We consider the number of available spots and how the families who applied fill our existing classes and programs.

Pay your FED Membership Fee
When you log into the website, you will see the invoice balance on the top right.  Click that balance and you will be directed to pay the Membership Fee via debit or credit card. 

As a reminder, here are the membership fees for 2024/25:

• Membership Fees - $100 for the year due by May 21st
• Facilities Fees - $110 per semester due August 14th and January 24th

Background Checks
When your membership is approved, a request for background checks will be sent to all adults you listed on your enrollment contract.  An email with links will come from MinistrySafe.  You will be invoiced the $10 per person background check fee with your membership fee.  The official Background Check policy is available here.

Service Hours
We run on the "many hands make light work" cooperative model. Everybody works together to run FED - even the board members are just volunteers!

Families need to sign up for 1 open service hour which equals 15 hours of on-campus service time. You will serve the same hour and same location for 15 consecutive weeks - either Semester 1 or Semester 2. You get to choose the hour and where you serve on a first-come, first-serve basis. We have a variety of positions to fill that will allow you to also keep an eye on your children not in class as needed.

If you are ill or unable to fulfill your service hour for an assigned week, you are responsible for identifying your replacement, and we give you some options for that. If you have an older student and do not plan to be on campus at all, we have an option for you to pay a $150 fee so we can pay another parent to cover your hour. But we really would prefer all our families contribute to the co-op through service.

To register, follow these steps:

• Go to the Service Hour page
• Find the open assignment you would like to register for and click on the box. 
• It will open to show more details and your name on the right.
• Check the box next to your name and select the register box.

New Family class enrollment begins May 24th at 9 am as long as all the above steps are completed by May 22nd.  If your paperwork is not completed by May 22nd, you will not be able to register for classes until your paperwork has been processed.

You can find the 2024-25 class schedule here.

Once you register for classes, you will need to pay the tutor the supply fee within 48 hours to hold your student(s) spot in class.  The 1st month's tuition is also due at registration, or not later than June 14th if you need more time for that payment.  Tutors are paid electronically.  To find details on how to pay individual tutors, navigate to the "Tutor Payments Information" page under the Member Tools menu on the website.

Class Planning

Picking the right classes can sometimes be overwhelming!  We are here to help if we can.  

• Make sure to plan and attend Open House night.  Meet with teachers and ask them lots of questions!
• Please be sure you are considering where your student is when determining which "grid" to look at.  It's especially important if you have a 3rd grader who could fall into lower or upper elementary based on their development, a 6th grader who may fall into upper elementary because they are not ready for Middle School academics, or an 8th grader who may be ready for some of the challenges of high school!  As the homeschool parent, YOU make those choices!  Talk with the tutor if your student falls outside of the grade levels for a class but you believe it's the right fit for them anyway.
• Need a planning document to help keep you on track?
  • If you have a Middle or High Schooler, the planning pages found at Homeschool Creations are comprehensive.  If you prefer something simpler, try our New Year Planning Document. 
  • Once you know what classes you'll be taking at FED, this handy Co-Op Class Tracker will help you keep track of the necessary information.

• Sequence Planning - Coming soon!

If you need one-on-one help, please email [email protected].  We have several seasoned moms ready to meet for coffee and help!

Welcome to FED!

Jump in!  Feel free to come to any summer activities.  Ask questions in the Member Facebook page.  We are excited to get to know your family!