SALT LAKE HOME EDUCATORS

by Alyssa Bray


   Okay, so you are probably going to spend more than a dime, but you CAN homeschool without breaking the bank. There is a valuable resource available to homeschoolers that I think is sometimes overlooked. In the last couple of years, I have found tons of educational opportunities, either free of charge or very reasonably priced, right in my own backyard. For instance, part of our literature curriculum two years ago was based on the performance schedule for City Rep Children's Theater. We took advantage of the discount pricing through SLHE and read the books before going to see the performances. Which, then, logically led to discussions, among other things, about the differences between the books themselves and their screenplays. One of my favorite activities of last summer, was our Stargazing Campout. Our family, along with several of our friends' families, went to a Star Party hosted by the Salt Lake Astronomical Society. This was so cool! Society members gathered with their telescopes and allowed us to peek into the heavens with them. A few would actually compete with each other, all in fun of course, with being able to find the best celestial objects. So, without having to spend $100's of dollars on a larger-than-we-could-fit-in-our-house telescope, we had free access AND the experts that went with them to bombard with questions. The highlight of the night had to be viewing Jupiter and a few of it's moons! After the Star Party, our group camped out near the West Desert to stargaze further and spend time as friends, all for the price of BBQ dinner, breakfast cereal, and the campground fees.

   A good place to start looking for community goings on would be your local library. There are always flyers advertising events like storytimes, puppet shows, concerts, computer classes, movie screenings, author lectures, art exhibits, the list goes on and on. Get in the habit of picking up literature wherever you go...museum foyers are filled with Utah Parent, The City Weekly, and Catalyst Magazines which have event calendars, as well as other publications printed by organizations like the Sierra Club or Friends of the Great Salt Lake. Check community boards at local businesses like Wild Oats, bagel shops, coffee houses, and Jamba Juice for other events. Pay attention to posters in storefront windows...I always see posters for public events hosted by the Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork. This past spring, for the price of a 45 minute drive, we experienced the Hindu festival of Holi. We bought bags of color for $1 each and joined a mob of happy, multicolored people in a color "fight". Handfuls of color were being thrown everywhere and on everyone. This experience led to researching the history and folklore of this festival. Also from a storefront poster found at Great Harvest Bread Co., we learned about the Great Salt Lake Bird Festival. Unfortunately, we didn't make it this year, but the schedule of events, including an evening owl walk at the Ogden Nature Center, was tempting enough to make sure that we make at some point in the future.

   My experience with bought curriculums has been, initial excitement, "OOhhh, that's cool!", decent investment, "$120 isn't really that much," to new dust collector, "Oh yeah, I really should get that out and do it". What I've learned from my own educational style is that I am much more likely to follow through with something if I have done a little more of the legwork myself than what a prepackaged curriculum provides. Taking advantage of your community takes some creativity and flexibility. Learning about some of these events doesn't always come with much advanced notice, but a lot of these events are annual and it's usually possible to make a note in your calendar to attend the next time it comes around. Getting in the habit of "keeping your eyes open" is a great way of staying abreast of your, usually free or inexpensive, community events!