FAQs

I'm new to homeschooling and I'm not really sure what teaching method I'll be using yet. Should I still be involved with ETC?

Welcome to the world of homeschooling! God has led your family to an exciting lifestyle, which can take many different forms. You will likely find that there are many new things for you to learn as the primary educator of your family. While figuring out the teaching method that you will use to educate your children will probably help you determine your course of action and narrow down your curricula choices, it isn't necessarily the first decision you need to make. We invite you to be a part of ETC and learn more about homeschool teaching methods and learning as a lifestyle for your family. Education is so much more than a chalk board and a stack of text books!

Q:	I see that ETC membership requires a referral from a current member. Is there any way I can join if I don't know someone in the group?
A:	If you don't know anyone currently in ETC you may contact a member of Leadership at etcnwa@gmail.com. A Leadership Team member will visit with you, which will fulfill the referral requirement.

What role does faith play in ETC?

Our Christian faith is very important to us; it is the most important thing we have in common, even more important than homeschooling. However, we do not require that parents or children be Christians to join ETC.

We do believe that the claim Jesus made in his teachings is true.

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6)

Therefore we do not teach our children that all faiths are equal and simply allow a child to reach their own conclusion without influence. As parents, we are commanded to:

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6)

ETC considers our role as a support to you as parent in that command. Those beliefs are reflected in our teachings; our Biblical worldview permeates all of our classes and curricula, not just the Bible classes.

The Bible classes we offer on Core days are required for every student on campus. We don't require every student to stay for the Bible classes, but we don't offer an alternative during that hour.

We invite honest, thoughtful questions about matters of faith and Biblical teaching, but we don't permit contrary faith perspectives to be represented as equal, just as we wouldn't allow a student to outspokenly claim 2+2 is 7, because we know that's not true.

Our Statement of Faith and Statement of Values are published on our website. Please reach out to a member of Leadership if you have questions about faith.

I've heard ETC is expensive. I really want the support and activities but I'm on a limited budget. How can I afford to be involved in ETC?

It takes both money and labor to create a quality program. ETC is structured with lots of flexibility so families can either pay more, work more, or do some of both.

A family can join and participate in the field trips, parties, social events, teen events and more for only the annual family membership fee, which works out to be about $10 per month.
Members donate and fund-raise to provide sponsorship for some families who really couldn't even afford that. Simply request a sponsorship in the membership application if this would make membership possible for you.
Anyone who teaches or assists in classes receives Co-Op pricing for tuition ONLY. ETC offers several tuition-FREE classes. In keeping with our mission, all Bible classes are tuition-FREE. Drop-off students are charged Drop-Off pricing for tuition. Please see our Financial Policies for more information.

Contact a member of ETC Leadership to discuss how membership and participation can be affordable for your family.

How can I find out about the activities going on in ETC?

All of the activities and events offered by ETC, as well as many community events, will be listed on the calendar. Many ETC events are only viewable to members who are logged into the website.

To view the calendar, click on the calendar tab. Chose the month and year you would like to look at on the calendar, or scroll between months by clicking "Previous" or "Next" on either side of the month name. When you find an event you want to know more about, click on the event title within the calendar. This window will give you the date, time, location and details of the event. You will also be able to sign up for the event, if it requires sign ups. You may also print the event details or map the location of the event. Click "Close Window" when you are finished.

It is our goal to have events posted to the calendar at least a month in advance so members can mark their calendars. However, updates may be added to any event. You will be notified by email if an event you are signed up for has been updated. Please check the calendar frequently.

Does ETC have any classes or activities for my teenager?

Finding quality activities for our homeschooled teen can be challenging. Creating an welcoming place for teens to connect with peers from like-minded families is a big part of the mission of ETC. Over 100 teens are actively involved in ETC, participating in their choice of dozens of weekly classes, and several monthly fellowships and service opportunities. Best of all, several ministry-minded leadership members work with member parents to follow a vision of teen discipleship.