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Are you a homeschool group leader? Click here to learn more about the benefits of CHALC membership!

Welcome!

CHALC, the Coalition of Homeschoolers Across Lancaster County, serves over 600 homeschooling families throughout Lancaster County and its surrounding areas. In addition to publishing a monthly newsletter, the Scrawls, we offer support for homeschoolers in many ways -- providing assistance and resources to new homeschoolers, creating a working network to disseminate information of interest to the homeschooling community, and building relationships between home educators. In addition, we offer other valuable services to our member co-ops, including liability insurance, a county-wide graduation ceremony, and HSLDA membership discount. We hope CHALC, as a united fellowship of families, will also help in making a positive impact in the community where we live. 

Advertise with us!

Upcoming...

Mar
21
CHALC Graduation Planning Meeting
March 21 - Thursday
07:00 PM - 09:00 PM
Apr
12
Deadline for Spring Formal Registration
April 12 - Friday
Apr
14
Hershey Bears Game
April 14 - Sunday
Apr
16
CHALC Graduation Planning Meeting
April 16 - Tuesday
07:00 PM - 09:00 PM
Apr
28
Class of 2024 Spring Formal
April 28 - Sunday
May
16
CHALC Graduation Planning Meeting
May 16 - Thursday
07:00 PM - 09:00 PM
May
24
CHALC Graduation Ceremony
May 24 - Friday
07:00 PM - 09:00 PM

Group Leaders:

Do you have a "how to" question about your website?

Or need one-on-one help to get started?

CHALC has contracted with Alice Nelson to provide website-related assistance to member groups.   

Click here to email her with your questions or needs

Looking for a homeschool support group or co-op?

Homeschool groups are organizations that provide various activities for homeschool families. Each homeschool group is different in how it operates and in what it offers. Some homeschool groups may offer some of these opportunities:  

  • moms' meetings
  • Co-op classes
  • choir
  • music lessons
  • sports
  • learning fairs
  • track and field days
  • lending libraries
  • field trips
  • social activities

Joining a homeschool group connects you to resources and to people who will encourage your family during your homeschooling years. Visit our member groups' webpages (links under the adjacent tabs) to find one that fits your family's needs.

Groups meet at various locations around Lancaster County.  These locations may be viewed here: CHALC Member Groups Location Map.

CHASE (Christian Homeschool Association of Scholastic Excellence)

Contact: Julie Hostetter, Director

Email: chasehomeschoolcoop@gmail.com

Website: www.chaseacademy.org

Leadership Team: Krista Armold, Judith Cook, Cindy Ebersole,and Jana Gurtler
Our mission is to equip and encourage parents who have chosen to homeschool their children by providing educational classroom opportunities in a Christ-centered environment. Classes meet on Mondays from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm at East Fairview Church of the Brethren in Manheim.

CHEX (Christian Homeschoolers Exchange)

Director: Jennifer Anteau, 717-342-7949

Email: chexcoop@yahoo.com

Co-Director: Jamie Rohrer 717-368-1178

Email: austinandjamie@gmail.com

CHEX is a group of homeschool families joining together to fellowship, encourage each other in our life’s journeys, and provide excellent group learning opportunities for our children. We meet as a whole group on Wednesday mornings from 8:45am - 12:00pm at Calvary Baptist Church in Lancaster, 8 weeks in the fall and 8 weeks in the winter. High school academic and some elective classes meet an additional 8 weeks for a total of 24 weeks.

Conestoga Valley Homeschoolers

Contact: Carla Witmer, Co-Administrator, cswitmer@ptd.net

Email: https://www.homeschool-life.com/PA/CVHomeschoolers/

Conestoga Valley Homeschoolers is a Christ-based, parent-led co-op, offering classes for preschool through high school, as well as nursery care. Students in grades K-6 have choir, gym, and an elective choice each semester. Grades 7-12 choose 3 electives each semester. Academic and life skill courses supplement your schooling at home. In addition to co-op classes, we offer Moms’ Nights Out, 7-up events, field trips, fire safety, handcraft fair, learning fair, choir concert, and field day. We keep our costs affordable for all family incomes by utilizing the gifts and talents of our co-op parents to teach classes and organize group activities. We meet on Thursday afternoons for 10 weeks in the fall and 10 weeks in the winter at DOVE Westgate Church, Ephrata.

Cornerstone


Lower Tier

Contact:  RoseAnn Kuhns or Lauri Shumaker 

Email: lower.tier@cornerstonehomeschoolers.com 

Cornerstone Lower Tier serves families with children in nursery – 8th grade with enrichment classes, gym, choir, field trips and opportunities to fellowship in a Christian environment. We meet for eight weeks in the fall and eight weeks in the spring. All participating members are expected to serve by monitoring, teaching and cleaning. 

Upper Tier

Contact: Anne Flinchbaugh Richey, Director

Email: upper.tier@cornerstonehomeschoolers.com

Website: http://www.homeschool-life.com/pa/cornerstone

Upper Tier is a 30-week, Christian, educational program for students in the 7th-12th grades that meets on Thursdays in Lancaster. Classes are taught by professionals in the areas of science, literature, writing, math, art, world languages, social sciences and electives. Tuition and membership fees are required. Rolling registration opens in April. Limited class availability for 23-24 academic year. See website for more information.

Firm Foundations Academy
Contact: Sarah Northup
Website: www.firmfoundationsacademy.com

We offer a classically minded hybrid homeschool program that seeks to glorify God through educating all students in grades K-12, including those with diverse learning needs. We meet in Ephrata, PA and serve families in the Lancaster County and surrounding areas. Students attend Firm Foundations two days a week and work from home on structured assignments three days a week during the 36 week school year. We employ high academic standards based on the classical philosophy of education and utilize curricula and a methodology that purposes to educate the whole child. Our goal is to provide a sense of community, support, and resources to help all students within our program to have a positive and enriching educational experience.


CONTACT: Mary Miller, firmly.planted.classical@gmail.com


We are a Christ-centered, classical co-op meeting for 24 core weeks dedicated to intentional community and like-minded discipleship of our children for the Gospel’s sake. To facilitate the Grammar Stage (ages 4-12) in community we: -Introduce weekly memorization across seven subject areas. -Practice public speaking and active listening skills at age-appropriate levels. -Grow in the foundational skills of and appreciation for classical art and music. -Experience hands-on science accompanied by Socratic dialogue. To prepare for the logic and rhetoric stages (during grades 4-6) we offer English grammar, applied conceptual mathematical games and challenges, and writing composition (utilizing the Institute for Excellence in Writing program). Membership is limited. Currently accepting applications.

Contact:  Tammy Higgins

Email: heritagehacademy@gmail.com

Website:  https://www.homeschool-life.com/3961/

Heritage Homeschool Academy is a Christian educational community that aims to guide our children into thankful service to God through the study of truth, goodness, and beauty. We believe this path should be vigorous yet peaceful,
full of both wonder and understanding. Our goal is for students to understand their humanity and the world they live in, and to tune their hearts to praise their Creator God. Through our program, we support parents and students along the journey of homeschooling to grow in Christ-like maturity as a community of believers. We provide Biblically-founded teachings in an academically-focused environment to children in Preschool through Secondary grades with a commitment to a classical curriculum combined with a literature-rich approach and a pedagogy of restful learning, known as scholé. Membership is limited.

Learning Station

Contact: Stacy Dieffenbach, Co-op Track inquiries

Adrienne Brubaker, Upper Level Track inquiries

Email: LearningStationCoop@gmail.com


Learning Station supports homeschool families by providing a cooperative learning environment in which students develop academically and socially in a Christian community. Learning Station meets at Lancaster Evangelical Free Church in Lititz, PA. Classes meet on Wednesdays. Co-op track is open to families with students from infant through 12th grade, while upper-level only track is open to students in 7th through 12th grade. To learn more about Learning Station, visit www.homeschool-life.com/pa/ lscoop/ and click on the "About Us" link.

Manheim Area Christian Homeschoolers (MACH)

Contact: Jennifer Anteau

Website: https://www.homeschool-life.com/pa/mach/

MACH is a 26 week Christian-based co-op offering classes for nursery through high school. We strive to provide quality academic and elective courses to help facilitate and support families in their homeschooling endeavors. We meet on Tuesdays at East Fairview Church of the Brethren. Academic classes are held in the morning from 9am-12pm, with optional elective classes held in the afternoons from 12:30pm-2:30pm. Members are required to participate by teaching and helping in classes. An option for high school students to attend without a parental participation in MACH is available.

Contact: Katie Strohecker
Email: secondplanehomeschool@gmail.com

Second Plane Homeschool Collective is a Christian hybrid, Montessori-inspired homeschool group that meets up to 2.5 days a week for 15 weeks in the fall and 15 weeks in the spring. Parents partner with a Pennsylvania certified teacher to create a continuous learning experience from the community classroom to home learning.

More information at secondplanehomeschool.weebly.com.

TEACH (The Educators Affiliation of Christian Homeschoolers)

Email: teachomeschooler@gmail.com

TEACH provides support for homeschooling families in Lancaster and southern Berks counties. Our support is distinctively Christian and includes co-op classes, cell groups, sports teams, music, field trips, and special events. We accept new participants but require each member to commit to volunteering in a way that benefits the group.

Treasures of Grace Home Educators

Contact: Kaddie Hollinger

Email: khollinger27@gmail.com 

Treasures of Grace is a Christ-centered co-op that seeks to support and encourage member families in their homeschooling journey. The mission of Treasures of Grace Educational Home School Association is to support the member home-schooling families through friendship development, encouragement, and prayer, and to provide an opportunity for students to explore subjects which are best experienced in a group setting. Currently, we offer classes for infant through secondary. We meet every other week in the morning for approximately 15 weeks. We also offer field trips, moms’ socials/meetings, and nature walks. Membership is limited.


Vine and Branches Homeschoolers Lancaster County (vineandbrancheshslanco.org)

Contact Email: admin@vineandbrancheshslanco.org

WHO IS THE GROUP FOR: Christian homeschooling families that seek community and shared learning experiences as a supplement to their home-based schooling. This is a cooperative rooted in faith in Jesus and the truths in His Word. We desire this group to help homeschooling families abide in Jesus, to bring Him glory and bear good fruit as faithful parents. All families who apply for membership must affirm our Biblically based Statement of Faith. Each family must have an affidavit on record with their school district here in PA confirming home schooling status OR that their children are under the private tutor provision with the child’s parent(s) as the primary tutor(s).

WHERE: Northwestern Lancaster County meeting in Ephrata at Dove Westgate Church!

WHEN: Main gatherings will be on Wednesdays starting at 9:00 AM. We aim to offer 3 learning sessions including 2 classroom based and 1 session for physical education, sports, fitness and play for preschool through 8th grade. For High Schoolers we aim to offer 3 learning sessions plus sports and fitness time just following lunch. There will also be a short group devotion time and a shared lunch together. We will meet approximately 10 weeks in Autumn and Spring.

WHAT WE AIM FOR: Fellowship, faith and friendship building for parents and children, devotion time as a whole group, prayer for one another, offering encouragement and support to one another and various optional fellowship and sharing events. Nursery care for infants and toddlers up to age 2 for parents while they are serving. Bible rooted group learning, play and snack time for preschoolers ages 3 to 4.

DESTINATION: We believe God is calling this group together to grow and flourish for years down the road so fellowship, community involvement, patterns of learning options and friendships can blossom. We want to encourage both fellowship and skillfully prepared group learning that can be a strong base of support to families educating and training up their children in their own homeschools.

HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association)

CHAP (Christian Homeschool Association of PA)

Diploma Options

Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has authorized a number of agencies to grant state-recognized home education diplomas for PA residents. Click here for links to a few.