Find a homeschool co-op near you

What is a homeschool co-op?

A homeschool co-op is a group of homeschooling families who meet regularly and teach one another's children. “Co-op” is short for cooperative — the families run it together rather than buying a service. One parent might lead a science class while another takes art, a third organises the field trips, and everyone pitches in with setup and clean-up. It isn't school, and it isn't a drop-off programme by default: at most co-ops the parents stay, help, and share the load.

Groups usually meet one morning or afternoon a week during the school year, often in two semesters of eleven to fourteen weeks. Some rent space in a church hall or community centre; some meet in homes or at a park.

What happens at a co-op?

It depends entirely on why the families came together. Most fall somewhere between two poles:

• Academic co-ops cover core subjects — writing, maths, science, history — often with coursework to finish at home. These suit families who want the accountability of a class and a teacher other than Mum or Dad.
• Enrichment co-ops cover the things that are more fun with a crowd: art, drama, music, PE, Lego, sign language, nature study. Usually no homework. The point is the shared experience.

Plenty do both, splitting the day into blocks. Many run a nursery for younger siblings so a parent teaching a class isn't juggling a toddler.

Finding one that fits your family

Co-ops differ enormously, and the differences that matter usually aren't on the website. Some are explicitly Christian and may ask members to agree with a statement of faith; others are secular and welcome every background. Some are a drop-off; most are not. Some charge a small fee per semester to cover the room; others split costs as they go.

Questions worth asking before you commit:

• What is expected of me as a parent — teaching a class, helping in one, staying on site?
• Which ages does it serve, and is there space for younger siblings?
• When and where does it meet, and for how many weeks?
• What does it cost, and what does that cover?
• Is there a statement of faith or a code of conduct to sign?
• Can we visit once before joining?

Almost every co-op will let you come and look. Take it — an hour in the room tells you more than any listing can.

Homeschooling in Missouri

Missouri is one of the easier states in which to home educate: there's no form to file with the state, no approval to wait for, and no required testing. What the law does ask for is 1,000 hours of instruction across the year — 600 of them in reading, language arts, maths, social studies or science, and at least 400 of those 600 at home — together with a plan book or diary of what you taught, a portfolio of your child's work, and a record of their progress. Those records are reviewable only by your local prosecuting attorney. (If you're withdrawing a child already enrolled in a public school, that does need a written notice to the district.) Co-ops don't change any of it: the responsibility stays with the parent, and co-op hours count as instruction like any other.

The reference material page sets out the hours and records Missouri asks for, and links to the statutes themselves.

About this directory

This directory exists because homeschool co-ops are famously hard to find. Most don't advertise. They grow by word of mouth, which works beautifully until you're new in town and don't know anyone yet.

Some listings were added by the co-ops themselves. Others are community listings, compiled from details each group already publishes publicly and marked as such — those are pinned to the town rather than an address, and any co-op can claim or remove its own listing at any time. Nothing here is vetted or endorsed: please visit and ask questions before you take part.

Run a co-op? Add it free — and if you'd like, use the app to handle the schedule, sign-ups, and reminders.