Why New York City is a GREAT Place to Homeschool
And Why NYC is a Great Place for Homeschoolers to Visit!
When I first started homeschooling I was living on Manhattan’s upper west side. At the time, I wished we were in a rural environment, with a big backyard and plenty of space to build projects and discover nature. To mind, that was the ideal environment for homeschooling. But within days I realized that there was probably no better place in the world to homeschool than New York City.
5 reasons why NYC is such a great place to homeschool
NYC seems to have it all! Museums! Parks! Cultural institutions! Historic sites! Zoos! Every one of these places offers free or cheap educational experiences to NYC residents. Some have free days, others offer free admission with a Culture Pass (or you can reserve passes with a library card), and some places never charge fee. In my early years of homeschooling, I was always broke. City living can be expensive, but I discovered a world class education could be obtained in NYC at a very low cost.
NYC homeschooling students receive free MetroCards, now called OMNY cards, good for four trips per day on the bus or subway, any day of the week, all year long. This means that kids can get to the location mentioned in #1 for free (adults, unfortunately, still have to pay).
The vast, thriving community of NYC homeschooling families is welcoming and helpful. Homeschoolers often feel overwhelmed at the start, while those of us already on this journey know that no one does it alone. Homeschoolers freely answer questions, help with paperwork, and share resources that worked for them. Homeschooling parents create group activities, field trips, classes and co-ops throughout the city. Find Support Groups in NYC here.
The library system in NYC is one of the best in the world, especially when you combine the Brooklyn Library (available to all NYC residents) with the NYPL (Manhattan, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island). Online and archived resources are vast. Books can be requested from any branch and delivered to another branch in the same system. Homeschooling parents are eligible for educator’s cards, which allow you to borrow more materials for a longer period. Check out the library calendar for workshops and events for all ages. When my kids were elementary age, we spent a day every week in a library, where they not only browsed and selected books, but also listened to story time, learned computer skills, watched movies, enjoyed art and history exhibits, made crafts, and more, all for free!
Homeschool learning centers in Brooklyn and Manhattan offer drop-off classes and social gatherings. Veteran homeschooling parents who are teachers lead classes and host events for homeschoolers, including an annual prom and graduation ceremony. With so many choices, your kid can have a part-time “school” experience with the freedom to choose when and where they go and how long they stay. Kids homeschooling in NYC can attend classes and group experiences with other homeschoolers in learning centers, parks, art studios, family living rooms, community theaters, and more. Here’s a partial list of classes created for homeschoolers, in NYC and online (scroll to the bottom of the linked page).
Homeschoolers visiting NYC can take advantage of the parks, cultural institutions, museums and historic sites. They can also connect with homeschoolers! Contact a support group on Facebook, and possibly join other homeschoolers ice skating in Bryant Park on a winter day, or attend NYCHEA’s biggest annual event, the Not-Back-to-School Picnic in early September, where hundreds of homeschoolers gather (usually in Central Park) to share food, swap books, make friends, plan classes, and learn more about homeschooling in NYC.
Homeschoolers thrive in New York City!
Related Articles and Books
Tips for Museum Trips with Kids, with links to a few NYC museums and resources
Education Uncensored by Laurie Block Spigel, about homeschooling with a NYC perspective. Reader review excerpts: “…it’s part memoir, part education book, part homeschooling primer, all wonderful." ~ Mary O'Riordan, Ed.D, NYC homeschooling parent; "…your book is terrific, for me the best part was its New York perspective. I know no other book available to homeschoolers that so overtly references an urban perspective." ~David Albert, author of And the Skylark Sings with Me.
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