Getting Ready for Opening - FAQs and Information!

About 18 hours ago I posted on social media that we were finished logging books and are set to open the IL HRC bookstore next week on Tuesday 8/26 from 9 am to 4 pm.

The response has been explosive! My phone plays a little sound whenever someone lands on our website, which, until today, wasn't very often. However, I had to silence those notifications because they became so frequent over the last 18 hours! Our Facebook following also grew substantially. We're receiving comments, messages, and emails at a rate that's difficult to keep up with!

I share all this only to say it's obvious that Central Illinois wants and needs this Homeschool Resource Center and we are so excited (and humbled) to be getting it started!

The influx of traffic and attention has brought a lot of questions, so I wanted to use this post to answer the most frequently asked questions as well as to share our vision and dreams moving forward.

Hours

As stated earlier - we plan to open next Tuesday from 9-4 and then weekly on Tuesdays during those same hours. As a homeschool family ourselves, we're totally flexible and may shift the hours to accommodate varying schedules (as in later for working parents etc.).

⭐ Vision for open hours - Eventually, I would love to be open 5 days a week and available to support homeschool families daily, but, until we have more help, we'll have to stick with one day a week.

Location

We are so thankful to have been offered a space inside the Goodfield Community Library

Address: 111 Fisk St. in Goodfield IL

⭐ Vision for the location - While we are incredibly grateful to be able to use the space inside the library, eventually we would love to have a building fully dedicated to the homeschool community.

Are bookstore items for sale or available to borrow?

To start, everything in the bookstore will be for sale.

⭐ Vision - We seriously considered a starting a lending library, but we realized that would take more management and systems than we are able to take on at the start. This is definitely something we hope to provide in the future.

Are you taking Curriculum Donations?

Yes! We are open to taking gently used curriculum, books, and educational items to stock the bookstore with. Donations may be dropped off at the Goodfield Community Library just inside the doors. Please mark donations with an "IL HRC" label so we can distinguish them from Library donations.

Are you purchasing used curriculum?

Currently, no. Until we've been open for a little while, we don't have the revenue to purchase inventory.

⭐ Vision - as soon as we're up and running and have a little more cash-flow, we have plans to start a buy-back program. We're working on details that include options for cash or in-store credit and an intake process that can be handled quickly while you shop.

The best way to stay updated on this program (and more) is to join our email list!

How can we get involved?

If you are excited about the prospects of the IL HRC and want to benefit the homeschool community in central Illinois, we have some great opportunities for you! All our grand visions and plans will only be possible with the help of many.

Visit our "Get Involved" page to learn more.

What are the plans for the future?

⭐ This is the most exciting part of the IL HRC! We have so many ideas and plans to benefit homeschool families in central Illinois! Here are just a few ideas:

• Printing/Binding/Laminating station - this is in the works and will be available soon!

• Monthly Events - These special events will range from educational opportunities for children to support and encouragement for parents.

• Community - Don't homeschool alone! Even if you aren't interested in shopping for books, come to the IL HRC on Tuesdays to make friends and learn from other homeschool families.

• Special Needs Support - This is a huge area of need in the homeschool world and we would love to provide help and resources for these special families. We are in need of someone with experience and passion in this area.

• Baby/Toddler Time - homeschooling with babies and toddlers in tow can be hard! We would love to give moms the opportunity to focus on their school aged kids for a few hours on Tuesdays without being pulled away by their littles. Once again, this will probably happen on Tuesdays while we're open.

• Co-op directory - Imagine having a central location for co-op information! We plan to build a co-op directory so we can connect families with the best co-ops for them.

• Co-op leader support - starting a co-op is a huge undertaking, but not one that you have to do alone. We hope to plan an annual networking and support event for co-op leaders.

• Career opportunities for high school students - Business owners and companies are interested in hiring homeschool students! The IL HRC plans to help foster those relationships and provide connection points between the working world and homeschool world.

For the more distant future, we have more grand plans and ideas (most are only possible with a larger building)....

• A homeschool sports program

• A drama or music program

• Classes to supplement and support the education that's happening at home.

• A coffee shop or community space

• Spaces and equipment for homeschool families to use that are difficult to have in the home (i.e. arts/crafts, shop/garage with tools, a science lab, etc.)

See you on Tuesday!

Once again, I am so humbled and overwhelmed by the response we've had for the IL HRC! We are so excited for next Tuesday and can't wait to meet all of you! Keep sharing about the IL HRC on social media, tell your friends, and make a day of it!

Not to get too cheesy, but a tune from High School Musical keeps playing in my head and feels like a good way to end this post:

🎶This could be the start

of something new....🎶