Show Notes
Homeschool kids need more than curriculum, co-op, and activities — they need third spaces where they can belong outside of home and academics. In this episode of Secular Homeschool Revolution, Ashley talks about why third spaces matter for homeschoolers, especially in a world that is not always kid-friendly. We discuss how libraries, parks, youth groups, art spaces, co-ops, sports teams, community centers, and cultural spaces can help kids build identity, independence, friendships, confidence, and real-life community skills. This episode also explores the challenges: access, cost, transportation, unsafe spaces, performative inclusivity, and overscheduling.
Listen, like, follow, and subscribe to Secular Homeschool Revolution — the podcast for secular progressive homeschoolers who are reimagining education unapologetically. Support the podcast:https://buymeacoffee.com/secularhschoolrevolution
More from Secular Homeschool Revolution
Your library card might be one of the most useful tools in your homeschool and you may be using only a fraction of what it offers. In this episode, Ashley talks about using libraries for books, audiobooks, documentaries, research, programming, homeschool meetups, study spaces, and more. She also shares why she has seven library cards and how homeschoolers can look beyond their local library for digital resources. We talk about:
When educational systems fail Black children, who absorbs the cost? Ashley connects her daughter’s unmet service needs and her family’s financial and relational sacrifices to her mother-in-law’s experience desegregating San Antonio schools. This episode explores homeschooling as protection, the unequal access to educational alternatives, and why individual escape is not the same as collective liberation. Read the New York Times Magazine article that inspired this episode: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/20/magazine/ny-public-schools-black-students-segregation.html Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/secularhschoolrevolution Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @secularhomeschoolrevolution Website: https://www.secularhomeschoolrevolution.com
Co-op Q&A: Building an Inclusive Homeschool Community Is starting a homeschool co-op hard? How do you attract diverse families, navigate conflict, and keep your community sustainable? In this episode of Secular Homeschool Revolution, Ashley answers the questions you dm'd her about building a secular, diverse, and inclusive homeschool co-op. We're talking parent-led classes, leadership, nonprofit status, community responsibility, and why creating an accountable space matters more than simply calling it a safe space. Connect & Support: Instagram: @secularhomeschoolrevolution TikTok: @secularhomeschoolrevolution Buy Me a Coffee
What does a secular, parent-led homeschool co-op actually look like? In this episode, Ashley shares how For the Culture Homeschool Co-op serves about 40 families through parent-taught classes, mixed-age clubs, community traditions, and a shared commitment to inclusive education, honest history, and evidence-based science. She also talks about FTC’s shift toward community-led leadership, her Fairness Lab, and why the homeschool community has to be something we contribute to not just consume. Follow: @secularhomeschoolrevolution on Instagram & TikTokSupport the podcast: buymeacoffee.com/secularhschoolrevolution Like, follow, subscribe, and share with another homeschool family.
How do you know if your child is actually learning? Ashley shares how completing an online homeschool curriculum failed to reveal major writing gaps—and what she learned from it. Discover four practical questions to evaluate homeschool progress, recognize learning gaps, assess curriculum effectiveness, and decide when to adjust or seek support.