While on our way to karate the other day, my middle child, Kai was freaking out because his seat belt didn’t have enough slack to be fastened. He was yanking and whining when big brother Fin said, “Kai, when it gets like that, you have to let go first, and then it will work!”
You have to let go first, and then it will work.
These unknowingly profound words uttered by my 8-year-old really echoed in my brain for the rest of the ride. Lucky for them, this time, I didn’t burst into a “car-ride-wisdom-monologue by mom” as I often can.
You know the saying, If you love something, let it go, if it was meant to be, it will come back to you. I often mentally entertain the loss of something I hold dear, to see how I would feel about that alternative reality in an effort to adjust my attitude in the present.
We’ve recently been mentally exploring the hard questions of what if Bēhere doesn’t work out (gasp!). It’s hard to even process that outcome after how hard we’ve worked and how many people have joined us, and want to join us for fall sessions and beyond. But what if we cannot get the funds required to improve our facility and therefore keep our staff and customers happy. What then? As I sit in the mental space with these real & discouraging thoughts, I am not overtaken with fear, but rather invigorated in purpose once more to push a little further and see how far we can go. Because as hokey as it sounds, the world needs what Bēhere has to offer.
The homeschool marketplace is changing rapidly. The homeschool families I am seeing enter the space are not the homeschool evangelists of the past. These families are nervous to start this journey, they “don’t enjoy homeschooling,” and are still searching to outsource as much of the learning as they can, while maintaining the flexibility and freedom and autonomy they desire over their schedule, medical, religious and curriculum choices. Many of these homeschoolers have felt “forced” into this path and haven’t found their stride or joy in it yet. Many days, I would include myself in this camp, threatening my children to send them to school and I will go back to full time work.
But in a life where we constantly have to let go of what we cannot control, our children’s education is not the thing to acquiesce on. There are so many beautiful alternative solutions now that don’t have to be institutional OR look like traditional homeschooling life.
THIS, this is why homeschooling in community is SO important.
At Bēhere, we want to help organize the homeschool revolution. This is a revolution that makes homeschooling accessible to anyone. You don’t have to fit in with the perfect sourdough making, homesteading, stay-at-home mom world to succeed at homeschooling, heck you don’t even have to “do school” at “home.”
Homeschooling isn’t even the right term anymore. You’re really just trying to curate a highly personalized education for your child that nourishes their talents and gifts. You don’t have to be the one to teach them all the subjects, you just need to make it your job to get curious about who they are, observe them, know them, develop a rich relationship with them and then coordinate the right learning experiences that honor their unique identity.
But this is a lot of work, and we’re on the path to make it easier. Bēhere will have a muti-location presence in the near future, so that we can provide solutions to some communities north and south of our Conejo Valley Headquarters. But this cannot happen until we find some more flow in our Conejo Valley chapter.
We launched with a very simple, off grid land operation, only a small cabinet, for storage, a tent/teepee and some tables and ninja courses under the trees. We made magic happen, but not without the cost of excessive amounts of time invested by the staff in hauling supplies back and forth.
As much as I love forest school mentality of there is no bad weather, only bad gear, we want to level up some of the lessons this year that will require weather proof supply storage and work spaces.
We either need a new miracle turn-key facility in the same area, or funding to get what we need developed (Outdoor Classroom, Desks, Storage, Wash Space). So I am going to spitball some ideas with you here.
Idea One:
We bring in some Bēhere Brand Sponsors! Ideally this wouldn’t have to be our parents who already invest to send their children to our workshops. We’re looking for businesses or corporate sponsors who want to see this homeschool revolution flourish.
We’d offer ad space on our website, camp t-shirts, banners, and a shout-out thank you in every article and newsletter published during the school year.
Idea Two:
“introduce us to an investor, and get a semester.” Meaning, if you know anyone who has the means to sponsor /invest, we will offer you up to a full FREE fall season at Bēhere. (for investments over $10k)
Opening this up for other ideas as we’re opening up our hearts to be in a place to receive abundance and prosperity on this divinely inspired mission we’re on!
If you need a refresher on the mission, it’s to bring families together, to make homeschooling accessible to anyone who feels called to the journey, and give children a curated-educational experience that unlocks their genius.
Matthew and I are in the process of releasing thoughts and ideas that haven’t served us, and are opening up to receive whatever the divine plan is for Bēhere to find a flow and a fit that is right for our family, our staff, and the parents and children in the midst of this homeschool revolution.
Much gratitude for your support in this revolution! 🙏