‘Filling the gap.’ 1st homeschool resource center opens in Tri-Cities region
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- Teach the Children opens Tri-Cities' first physical homeschool resource center.
- The 625-sq-ft space offers curricula access, workshops and enrichment classes.
- Founder Laura Battles aims to meet growing demand for alternative education.
A West Richland mom is hoping her small nonprofit will have a big impact on the Tri-Cities’ bustling homeschooling community.
Teach the Children, founded in 2024, is opening a physical space for parents to peruse curricula, students to engage in enrichment activities, and to hold educational workshops for families.
Laura Battles, 42, says their homeschool resource center — the first of its kind for the region — is “filling the gap” for families who need resources or for parents lost in the process.
“This is a center that will hopefully bring the community together and inspire other moms and dads to do what’s best for their kids,” she said.
The opening event at the center, at 4034 West Van Giesen Street, Suite G, in West Richland, is set for 1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30.
Beginning Oct. 1, the homeschool resource center will have open office hours 1-4 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Battles last year was blown away when her nonprofit hosted an inaugural homeschool convention, which welcomed more than 400 parents, 40 vendors and hosted 17 workshops.
There are at least 890 students and 500 families in the Tri-Cities who have opted out of public school in exchange for homeschooling, according to an OSPI tally from last school year.
Homeschooling boomed in the years immediately following the COVID pandemic, but enrollment has been on a slight decline since.
Battles says the community of homeschoolers continues to expand as parents seek out alternative learning environments. There is a “clear need” for a brick-and-mortar center as a parents continue to ask her about alternatives to public school.
Families homeschool for variety of reasons, including religious, health, program offerings, and individualized educational needs. And Battles acknowledges the model is not a best fit for all families.
Why homeschool?
A mother of three kids, Battles said their homeschooling journey started during the 2020 pandemic. Her kids were in 1st grade and kindergarten at the time.
“The schools were in this state of limbo. They didn’t know what they were going to do,” she said. “It was just the state of the world at that time.”
Her family enrolled her kids in Three Rivers HomeLink, a publicly funded parent-partnership program. After three years, Battles and her husband felt it would be best to go independent.
Battles said she had that “gut, mom feeling” that they could make a successful shift.
“A lot of it is our faith. It just felt like we were at that spot,” she said.
Teach the Children’s 625-square-foot homeschool resource center features a curriculum library and two classrooms.
The space will host hands-on extracurriculars that “foster creativity and student engagement.” Workshops and classes will also be hosted to equip parents with the resources they need to be successful.
Battles says she offers a homeschooling 101 class a few times a year where they go over laws and expectations, as well as answer parent questions.
She’s excited to welcome families in, and says the center represents “our heart for families.”
“It’s a place where homeschooling parents and students can come not only for resources, but for community and inspiration,” Battles said in a statement.
