Fall 2019

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Home Educators for Excellence in Des Moines, HEED, is
celebrating our 25-year anniversary in 2019, and we are
thankful to both look back and look forward for all those
who have served, prayed and supported HEED. The founders of
our organization laid a strong foundation, which has allowed us
to not only survive, but thrive, in the age of technology and a
plethora of options people can choose for their families.
HEED has a rich history of servant leaders with both a wide
and a forward vision for our Co-op. That vision, along with a
strong framework of rules and guidelines has helped HEED ride
the waves of trends, needs, and changes in the homeschooling
community. We want to share the key elements we feel are con-
ducive to the long life of HEED.
Monthly Meetings
The crux of HEED is the monthly meetings. These meetings are
in the evening and for the member home educator, which is pri-
marily the mama, but fathers are welcome to attend.
Variety
The monthly meetings have always been a feast of variety and
a source of encouragement, fellowship, and learning, whether
from a guest speaker from within our group or outside, panels
on a specific topic, or a time for the ladies to brainstorm and
share ideas for school, for personal time, or their family.
Food
Would you like to know another ingredient which works for
our gatherings? Food. It works! Jesus did a lot of teaching over
food, and it usually helps draw people together. We have a Hos-
pitality Coordinator who organizes volunteers to bring snacks:
one sweet, one healthy. After our monthly meetings, everyone
is invited to Applebee’s for more conversation and to share ap-
petizers. This is a spontaneous thing which started a few years
Building a Strong Co-Op
BY CATHY SORENSON AND CRYSTAL WIELAND
ago and just stuck.
Connection
Besides the monthly meetings, we have a website and email
forum provided by Homeschool Life. The forum is a great online
space to ask questions and get support in between meetings.
People can pose questions about curriculum, sell school items,
ask for advice about teenagers or technology, find a good elec-
trician, or plan a playdate. The forum is a great way to connect
even when the monthly meetings are not possible due to sched-
ules.
Mentoring
About 20 years ago, a Mentoring Moms group was initiated
and has continued to today. Sometimes mentoring took a one-
on-one approach, but mostly met in small groups with an older
veteran mom. This not only benefited the young moms in learn-
ing and adjusting to the first two years or so of homeschool-
ing, but it developed many relationships that still bind a large
percentage of our members today. A side benefit has been that
many of our past and current leaders came out of these groups
and are serving HEED today.
Activities and Events
We have always enjoyed a wide variety of field trips, classes,
and big group events, such as holiday-themed parties, Family
Game Nights (with food, of course!) and our Track and Field Day.
Many play groups, playdates, service projects, and club-type
groups have sprung up during the years to meet the needs and
desires of our families.
Unit of Service
Every member is required to “give back” and complete a Unit
of Service during the school year. This can be in a variety of ar-
eas, such as plan a field trip, help set up before a meeting, bring