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Buying Club + Homeschooling = Many
Educational Experiences Parents of homeschooled children are always seeking ways
to provide educational experiences for their children. I have found
that operating a food buying club offers so many valuable and useful
learning opportunities. Many concepts such as reading, math, computer
skills, environmentalism and food issues, geography, finances, physical
education, socialization, cooperation, volunteerism, networking and
organizational skills can be learned from a buying club. Here are just
some of the ways that this is accomplished: READING ~ My 11 year old
daughter assists with inputting food orders which requires reading skills
in different formats -typed or written. Also, when sorting the food
she will read ingredient labels to determine if Mom and Dad will order
this product....especially if it is an interesting looking cereal or
snack food item (e.g. chocolate bars). She will comment, "Mom,
this does not have too much sugar in it" or "all the ingredients
look O.K. to eat!!" She also assists with sorting the food into
boxes which requires reading the member's food order and finding that
item on the table. MATH ~ Children can
learn what is meant by singles or cases, what 946 ml or 1 litre looks
like by seeing and comparing the actual item when it is delivered. Also,
calculating the invoices for each member's food order provides for math
skills in a) totalling the order, b) learning what a 1% discount is
and how it is calculated and c) learning what PST and GST are and why
they are charged. COMPUTER SKILLS ~
My 11 year old recently inputted approximately 18 orders into the Excel
Macro program. In checking her work I only needed to make a couple of
revisions. She was persistent and didn't walk away from the task after
a couple of orders. This is great for learning a computer program and
enhancing computer and keyboarding skills on top of improved reading
skills. ENVIRONMENTALISM AND FOOD ISSUES
~ ONFC's mission statement - "Our mission is to support a sustainable
food system by providing, with integrity, quality service in the distribution
of organic and natural foods and products within a socially responsible,
co-operative network." Ordering through ONFC provides many opportunities
to discuss a) how our food purchases affect the environment and our
health, b) why we don't shop at the local grocery store like everyone
else, c) how we can contribute to a sustainable food system and what
does sustainable mean, d) what is fair trade and why this is important
to support and promote which leads nicely into discussions of social
justice and economic fairness for all. GEOGRAPHY ~ Discussing
where our food comes from and how my coffee purchase (I know, I keep
trying to give it up!!) affects the livelihood and environment of those
in other countries where it is grown. Learning "the lay of the
land" so to speak when delivering specials and catalogues to members
who are located in several different communities in our area. FINANCES ~ Learning
about a) adjustments (credits and debits), b) what cheques are and how
that relates to cash, c) identifying and understanding paper money and
coins and what each is worth, d) totalling up the cheques and cash,
determining what is owed to ONFC and submitting payment within the proper
time frame. PHYSICAL EDUCATION ~
My children seem to enjoy assisting with bringing the boxes into the
house and helping members take their food orders to their cars. This
provides great exercise and strength training. However, I also find
this a bit perplexing since I hear many complaints when I ask them to
clean their room!! SOCIALIZATION ~ Children
can enjoy natural experiences in meeting and talking to others when
buying club members help sort or pick up their food. They get to know
our ONFC driver as well. This provides "real life" socialization
experiences where they can meet and talk with people from various age
groups and backgrounds as well as play with other children at food pickup
time. COOPERATION ~ Operating
a buying club requires cooperation on everyone's part. Children can
learn how this is crucial to the club's success and that it contributes
to goodwill and solidarity among its members. Parents can also educate
their children with respects to how ONFC operates differently from other
businesses and how the cooperative approach contributes to choice and
personal empowerment. VOLUNTEERISM ~ Children
can learn first hand how volunteering is important and valuable in a
buying club. Hopefully this will instill in them the desire, in the
future, to volunteer their time towards worthwhile endeavours in order
to gain a wonderful sense of well being. They can learn to contribute
to the greater good without expecting monetary reward. NETWORKING ~ A bonus
to getting great food delivered to your door is the wonderful networking
opportunities that arise with members of the buying club. Our children
get to interact and learn from people such as the following: social
activists, naturalists, educators, other homeschoolers, CSA organic
farmers and nutritional consultants. Members can gain access to sources
of organic produce, gluten free baked goods and free range, organic
eggs from members within the club or from outside sources through networking.
The children learn a more holistic approach to living their lives and
how real communities should and can work. ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS
~ Many useful organizational skills can be learned when operating a
buying club such as: a) setting up an ordering schedule, b) getting
information to members, c) receiving and inputting orders, d) sending
orders to ONFC, e) receiving and sorting food orders and f) quality
control checks (i.e. verifying that what you ordered is what you have
received from ONFC and ensuring that the each member's order is sorted
correctly). |