I launched my own museum career from a three-foot pit at the Allen House Archaeology Summer Camp in 1998. A few months later, I was cataloguing artifacts with the excavation’s director and developing an incurable obsession with 18th-century textiles. I’ve long since traded my trowel for a laptop (and my Teenage Liberation Handbook for a history degree), but I remain a self-appointed poster child for what alternative education guru John Holt defines as “learning through life.”

During my days as an intern, I encountered a rather frustrated museum educator. “You seem like a very mature young lady,” she said, noting the Plimoth Plantation nametag pinned to my blazer. “But you should see some of these homeschoolers—they are all over the place!” It was at that moment that I realized the need for this article. We are indeed “all over the place,” and we defy conventional museum programming. My family stopped visiting museums with other homeschoolers because their conduct was often embarrassing. Nevertheless, as a trowel-wielding 13-year-old (with a crush on the boy in the unit next to me), I made museums an integral part of my academic and social life. In return, I contributed more than 100 hours of volunteer labor to one museum and helped develop a living history program at another.

By understanding the learning styles and demographics of the homeschool community, your museum can transform its homeschool programming from a challenge to an educational (and even financial) success. There are approximately 1.5 million homeschoolers nationwide, and museums can be a key ingredient in the alternative learner mix. But first, a few nuts and bolts.

To mainstream America, there are two types of homeschoolers: religious fanatics who homeschool their children to avoid the “corruptive” power of public schools and granola-eating tree-huggers who “unschool” their children for the sake of self-directed learning. In truth, most homeschool families, including my own, fall somewhere between these two extremes.   

Unschoolers emphasize a self-directed approach to learning: apprenticeships, travel and independent pursuits replace the traditional textbook. Alternatively, many homeschoolers choose to purchase a ready-made curriculum. These students follow a set syllabus and send their exams to the curriculum company for grading. Other homeschoolers combine a variety of approaches to learning. They pursue some interests independently, take classes with other homeschool students or enroll at the local community college. Regardless of their learning style, homeschoolers consistently outperform their public school counterparts by 30 to 37 percentile points, according to a survey by the National Home Education Research Institute.

The term homeschooler is rather misleading. According to a recent study, 98 percent of homeschooled students are involved in two or more extracurricular activities per week. As a result, they spend very little time actually in their homes, devoting a substantial part of their day to the pursuit of non-traditional learning opportunities. There are no national educational requirements for homeschoolers, although some states require standardized testing. This means that homeschoolers enjoy great flexibility in terms of scheduling and subject matter and often look to museums to supplement their education.

In the 24-foot motor home of the No-Boundary Adventure School (of which my father was principal, my mother headmistress and my brother’s basset hound school mascot), family vacations became history lessons. We visited national parks, state capitals and dozens of museums, thus adding an educational component to our cross-country travels. Individual family visits, such as our four-person Civil War tour, are fairly easy for museums to accommodate.

Although my brother and I engaged in the usual amount of sibling antagonism, we behaved ourselves in museums. It is when homeschoolers organize that they become dangerous. Whether a loose affiliation of like-minded parents or an official organization based on religious beliefs, homeschool groups organize a wide variety of events. Ranging from homeschool proms to academic competitions, these events also include field trips. A parking lot full of minivans is a sure sign that a homeschool group is about to invade your museum. Fortunately, by recognizing the unique needs of homeschoolers and anticipating their rather unusual group dynamics, several museums have developed effective strategies for dealing with the minivan ambush.

Education programs designed for a class of fourth graders, for example, simply will not work for homeschoolers. If your museum decides to offer homeschool-specific programming, it is important to identify and cater to the needs of the homeschool community. Because there are so few legislative requirements, there is no guarantee that all program participants have studied the same subjects in the same order.

Additionally, homeschooling parents want something they cannot give their children on their own. Subjects such as math and science are more difficult to teach in a homeschool setting. Museums that successfully integrate laboratory components into their educational programming, such as the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, have become especially popular. The Franklin Institute offers environmental science workshops for ages 7 to 14, designed in accordance with the National Science Education Standards. For older students, the museum offers a competitive internship program with Partnerships in Achieving Careers in Technology and Science. Students train at the museum during the first half of their internship and spend the second half conducting environmental fieldwork in Philadelphia’s Fairmont Park.

Last but not least, homeschoolers look to their support groups and the museums they visit to provide opportunities for education and socialization.

In planning your program, it is important to note the differences between the requirements of public school students and homeschoolers. Handouts and pre-trip materials are especially necessary for homeschoolers to compensate for various levels of preparedness. Docents should also be made aware that many homeschool students have not been exposed to conventional classroom behavior. My brother and I attended public elementary school and were, therefore, thoroughly indoctrinated in raising our hands for permission to speak. Many of our friends, however, were less willing to comply with “public school” practices and more eager to shout out the answer without waiting their turn.

Homeschool parents are among the most assertive on the planet; they will flock to “special” behind-the-scenes tours. Furthermore, homeschool students do surprisingly well in adult or continuing education classes. I participated in several workshops in which I was the youngest by at least three decades. Most teenagers aren’t interested in colonial basketry, but there are a few of us who are. Offering older students something beyond the usual children’s programming will not only serve their educational goals, it will reduce the temptation for homeschool parents to push their underage children into advanced-level classes.

Unfortunately, designing the perfect program is only half of the battle; hands-on learning often equals family learning. Even though your program may be designed for 9-year-olds (and advertised as such), this will not stop younger siblings from tagging along. In the spirit of divide and conquer, the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore offers concurrent workshops for different age groups.

Teenagers require a little more convincing. Speaking from experience, I can say that the promise of socialization is an extremely powerful incentive. I, for one, found the ecosystem of a salt marsh estuary much more exciting when I was collecting water samples alongside my crush instead of my little brother. By separating teens from their younger siblings, you just might succeed in infusing their socializing with a lesson on the finer points of a water molecule.

Children and teenagers accounted for, it is now time to turn our attention to the drivers of those minivans: homeschool parents. They have chosen to invest considerable time and money in their children’s education, and they want to learn, too. While parents should be assisting with supervision, they can easily wreak havoc if not provided with a project or a gallery guide. The Franklin Institute does not require parents to attend homeschool workshops but allows them to do so if they make prior arrangements to the program.

One final caveat: Homeschoolers are always late and always will be. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s the science experiments that require tending, the quick trips to the grocery store that lead to a debate on the history of American economics or the fact that even installing a new light bulb can be turned into a learning experience. My mother swore we would never succumb to such behavior, and yet even the No-Boundary Adventure School slipped slowly into perpetual tardiness. Don’t take it personally, and be prepared. While large groups and unsupervised children can be overwhelming, anticipating their needs and harnessing their enthusiasm can turn  their visit into a positive experience for all parties.

Homeschoolers are paying customers and can put your extra classroom space to use during the day. While educational programs are not always profitable, several museums attribute increased visitation and membership to their development of homeschool-specific programming. According to Heidi Wilhelm, education assistant at the Walters Art Museum, service to the homeschool community, while not necessarily profitable, never hurts a grant application.

I should perhaps warn you of the long-term ramifications of a successful relationship with your local homeschool community: The minivans might keep coming. Because homeschoolers are not required to do anything, they do not need to visit your museum. If they come, it is because they want to be there. Because homeschooling is so conducive to individual pursuits, students often develop interests that exhaust their parents’ expertise. My mother, like the majority of the population, does not share my fixation with 18th-century spinning wheels. She was more than willing to find me a suitable mentor at the local historical society with whom I could discuss fibers to my heart’s content.

Homeschoolers make enthusiastic volunteers. Mini-internships will satisfy their “learning through life” curiosity and may even satisfy your museum’s need for grunt workers in the archaeology lab. Generally speaking, homeschoolers are self-motivated, disciplined and excited about learning. Best of all, they are available during the day.

If your museum lacks the resources to develop homeschool-specific programming and cannot support a high school internship program, a special day set aside for homeschoolers, such as an open house, may provide a viable alternative and stimulate interest. Homeschoolers gravitate towards exclusive events, not because they’re antisocial but because their reasons for visiting a museum are so often at odds with those of other school-age groups. I remember visiting New Jersey’s Liberty Science Center as a child and being very disappointed when “the enemy” (public schoolers) arrived. They were excited to get out of the classroom and regarded the museum as an extension of their playground, but I spent every day out of the classroom and actually wanted to learn about plate tectonics. Additionally, homeschoolers invariably attract the interest and even scrutiny of non-homeschoolers. As a teenager, I rarely mentioned that I was homeschooled because I hated explaining it. By spending time with other homeschoolers, I could move beyond the usual question: “So, do you have any friends?”

Despite requests from homeschoolers, it would be impossible to close Plimoth Plantation to all non-homeschoolers because of the sheer volume of other daily visitors, explained Suzi Fonda, education coordinator at the Massachusetts museum. Instead Plimoth transformed an extra classroom into a temporary homeschool lounge, giving homeschool families an opportunity to network and providing a nursing station for homeschool mothers. Plimoth Plantation offers an annual Homeschool Open House where homeschoolers are charged a reduced admission and given access to the special homeschool lounge. The museum functions as it would on any normal day, aside from the influx of hundreds of homeschoolers.

One of the best things about targeting homeschoolers is that advertising can be done at little or no cost. Many states have homeschool list-serves. Homeschool conferences and curriculum fairs, sponsored by local or state homeschool groups, offer workshops, legal advice, panel sessions and a wonderful opportunity to promote your museum. Most homeschool groups welcome speakers from local cultural and educational institutions and will distribute your literature for a nominal fee. Libraries, religious organizations and other homeschool hangouts, including hobby shops, art supply stores and performing arts schools, provide additional low-cost advertising opportunities. While the Walters publishes a monthly e-newsletter for homeschoolers, Fonda emphasizes the importance of word of mouth. “Word spreads like wildfire,” she recalled. “Tell one homeschooler and 50 will come.”

Still not convinced? As a home-schooler, I attended my first Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums conference at 14. I spent a portion of my senior year restoring a historic home in northern Germany. I am now a senior at Goucher College with four museum internships under my belt, a double major in dance and history and a minor in historic preservation. Though my salt marsh estuary crush has given way to more appropriate pursuits, I consider myself a well-adjusted adult and have museums to thank.