ETCNWA was founded in January 2004.  The NWA chapter of ETC was modeled after the original Eclectic Teaching Consortium near Oklahoma City..  Two homeschooling moms issued a personal invitation to a few area home educators who were using some non-traditional forms of teaching.  In the beginning, ETC met monthly in a member's home.  

Nature Study Club was added in the spring of 2004 as a group activity implementing the Charlotte Mason style of Nature Study.  Nature Study soon became the monthly highlight for ETC children and almost always included a hike in the Ozark woods or an open field. 

Members took turns organizing occasional field trips, guest speakers, park days and similar activities.  In the first year the group grew to about 20 active member families.

By 2007, membership had grown to about 35 member families.  Some nights meetings allowed for standing or floor room only.  Discussions were lively and fellowship sweet.  Our children grew to be close friends.   The appeal of ETC grew.

The word was spreading about ETC and every month new faces appeared at the meetings.  As membership approached 45 families, it became clear that the group would have to close to new members or ETC would have to find a way to accommodate the growth and welcome those home educators who the Lord led to ETC.  Coupled with much prayer, the leadership chose to find a way to accommodate the growth.   

In July of 2009, 42 members and visitors squeezed into a living room for the year beginning planning meeting.  By the end of the fall semester of 2009, ETC had over 70 member families.  Members enjoyed family education fairs and fellowships, organized field trips, parties, moms' outings and a variety of clubs. 

Elective classes began meeting on Wednesdays in 2009.  Within a couple of years the leadership saw a need for formal non-profit status.  The group was incorporated and assigned 501(c)3 status by the IRS as an educational non-profit in 2011.  Core classes were added in 2016 to give Christian parents another option to provide Christian education for their children.  

Membership has remained steady since at approximately 150 member families.  The vision for growth is to help launch other area groups modeled after ETC, so that the size of each campus remains manageable and retains the intimate community feel.

The Lord has blessed ETC and used the group to touch the lives of over 1000 homeschooling families in Northwest Arkansas.  As long as the mission of encouraging home educators and the common ground of our conservative Christian faith remains our steadfast foundation, ETC is committed to being an instrument of the Lord and a vehicle for cooperative support. 

ETC's participation has grown to include approximately 150 member families, some taking their first steps into homeschooling, while others have been homeschooling for 10 or 15 years.  

Students' Ages

ETC students range in age from birth to young adults, with the heaviest population in the K-4th grade range (as is true for most support groups).  There are approximately 12-20 students in each grade level.  Our teen group has grown to approximately 100 students in the Jr. High and High School age range.  

Geography

We have participants from as far east as Huntsville and Eureka Springs; as far west as Siloam Springs and even eastern Oklahoma; as far north as McDonald Co. Missouri; and as far south as Greenland.    

Our Bentonville campus is home to about 120 ETC families; the Siloam Springs Campus includes roughly 15 families.  The Rogers campus is just starting out.  A small percentage of families in ETC participate in only social activities and field trips. 

Similarities and Differences

Our unifying qualities are our Christian faith and our eclectic approach to homeschooling.  But don't let the "eclectic" part concern you, if you are just starting out.... it really just means that we all kind of do our own thing.  We are really a pretty diverse group.

It is the desire of the leadership of ETC to provide a network of support among Christian home educators.

Invitation and Referral:

Please note the member who referred you to ETC at the time of sign-up. If you have interest in the group but do not know any current members you may contact the Leadership Team by emailing [email protected] .

Fees:

Payment Instructions

An Application Fee and a Hold Fee is due for each student with this application.

The Hold Fee is due at the time of submission and will hold your child's place in ETC and in Consortium classes.  The Hold Fee is refundable only to those who pay the Registration Fee after July 1, either by direct payment or through your student's EFA funds.  If the student's Registration fee is not paid by August 1 the Hold fee will be forfited. 

Tuition is charged seperatly per class once your student is enrolled. 

Your student's place in ETC is only secured once the Fees are paid.  

Please print and fill out the Registration Form and mail it with a check or money order to ETC, P.O. Box 1757, Bentonville, Arkansas  72712, or scan and email the Registration Form (both sides) to [email protected]

Registration Fee

To facilitate the ministries of ETC, we are asking all students to pay a Registration Fee of up to $250. 

Consortium Fees

Additional Class Tuition and Supply fees apply for participation in Consortium.  An explanation of those fees can be viewed on our Consortium Tuition & Fees page.

Activity Fees

Additional participation fees may apply for some scheduled activities.  See the Calendar for specific details about events.

Paid Positions

There are many paid positions open for any member who would like to work for ETC as the education service provider that their children are involved in.  Income is paid by the hour at a competitive wage.  Positions include Instructor, Class Assistant, Cleaner, Student Monitor, and more.  To be considered for a position, please complete the employment application on our website.

We are committed to being good stewards of our collective resources and welcome accountability.  Annual Financial Statements are available for viewing on our website.  The Executive Director or the Chief Financial Officer of the Board of Directors can answer any questions you may have.

Service Requirements:

In the spirit of a *co-op*, all member parents will be prompted to join a Service Team when renewing membership.  Teams include Fundraising, Facility maintenance, Family Fellowships, Special Events (parties, year-end program, etc.), Educators/Moms' Meetings & Fellowships, Teen Events, Field Trips, Friday Fundays, and Nature Study.   You will be contacted by the lead of the team you have chosen.

Policies and Procedures:

To ensure that those participating in ETC activities understand how ETC operates and the guidelines for participation in activities, all applicants are asked to read the ETC policies, including the Mission Statement, Code of Conduct, and Statement of Faith under the "About ETC" tab.  The Executive Director will be happy to answer any questions you have.  After you have read these documents, sign and submit the Registration Form, acknowledging that you agree to participate in ETC activities according to those guidelines and that you release the group and its leadership from liability.

Website and Email Access:

The number of participants ETC has would be unmanageable without the tools of the website, including the Consortium Matrix, the calendar and online sign-ups, the directory, and the communication forums.  A required part of the registration process is submitting a request for registration on the ETC website.  You will be asked to give an email address and set up a login and password.   When the other participation requirements are met, your website membership will be approved.  ETC families will need to access the website regularly to check for updates and sign-up through the calendar for activities.  Unfortunately, we are not able to serve homeschool families without weekly access to the Internet and email, as the website is our primary method of communication.