There are many ways—and many reasons—to homeschool.

Detroit mom Bernita Bradley was taken aback when her daughter told her she wanted to drop out of high school and get her GED. Bernita’s daughter always had a passion for education, but the lack of interaction with teachers in her 11^th grade year had changed things. When Bernita objected, her daughter suggested homeschooling.

Bernita was already involved in education advocacy work, and she’d been arranging online conversations for parents who were struggling with the remote schooling during COVID-19. “We had all these parents who were saying, ‘Why aren’t our teachers logging on? This is not working for my child. I asked for support from the school, and I don’t have the technology. What do I do?’” Bernita recalls. “We started having online platforms. I invited some of my homeschool friends to come on to answer questions: What do I do? What are the laws around it? How do I get my child to do it? What are some different styles of homeschooling? In the process, I’m learning.”

When Bernita agreed to homeschool her daughter, she turned to the homeschooling friends who had been helping parents in her online sessions and asked them to coach her. But she wasn’t going to leave the other families behind, so she asked what they need. “You need coaches? Let’s get coaches for you. What does individualized coaching look like for you in your household?” says Bernita. “And that’s what we did. Coaches meet with families twice a month for an hour of private coaching. They go over everything from their rights to understanding different curriculum and different homeschooling styles.”

Engaged Detroit was born.

Part homeschool co-op, part advocacy organization, Engaged Detroit helps parents homeschool by offering free coaching, help navigating homeschool laws, curriculum advice based on individual children’s needs, and support with college or other post-secondary plans.

They’ve also created partnerships with a number of community organizations to ensure homeschool families have access to a variety of opportunities. This includes the Detroit College Access Network, which provides college and career pathway support and virtual college tours. Families also go on educational field trips and gather regularly for African drum lessons.

Bernita points out that the problems with education in Detroit pre-date the pandemic. “We actually had only 16% of our children reading on grade level by 3^rd grade in the city of Detroit, and that was over all schools,” she says. By offering families support through Engaged Detroit, Bernita is providing children with a lifeline and a path to a brighter future.

Bernita and her daughter didn’t just survive their 12^th grade homeschooling experience. They thrived—thanks, in part, to the coaching they received. Her daughter was Engaged Detroit’s first graduate; she enrolled in Wayne State University after graduation.

As parents around the country are reimagining what education can be, Bernita Bradley and Engaged Detroit can help inspire them to realize the impact they can have.

For more of Bernita’s story as well as other homeschool experiences, check out “The Status of Homeschooling Two Years into the Pandemic” panel hosted by Cato earlier this week.