The Craighead County Library in Jonesboro welcomed homeschooling families to its first Homeschool Hangout, a gathering designed to offer students and parents opportunities to connect with peers and share resources in a supportive environment.
The event comes as homeschooling numbers remain significant in the region. According to the latest state report, Craighead County is home to over 1,300 homeschooled students, including 366 in Jonesboro. When factoring in neighboring counties such as Clay, Greene, Randolph, Sharp, and Lawrence, the total increases by more than 2,000 students.
Stephanie Sweeney, the library’s Youth Services Manager, said the idea for the event stemmed from a growing presence of homeschooling families. “We have a lot of new homeschool families, and we just wanted somewhere in the community where they can meet other homeschoolers and swap ideas with other homeschool parents,” Sweeney explained.
Thursday’s inaugural gathering served as an icebreaker, featuring an ice cream social to help children and parents ease into conversations and new connections. “Today is just a get to know each other so they can come and meet other homeschool families and some friends that they maybe never met before,” Sweeney said.
The Homeschool Hangout will continue as a recurring event, taking place on the third Thursday of each month from 2 to 4 p.m. at the library.
For more information, families are encouraged to contact the Craighead County Library directly.