Types of Learning Groups Opportunities

To see a summary of our LG opportunities including Learning Camps, Year at a Glance has tabs across the bottom for virtual and all the areas, in which events are organized by city.

We invite you to review below the particulars for each type of opportunity we offer location information, as well as information on how using the waiting pool link and how to apply CC and CC+.

Learning Groups Opportunity	Description	Family Role
Learning Camps (LC) (often 1 day short term events)	Short term group event Typically single-day learning experiences i.e. Aquarium, Science World Field Trip Short-term weekly class i.e. writing Workshops - Camp Bob, or Rocketry Virtual (usually via Zoom) or Face to Face	Share learning experiences i.e. pictures, poster, outline, handout, pre and post activities in weekly communication and/or teacher portfolio visit. Parent accompaniment usually preferred
Community Connection (CC) (Significant offering, but NOT full courses)	Times and duration may vary, but typically a half or full day once a week 12 -24 weeks Blend of homeschool and campus flavours Teacher led classes Primarily certified teachers with some community/ parent instructors Homework is sometimes or often assigned depending on the location	Although primarily drop-off, some parental involvement Share learning experiences i.e. pictures, poster, outline, handout, pre and post activities in weekly communication and/or portfolio visit to support teacher Provide CC teacher’s class summaries to support teacher
Community Connection Plus (CC+) Offers Complete courses	One full day a week 30 weeks Hybrid and face to face classes HCOS instructors wholly responsible for subject areas taught Teacher on record and listed in Encom as course teacher (like Online course)  Often 3-4 courses (eg. perhaps S.S., Science, PE, Fine Arts)	Parent drop off  Parent volunteers are welcome  HCOS teachers cover entire courses, teaching, evaluating and reporting on students Homework is often assigned and required to fully complete the course

Summary of differences between Learning Camps and Community Connections

• Learning Camps are single day or short term activities such as a field trip or workshop.
• Co-ops are parent Initiatives and no longer under the HCOS LG banner
• Community Connections are weekly half or full day opportunities throughout the school year. These multi-term classes offer a campus style environment while maintaining a home education flavour

Joining a Learning Group Opportunity - General information

1. Find Learning Group Opportunities in email received from your support teacher, e-alert email from Learning Groups or at our Learning Groups website. 
2. To sign up, click on the link for the application form and complete fully to the submit form.  Many events allow you to use PO funds; a credit card payment will be required as an application fee for CCs or for the full amount on lower-cost LCs.
3. Prior to acceptance all applications are reviewed manually. Priority goes to HCOS students and where there are challenges in a group setting we wish to make sure a student is fully supported to ensure successful participation. 
4. You’ll receive the automatic message indicating that we have received your application. For Learning Camps, this indicates acceptance to the event unless the coordinator is in touch to indicate otherwise.
5. Mark the dates on your calendar.
6. Please note that HCOS PO payment entries will occur in Encom around the event date. To pay from General Community PO, a parent will receive an invoice from HCOS to forward to their respective school. Credit card payments are processed upon submission (unless indicated otherwise).
7. Your Coordinator may be in touch closer to the date with further details about the event. 
8. If you are unable to attend the Learning Group opportunity, please note there are cancellation policies in effect. 
9. Enjoy!
   

Learning Camps

Learning Camps are short term group learning experiences, often with parental presence. These range from field trips, to workshops, to a short-term set of weekly classes, to overnight events. Examples include writing workshops, science experiments, field trips to the aquarium or zoo, theatre performances, robotics competitions, overnight trips to Barkerville, and SALTS.  

Parents and students are encouraged to share the learning that took place during learning camps including any pictures, handouts or other relevant work with their support teacher.  

To find out more and sign up, families can:

• Use information and links in emails received from your support teacher about available Learning Groups
• Go to https://learninggroups.ca/ and use the filters to find opportunities in their area 
  • If you are interested in a Learning Group activity and do not see it on the LG website, the event may be full. You can fill out the Learning Camp Interest Survey form and we will be in touch about future opportunities.
• Sign up for e-alerts (scroll to the bottom of this page for the e-alerts links) and receive email notification of events as they open for application

If you have any further questions, please contact the HCOS LG Regional Admin for Learning Camps,Tessa Arends

Community Connections  (CC)

Students in Community Connections (CC) learn in a class setting for a half- to full-day each week over 16-24 weeks through the school year. These multi-term classes provide a campus learning environment while maintaining a home education flavour. 

Certified teachers or experienced instructors guide students through varied learning experiences including hands-on, group and collaborative learning. Students learn presentation skills, complete projects, videos, experiments, participate in physical education classes and more. Activities vary depending on the subject and location. Through a combination of class work and take home assignments, students develop competencies in specific subject areas. CCs do not fully cover the content and competencies of each subject, but are an excellent blended supplement to your home learning.

Parents and students are encouraged to share the learning that occurs at Community Connections including any homework, handouts, assignments, projects, lab reports etc. that were completed with their support teacher .  

CC instructors will provide information about class activities in emails, term summaries or blogs.

Parental involvement is often encouraged. 

CC locations currently include: Chilliwack (K-3), Abbotsford Theatre Sparks, Vernon, Parksville, Campbell River, Powell River, Port Alberni, Sechelt (Sunshine Coast), Cowichan. Find out more here.

Community Connections Plus (CC+)

Students in Community Connections Plus (CC+) learn in a class setting for a full day on a weekly basis over a period of 30 weeks. 

HCOS certified teachers provide all the instruction and assessment needed to fully cover the subject taught and complete the report card in Encom each term. 

Students receive instruction to fully cover the content and competencies in 3 or 4 courses, such as Social Studies, Science, Physical and Health Education, ADST or Arts Education. Students learn presentation skills, complete projects, videos, experiments, get active and more!

As students go through the grades, homework progressively increases and is required to fully complete the subject competencies. Weekly communication from the instructors provides information about class activities. 

The fee for HCOS Registered and General Community students is higher to include teacher compensation. 

CC+ locations currently include: Langley, Abbotsford, Abbotsford Theatre, Abbotsford Science & Math (10), Chilliwack (Gr. 4-10), Kelowna, Prince George, Penticton, Victoria, and Nanaimo. Find out more here.

CC and CC+ Waiting Pool and Application Process

• To learn more about the locations, grades and subjects typically offered please view our calendar. We will update with the next school year's offerings once determined.
• To let a CC or CC+ coordinator know that you’d like to join, please fill out your information in our waiting pool. Depending on availability, the coordinator will be in touch about the application process. Completion of the waiting pool or application forms does not guarantee acceptance.
• To promote success we encourage students to participate in a short term Learning Camp prior to a longer term event. Learning Camp options can be found at https://learninggroups.ca.
• HCOS Inclusive Education students are welcome to apply. Acceptance will be evaluated on a case by case basis after a conversation with the support teacher and family to ensure necessary support levels are available onsite.​ 

Application to an HCOS CC+ is a separate process in addition to enrolling at HCOS. Application links for a CC are available in April/May. First priority enrollment is offered to current students, followed by those in the waiting pool. If additional space is available a posting will be made at https://learninggroups.ca/ and the coordinator will email those in the waiting pool, normally in late-May or later. 

Reporting 

Reporting to Support Teacher for Learning Camps and CC

Save and share activities and work completed in relation to the LG event and also share photos of your child participating.

Many LG experiences, assignments, projects, and/or activities span more than one subject area. Notice and report on content/competencies outside of CC subject area i.e. social skills in group, oral presentation skills, artistic or dramatic skills, work habits in using time purposefully, etc.

Students may have been provided a term summary at CC; a few CCs have a Facebook page, a blog or send out a weekly summary email.

Reporting at CC+

The CC+ teachers are HCOS teachers who cover entire courses, teaching, evaluating and reporting on students.
Students often complete homework and submit to the CC+ teacher for evaluation. 
PE courses at CC+ involve students also doing