The French Creek Christian Homeschool, a newly started Christian-based homeschool program, is set to hold a spaghetti dinner this Saturday. Submitted photo

CLYMER — A newly started homeschooling program at Edwards Chapel in French Creek that looks to provide an alternative to public and private schooling is set to hold a spaghetti dinner benefit this upcoming Saturday.

Edwards Chapel, located at 9227 Cherry Hill Road, is the home of the French Creek Christian Homeschool, which first began in 2023. The French Creek Christian Homeschool is a Christian based program, putting God at the center of their program with the intent to help children deal with things like anxiety and depression by giving them someone to lean on. The school operates four days a week, Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with Thursday’s school taking place at the Camp at Findley, 2334 Sunnyside Road.

Founder and director of the French Creek Christian Homeschool, Tiffany Babcock, said that the Thursday focus is on learning outdoors.

“We want children to learn through play and hands-on experiences,” Babcock said. “We have a Gather Round curriculum, so we’re like a one-room schoolhouse of preschool through 12th grade, though in the afternoon the groups break off for more lessons at their age level.”

The spaghetti dinner benefit, set for Aug 17 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Camp at Findley, is to help the program pay for curriculum and day to day needs, such as toilet paper. Spaghetti dinner and dessert will be offered with dine-in and take-out options, and there will also be a Chinese auction.

“It’s a really great fundraiser that helps people learn there are alternative options to public and private schools, especially since private school can be expensive,” Babcock said. “We want to offer an alternative, more affordable option.”

Babcock added that the school’s curriculum does not cost any more than $200 for anybody and that the dinner is to help save money on the curriculum.

French Creek Christian Homeschool focuses on offering a biblically-backed, hands-on, program to offer families flexibility with the goal of keeping tuition for the program as low as possible through volunteers, donations, grants and fundraising. They promise a well-rounded academic plan, focused on God and hands-on learning, that will also cover all New York State mandates.

Hands-on skills the children will learn include things like cooking and sewing and field trips to local farms and other extra projects.

“We believe that children having the ability to learn about God on a daily basis is very important,” Babcock said. “We offer children the ability to interact with other children in different scenarios, like some might come from the city and have never been on a farm and some of our trips will take them to a farm. Our first curriculum is food to farm, and learning where your food comes from.”

French Creek Christian Homeschool has open enrollment now for the four-day week program, or the one day co-op at Camp Findley, which is $50 per person for the year. For more information or to enroll in the program, email frenchcreekchs@gmail.com, or visit their Facebook or Instagram pages or website at Frenchcreekchs.com.