Sankofa Homeschool Community
Sankofa Celebrates
20 Years in 2024
About Us
Ubuntu is a complex word from the Nguni language with several definitions, all of them difficult to translate into English. At the heart of each definition, though, is the connectedness that exists or should exist between people.
Founders
The Sankofa Homeschool Community was founded in 2004 by Monica Utsey, Maisha Khalfani and a handful of committed homeschooling mothers. When the lives of many of the co-founders changed, including relocating, returning to work, or no longer homeschooling, the torch was handed over to Monica Utsey to carry on the vision.
Mission
The Sankofa Homeschool Community is an intentional community for African, African-American and homeschoolers of color. Our mission is to create a community from which family and educational relationships will be built and resources will be shared. Sankofa is homeschooling community of families who want to grow, learn, and build together. Sankofa Homeschool Community is dedicated to creating a rich, supportive homeschool community through a combination of social outlets, enrichment programs, access to co-operative courses, and the sharing of academic resources.
Philosophy
We are not a religious cooperative, nor do we endorse any one particular method of homeschooling. We exist to support homeschoolers of color in the Washington Metropolitan Area and to aid each other in the education of our children. We believe in creating a family-like atmosphere and affirming for ourselves and our members the choice to homeschool. By providing a wonderful combination of social and enriching cooperative courses and a true community of families who want to share the homeschooling journey, Sankofa is a place for growing, learning, and building community. There are many different types of homeschooling groups; some whose focus is solely academic, while others are little more than e-mail lists that lack the strong bonds of a sustained community, where parents and children really get to know one another and build real friendships. We are a community of homeschoolers working together to enrich our homeschool experience. We do this by providing opportunities for field trips, gatherings at each other’s homes, community service projects, and family outings.