For more than two decades, the South Street Center in Boulder Creek has been a gathering place for home-schooling families in the San Lorenzo Valley.
Funded in part by a contract with the San Lorenzo Valley Charter School, the center is a place where home-schooled girls and boys can meet other children in an environment that promotes conversation and friendship.
“People need a place where they trust the same values are going to be there,” said Estelle Fein, who founded the center in 1987, along with the now-deceased Betsy Herbert.
But as the state budget crunch cut funding to the school district, South Street’s contract through the publicly funded charter school shrank to the point where owner-administrator Shanda Churchill had to make a change.
On Tuesday, Dec. 1, the center opened to the general public for the first time — both home-schoolers and all other children and teenagers up to 18 years old.
“It’s an informal, village-like atmosphere,” Churchill said.
A large swing set stands out back, and inside the center is a roomful of toys and games. There are different-sized chairs for adults and children and a kitchen for snack preparation.
South Street is a safe place to meet other families, play together, eat together and simply relax, Churchill said. There is no computer or wireless Internet access in the center, and children are encouraged to talk, play and eat together.
“We really like intergenerational gatherings,” Fein said, including grandparents, pregnant women and young moms and dads with their children.
The new program, from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays, will be open to the entire community throughout the year. An annual family membership fee of $150 allows members to check out toys, games and books and visit the center twice a week throughout the year.
A teacher is present to guide the socializing and direct kids to new activities, but mostly, it’s a place where parents can enjoy time with their children.
“Home-school families move so much slower,” Churchill said. “It’s a different feeling than a traditional school setting.”
The center also hosts family teas, game nights, a local midwife class and a science class during the week.
With the recent changes, Churchill said the center is looking at ways to start teen activities, something she and Fein agree are sorely missing from the San Lorenzo Valley.
After 22 years serving the home-school population in the San Lorenzo Valley, Fein said she’s excited to open the center’s doors to the general public.
The changes create a new opportunity to network with other families and form relationships, she said.
“It’s about bringing people and families together,” Churchill said. “We hope they can create a strong family and lifelong friendships.”
