Our Programs
Our Programs will evolve and grow as the Center develops. We aim to make self-directed learning a viable option for families with young people ages 4 to 18.
Homeschooling Enrichment Programs
Ages 4-8 | Ages 8-11
On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays we offer learning experiences for 4 to 8 year olds. The 8 to 11 year old group meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Both groups meet from 9:00 to 3:00 and consist of no more than 14 youth.
Supplemental Classes
Throughout the year we will offer supplemental classes for youth ages 11-15. These are primarily academic and at the same time as experiential and collaborative as our other programs.
First semester, we are offering a variety a classes: English Composition and Math Concepts for 11 - 13 year olds, Spanish for 4 - 8 year olds, and Anthropology for 13- 15 year olds.
Parenting Support Workshops
Parents will learn much from each other and from an experienced facilitator in a workshop setting. Workshops will be one time events or in a series. Ideas and practices will be presented by a staff facilitator and explored and discussed by participants. Parents will bring up specific challenges they are experiencing and get empathy and ideas from the group and facilitator.
Teacher’s Workshops
Teachers will benefit from exposure to ideas concerning effective ways of communicating with students and helping to resolve conflict. They can also get support in focusing more on process than on goals in the classroom. As in the case of parents, teachers could bring up specific issues that are important to them and the group can choose to explore them.
We enjoy activities including science experiments, art projects, cooperative games, and imaginative interactions. We create obstacle courses, play organized physical games, build forts, and enjoy educational games.
One of our most used items is the "inventions box". We set out a container filled with odds and ends such as springs, film canisters, pieces of foam, string, feathers, and pipe cleaners. These items can be explored and put together in endless combinations.
A specific activity we enjoy doing with these pieces consists of one person picking three items and then, blindfolded, pointing to an idea in a children's dictionary. They go on to invent some device having something to do with the idea.
One time we picked "apricot". One person invented a picking device with a clothespin on the end, another person used an old tv stand wheel to smash apricots, and yet another used a part from a french press to grate the apricots. This activity is a great way to continue to develop the ability to see a new function for an item and put pieces together in new combinations. The more opportunities we get to be flexible the more easily innovative thinking comes to us. 
We look at and read many books, either in small groups, one on one, or young people on their own. We bring books that have to do with changes in perspective, finding details in a larger picture (what's different about these pictures, for example), and unexpected combinations of ideas.
The youth invent their own games out of the materials at hand. One in particular that helps develop fine motor control is drawing two lines parallel and curved and then drawing a line between them, often quickly, without touching the sides. We also do this two people at a time. 
"Lab" is one of the most popular ongoing activities at Talking Stick. Each person explores the possibilities of a tray full of substances such as colored water, vineagar, baking soda, cornstarch and cabbage water, which acts as a ph indicator. It is a feast for the senses (except for taste which we discourage).
The 8-11 year-old group will benefit from more structure and longer term projects than are typical in the 4-8 year-old group. In the mornings this group will be working on focused projects then enjoy mingling with the younger group in the afternoon.
Brief Activities last for 15-30 minutes and may draw from one or many academic subjects. For example, we can explore the concept of symmetry by writing a list of things in nature that have symmetry, using a mirror to reflect half of a face and show how asymmetrical faces are, and enjoy the art of paper cutting and see how symmetry plays a part in our emotional reactions to shapes.
Gym/Outdoor Activities usually involve gross motor skills and collaboration. An example is forming a group in a circles and having everyone pass through the circle at the same time without touching anyone else. This helps develop body awareness. 
Projects are longer term and usually entail a Theme. The Theme could be buildings and the Project may be creating building models out of unusual materials and presenting models to the group. Another Theme could be art history and the Projects may be creating costumes representing art we have explored, writing a piece of fiction based on the historical period, exploring mathematical concepts of the time.
In the afternoons, participants can choose from the variety of materials that are always at hand such as k-nex, paints, marble runs, and gears.
An example of a Collaborative Game involves cards with magazine photographs on them used to tell a story. Each person picks a card and writes down their interpretation of the next part of the story based on the card.
Math is everywhere! This class will explore math in our world. Some topics will include the practical applications such as proportions, percents, and probability (a.k.a. scale drawings, shopping for bargains, and playing cards). We will talk about computational skills, and learn how to calculate with large numbers, mentally. There will be opportunities to explore algebraic concepts by studying numeric, graphic, and formulaic patterns. While math is most often about the accuracy of your results, we will take the time to enjoy and explore the processes by which we get there. Projects will be student inspired, but could delve into topics such as family budgets, bridge building, and/or tessellations.
Anthropology for 13 to 15 year olds
This introductory course’s main goal is to foster an understanding of the following:Cultural values and practices are subjective, from beauty norms to food preferences to story-telling traditions.
Biological evolution is a dynamic and complex process involving the interactions between genetic components and environmental factors.
Archaeology entails meticulous documentation and a vivid imagination.
The class will be highly interactive with lively discussions and hands-on projects. We will be introduced to practices of other cultures as well as investigate specific aspects of our own cultures. We will look at the evolutionary history of life on earth and invent our own creatures to fit into environments of our own design. We will also explore archaeological techniques focusing on Ancient Egypt and including a visit to the Penn Museum.