Overview & How to Register
What is the Enrichment Program? The BHEA Enrichment Program is literally designed to enrich the education that each family provides for their children at home. We are not here to educate your children for you, but to partner with you as you do so. You, the parents, are responsible for your students, their education, and their behavior. You are not required to take part in the Enrichment program, either by state law or by any requirement of your membership with BHEA. Roughly one-half of our membership takes part in Enrichment sessions, so there is no pressure.
Can I drop my kids off at BHEA's Enrichment Program? No, not unless your child is over 16, can drive him/herself, and meets other requirements. We are a cooperative, and our program is run entirely by member volunteers. When you join the program, you become one of these volunteers. Scroll down to learn more about our Family Work Commitment.
Who is involved in Enrichment and how do they qualify? While in session, the BHEA Enrichment Program is open to all BHEA members in good standing who have registered and paid the Enrichment Program Registration fee ($50 per family per year); signed up for individual sessions and paid those instructors; agreed to faithfully execute the Family Work Commitment; and who have attended a "Gear-up" meeting. This is a prerequisite informational meeting about how the program works, and also an opportunity to pay for individual sessions and make your preferences and limitations (if any) known to those coordinating the Family Work Commitment assignments for Enrichment Days.
When does the Enrichment program occur? The preschool through 8th grade program takes place on Mondays. Some middle school and all high school sessions meet on Wednesdays. Exceptions to this are some high school sessions that meet twice within a week and others that are held off-site. You can see the 2019-2020 Enrichment calendar here.
How much does this cost? For the academic year 2019-20, the Family Enrichment Program Registration fee is $50, regardless of how many children in your household* you are registering. (*Extended family living in a different household must pay separate Enrichment Program Registration fees.) This fee covers both semesters, and is not prorated. This Enrichment Program Registration fee is in addition to your BHEA Family Membership fee ($25 per year) and helps to cover the cost of the facility and other expenses specific to the program. This fee only applies if you are participating in Enrichment sessions. Please do not pay this amount if you are not planning to take part or are joining after signups have closed for the semester. Be aware that there are also additional fees paid to the instructor for the sessions you select. These fees (or proof of payment) are due in full to the Enrichment Team by the end of the last scheduled "Gear-up" meeting which at least one member of each participating family must attend..
What sessions are being offered this year? You can find the complete list of offerings for both Enrichment Days here: Enrichment Session Schedule. Scroll downward to find Wednesday sessions. You can find descriptions, instructor fees, and other important information by clicking on the name of the session. Note: This session schedule contains the fall semester offerings and will be updated as soon as the spring information is released.
What is my Family Work Commitment? As a cooperative program, all participating Enrichment families are required to perform specific assigned duties toward keeping our Enrichment Days running smoothly. Learn more at the Gear-up Meeting, and by reading the Enrichment Guidelines and Policies.
When can I register for the Enrichment Program? Registration for Spring 2020 is already under way. You must complete the registration process and pay the $50 Enrichment Program Registration Fee prior to December 3 to participate in "opening day" of session signups. You can find the registration form under the "Enrichment" tab on the main menu.
Instructions, once signups have re-opened on December 4:
Session Selection - You will be given access to the signup area according to the grade level of the children your are signing up:
9:00 a.m. - Seniors
9:30 a.m. - Juniors
10:00 a.m. - Sophomores and Freshman
10:30 a.m. - Sessions listed as "Mixed Grades" on the website
11:00 a.m. - 6th-8th grade
11:30 a.m. - 3rd-5th grade
12:00 a.m. - Kindergarten-2nd grade
12:30 a.m. - Pre-K
Making sure you are logged in, go to the Enrichment Session Schedule. Select the session you want to sign up for by clicking on the name. The description will appear, with your family's names on the righthand side. Place a check in the box next to the child/ren you wish to register for a given session and click the "register" button. If you check the box but do not click "register" your child will not be placed in the session. You will see a box pop up that either reads "Registration Successful" if you got in or "Your child has been placed on a wait list" if the session is full. Note: It is not uncommon for sessions to fill up. Please utilize the waitlist and make a second choice if that is the case. There is usually a lot of shuffling around throughout the summer and sometimes you will eventually get your first choice.
Please sign up for the Gear-up Meeting - This is a required meeting for first-time Enrichment families. If you attended the Gear Up meeting in the fall, you do not need to attend this meeting. However, you will need to come that day to pay for your sessions, as this is the payment deadline. The Enrichment Team will be present to collect those fees for each instructor (see the exception to that and more payment details below). Time: TBA, but we expect it to be in the morning.
Where can I sign up for a session marked "offsite"? Offsite sessions sign ups are done directly through the instructors and not on the BHEA website.
What if I paid the Enrichment Program Registration fee of $50 but was unsuccessful at getting my child into a session? After making sure that your child has not been accepted through the Wait List, please request a refund as soon as possible by emailing our treasurer at treasurer@bhea.net. This should be done no later than the start of the second session meeting of the semester (whether a Monday or Wednesday session). We realize you may ultimately wind up signing up for the spring semester, but we would prefer not to hold onto your money for that long.
Will my money be refunded if I need to drop a session that I signed up for? What if I have to drop all my family's sessions? If a student withdraws from a session *prior* to the beginning of the second meeting of a session, the student shall be given a refund of the session fee, less expenses of the instructor (this amount will be solely determined by the instructor). If the student withdraws from the session *after* the beginning of the second meeting, no refund should be expected.
While we encourage parents to discuss refund expectations with instructors before removing their child from any sessions, please be advised that parents must themselves log in and manually drop the session or sessions from their family schedule prior to any refunds being issued. This is not the responsibility of your child's instructor.
If I am signing up to participate in Enrichment for the fall or spring only, why is the fee still $50?
Our Enrichment Registration Fee covers you for the whole year, and is not prorated. It is the same amount whether you participate in one or both semesters.
What if I cannot attend either of the dates being offered for the Gear-up meeting? Contact enrichment@bhea.net as soon as possible.