Homeschool benefits and savings in Ridley Creek State Park and Delaware County
Ridley Creek State Park runs Home School Nature Adventures, a free two-hour outdoor program for homeschoolers in kindergarten through grade 5, every other Friday from 10 a.m. to noon. The 2026 season runs March 20 through November 13, no registration is needed, and a parent or guardian stays with the child. Other options include college classes and scholarships and library educator cards and resources.
Benefits in Ridley Creek State Park and Delaware County
- Ridley Creek State Park Home School Nature Adventures
- Public-college homeschool dual enrollment
- County library museum and zoo passes
Ridley Creek State Park Home School Nature Adventures
Who qualifies
Elementary-age homeschooler
The program is planned for homeschoolers in kindergarten through grade 5, though the park says sessions are open to all youth.
Comes with a parent
A parent or guardian must accompany the child for the whole session.
No registration needed
The park's event listing says registration is not required, so you can come to any session.
What the program offers
The terms come from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) event listing for Home School Nature Adventures.
- Cost per session
- Free
- Schedule
- Every other Friday, 10 a.m.-noon
- 2026 season
- March 20-Nov. 13
- Remaining 2026 dates
- Oct. 16, Oct. 30, Nov. 13
- Registration
- Not required
- Extra for participants
- State symbol pin series
Many families use the sessions for school credit, so keep notes of each session your child attends for your homeschool records.
How to attend
- Before you go
Check the date
Sessions run every other Friday. The remaining 2026 dates are October 16, October 30, and November 13.
- Day of
Dress for the weather
Wear clothes for the current weather and walking shoes.
- 10 a.m.
Meet at Picnic Area 8
Gather at the Picnic Area 8 pavilion behind the horse stables. A playground and restroom sit next to the pavilion for younger siblings.
- Over the season
Earn state symbol pins
DCNR has started a state symbol pin series that participants can earn as they attend.
What it includes
Included
- Guided nature sessions for grades K-5
- State symbol pins participants can earn
Not included
- Drop-off care: a parent must stay
- Sessions after November 13, 2026
Who to contact about the program
The park office answers questions about park programs, facilities, and seasonal hours.
ridleycreeksp@pa.gov 610-892-3900 Event listing
Public-college homeschool dual enrollment
Who qualifies
In grade 10, 11, or 12
Open Dual Enrollment is for qualified high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors who have not passed their expected graduation date.
Places into the course
Your student needs placement test results, or qualifying SAT or ACT scores, plus any prerequisites for each course.
Sponsoring district for $77
Sponsoring districts are Chester-Upland, Garnet Valley (Bethel residents only), Haverford, Interboro, Radnor, Ridley, Rose Tree Media, Southeast Delco, Springfield, Upper Darby, Wallingford-Swarthmore (Swarthmore and Rutledge residents only), and William Penn.
What it is worth
DCCC's dual enrollment rates for fall 2026 through summer II 2027 are $77 per credit for sponsoring-district students and $153 for nonsponsoring, half the regular $153 and $306.
- One 3-credit course, sponsoring district
- $231
- Same course at the regular sponsoring rate
- $459
- One 3-credit course, nonsponsoring
- $459
- Same course at the regular nonsponsoring rate
- $918
- Two 3-credit courses, sponsoring district
- $462
DCCC estimates $231 to $261 for a sponsoring-district course and $459 to $489 nonsponsoring once fees are added, and online courses carry an extra $10 per credit.
From applying to keeping it
- Before you apply
Confirm homeschool eligibility
Ask Admissions whether your homeschooled student can enroll through Open Dual Enrollment and at which rate.
- Step 1
Apply online
Apply at dccc.edu/apply, then check the portal after 72 hours for your welcome letter and DCCC ID number.
- Before registering
Placement and orientation
Take the placement test or submit qualifying scores, then finish the online New Student Orientation in delaGATE, the student portal.
- Each semester
Register and pay
Book an academic advising appointment to register, then pay the bill by the due date at dccc.edu/view-your-bill.
What it pays for
Covered
- Half-price tuition on DCCC credit courses
- Courses at DCCC locations and the online campus
Not covered
- Financial aid
- Course fees, which vary
- Textbooks and course materials
Dual enrollment students cannot receive financial aid, which is why DCCC discounts their tuition instead.
Who to contact
Admissions at Marple Campus, Founders Hall, Room 3500, handles dual enrollment applications, Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
admiss@dccc.edu 610-359-5330 Dual enrollment steps
County library museum and zoo passes
Who qualifies
Has a Delaware County Libraries card
Delaware County, Pennsylvania residents can register online and verify the card with photo ID at any member library within 30 days, or it expires.
Is 18 or older
Only adult cardholders can reserve passes, so a parent books for the family.
Owes $20 or less
Cardholders with more than $20 in fines or fees cannot reserve passes.
What the passes give you
The limits come from the Delaware County Libraries MuseumKey help page.
- Museums, zoos, and gardens
- More than 35
- Reservations per cardholder
- 3
- Passes checked out at once
- 1
- Booking window
- Up to 30 days
- Physical pass loan
- 3 days
- Cost to your family
- Free
The library pages do not say how many people each pass admits, so check the museum's listing in MuseumKey, and call the museum to confirm hours and restrictions before you go.
How to borrow a pass
- Before you book
Get and verify a card
Register online for a Delaware County Libraries card, then bring the card and photo ID to a member library within 30 days.
- Up to 30 days ahead
Reserve in MuseumKey
Browse by museum, date, or library and reserve. Some passes are listed only in the library catalog, not MuseumKey.
- At the library or at home
Pick up or print
Check out a physical pass at the member library, or print a Print & Go pass at home. Print & Go passes have a printer icon next to the museum name.
- After your visit
Return physical passes
Bring a physical pass back to the library within its 3-day checkout so the next family can use it. Print & Go passes are not returned.
What it includes
Included
- Physical membership passes
- Print & Go passes printed at home
- Passes listed in the library catalog
Not included
- Reservations by cardholders under 18
- Accounts with more than $20 in fines
The Library Foundation of Delaware County partly sponsors the museum pass program.
Who to contact about museum passes
Delaware County Libraries headquarters answers questions about library cards and MuseumKey reservations.
support@delcolibraries.org 610-891-8622 MuseumKey help page
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Pennsylvania
You must file a notarized affidavit or unsworn declaration with the superintendent before starting and by August 1 in subsequent years. Include educational objectives and required health and immunization documentation or exemptions. Certify that the supervisor, adults living in the home, and persons with legal custody have no conviction for the listed statutory offenses in the preceding five years.
Pennsylvania sets these rules:
- Subjects: Teach in English the subjects required for elementary or secondary home education, including English, math, science, geography, history/civics, health, PE, art, music, and ongoing fire-safety instruction. Provide 180 days or 900 elementary/990 secondary hours annually.
- Testing: Include reading and math test results in the portfolio in grades 3, 5, and 8. Obtain an annual evaluation and submit the evaluator’s certification to the superintendent by June 30. The supervisor, parent or guardian may not administer an alternative approved standardized test.
- Records: Keep a portfolio with a reading-materials log, work samples, required test results, and the annual evaluation. Document the required instructional days or hours.
- Teachers: The supervisor must be the parent, guardian, or legal custodian with a high-school diploma or equivalent. The supervisor, adults living in the home, and persons with legal custody must meet the statutory five-year criminal-conviction condition.
Read the Pennsylvania homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Pennsylvania
Questions parents ask
- Where do we meet for Ridley Creek Home School Nature Adventures?
- At the Picnic Area 8 pavilion behind the horse stables, at 10 a.m.
- What should my child wear to Ridley Creek Nature Adventures?
- Some sessions go into water, as the September 18 session did.
- Can a homeschooled student take DCCC courses at the dual enrollment rate?
- Possibly; DCCC's dual enrollment pages do not mention homeschool students. Open Dual Enrollment is for qualified high school students taking courses on their own, so ask Admissions to confirm your student's eligibility and rate.
- How do we know if we live in a DCCC sponsoring district?
- Check your public school district of residence against DCCC's list, which includes Haverford, Upper Darby, Radnor, and Springfield. Garnet Valley and Wallingford-Swarthmore count only for some residents.
- Can my teenager reserve a Delaware County Libraries museum pass on their own card?
- No. MuseumKey reservations are limited to cardholders 18 and older.
- Do we have to return a Delaware County Libraries museum pass?
- Only physical passes, which go back to the library within 3 days for the next family. Print & Go passes are printed at home and never returned.
Turn support into your child’s next lesson
Camps and local activities give your child new interests to explore. Their discoveries can shape the examples and questions they study at home.
$149/month per child after the trial.
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