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Create a Group

This guide walks you through creating your own homeschool group on Homeschool Hive, from basic setup to configuring membership options.

Before You Start​

Before creating your group, consider:

  • Group Purpose - What is the focus of your group?
  • Membership Model - Will membership be free or paid?
  • Privacy Level - Should anyone be able to join, or do you want to approve members?
  • Location - Will you meet in person or online?

Start Creating Your Group​

  1. Click Groups in the navigation
  2. Click Create Group
  3. Follow the multi-step setup process

Step 1: Basic Information​

Group Name​

Choose a clear, descriptive name that helps families understand what your group is about.

Examples:

  • "Westside Homeschool Co-op"
  • "Nature Explorers Field Trip Group"
  • "Classical Conversations - Springfield"

Group Type​

Select how your group operates:

  • Local Group - Your group meets at physical locations
  • Online Group - Your group operates virtually without in-person meetings

Privacy Setting​

Choose who can see and join your group:

Public Group

  • Anyone can find your group
  • Group details are visible to everyone
  • Members can join directly (free) or through checkout (paid)

Private Group

  • Group appears in search results
  • Limited details visible until approved
  • Members must request to join and be approved

Visibility (Private Groups Only)​

For private groups, choose visibility:

  • Visible - Group appears in search results, but details are limited
  • Hidden - Group doesn't appear in search; members join via invite link only

Location (Local Groups)​

For local groups, set your meeting location:

  1. Start typing your address or city
  2. Select from the autocomplete suggestions
  3. Adjust the map pin if needed

This helps families find groups in their area.

Step 2: Membership Settings​

Free vs. Paid Membership​

Free Membership

  • No cost for members to join
  • Best for informal groups or groups funded other ways

Paid Membership

  • Set a membership fee
  • Best for co-ops, organizations with expenses

Membership Pricing (Paid Groups)​

If you choose paid membership:

  1. Price - Set your membership fee amount
  2. Billing Cycle - Choose how often members are charged:
    • Monthly - Recurring monthly payment
    • Annual - One payment per year
Pricing Strategy

Annual memberships often provide better value for members and more predictable income for your group. Consider offering a small discount for annual vs. monthly payments.

Membership Questions (Optional)​

Add questions that applicants must answer when requesting to join:

  1. Click Add Question
  2. Enter your question text
  3. Make it required or optional
  4. Add more questions as needed

Example questions:

  • "What ages are your children?"
  • "How did you hear about our group?"
  • "What are you hoping to get from this group?"

These help you evaluate applicants before approving them.

Step 3: Group Details​

Description​

Write a compelling description of your group:

  • What is your group's mission or purpose?
  • What activities do you offer?
  • What educational philosophy do you follow (if any)?
  • What should families expect as members?

Categories​

Select categories that describe your group:

  • Academic co-ops
  • Field trip groups
  • Sports and recreation
  • Arts and music
  • STEM activities
  • Social groups
  • Religious/faith-based
  • And more

Categories help families find your group when searching.

Group Image​

Upload an image that represents your group:

  • Recommended size: 1200 x 630 pixels
  • Formats: JPG, PNG
  • Choose an image that reflects your group's activities

Step 4: Payment Setup (Paid Groups)​

If you're creating a paid group, you'll need to connect a Stripe account to receive payments.

See Stripe Setup for detailed instructions.

Complete Group Creation​

  1. Review all your settings
  2. Click Create Group
  3. Your group is now live!

After Creating Your Group​

Invite Members​

Share your group with potential members:

  1. Go to your group page
  2. Click Invite Members or copy the group link
  3. Share via email, social media, or messaging

Create Your First Event​

Get your group active by creating an event:

  1. Go to your group page
  2. Click Create Event
  3. See Creating Events for details

Customize Your Group​

Fine-tune your group settings:

  • Add more detail to your description
  • Update your group image
  • Adjust membership settings as needed

Edit Group Settings​

To change your group settings later:

  1. Go to your group page
  2. Click Settings or the gear icon
  3. Navigate to the section you want to edit
  4. Make your changes
  5. Click Save

What's Next?​

Now that your group is created:

  1. Manage members - Approve requests and manage roles
  2. Create events - Organize activities for your group
  3. Set up payments - Configure Stripe for paid features