Homeschool group visits LPD, sets sight on other field trips

By Kyle Mooty

LPR Editor

The Facebook page is straight to the point – Dad Created a Homeschool Group. But Chuck Foreman’s idea has grown greatly. During last week’s field trip, he hoped for a minimum of four people to show up at the Lockhart Police Department to listen to what some officers do in their day-to-day roles, but with students and parents, around 25 attended.

With so much interest, Foreman is organizing weekly field trips (Thursdays at 11 a.m.) so the homeschool students can learn first-hand of different possible avenues to take when they enter the workforce later in life.

“We are first trying to cover all of the First Responders,” Warren said. “We have a whole laundry list of EMA places. Hopefully, a light will turn on for them. Later, trips may include woodworkers, electricians, plumbers. It may have an effect on a young person to work in that direction.”

Also, Foreman is working with some businesses to allow 14-and-older students to be part of a working students program.

Several members of the Lockhart Police Department addressed the homeschool group, including Victims Services Coordinator Tina Ramsey.

“We do this so our kids can experience it,” Foreman said. “I wish I’d had that as a young man; how they go about stuff, because it might be the spark that my son needs to say, ‘I wanna be a farmer,’ or ‘I wanna be a mechanic.’ That’s really what I’m after.

“The second part of it is, when they’re 14, we want them to go into a workshop student slot. They could be paired with employers who can offer a working student slot. What those businesses will get in return is they’ll have home-grown kids right here. They could have a home grown, 25-year-old manager, with 10 years already experienced with their company.”

Foreman said homeschool students have shown to do better academically.

“What I’m really after is to have them earn a career within the blue-collar system,” Foreman said “What we are attempting to achieve is basically a vo-tech experience for them. That’s the ultimate goal. And everything is wide open.”

LPD officers described to the students a wide variety of backgrounds from which they came. One officer explained the importance of knowing what to describe on a 9-1-1 call, such as a street, something identifiable nearby, or even better, an address.

“It gives even more investment to us that our police department is invested in our youth,” Foreman said.

This week, the homeschool group will visit the Maxwell Fire Department. Next week, the group plans to visit the new Caldwell County Emergency Services District No. 5 (214 Bufkin Lane). There is hope the Life Flight helicopter will be there, although that is yet-to-be confirmed.

All of the field trips are free for the students and parents. Foreman just needs a head count by Sunday on the group’s Facebook page.