In June of 2018, G Suite for Education (GSfE) became available for free to homeschool co-ops. To be eligible, co-ops had to meet the eligibility criteria for the program with Google. In 2022, Google has made it easier for local homeschool groups to create their own Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals accounts without obtaining codes from state or regional organizations. See HSLDA article on this topic.
Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals is a service that allows homeschool organizations to use business functions for free in kindergartens, elementary, junior high and high schools, higher education institutions, and homeschool associations. See Googles article on this topic.
Please consider your privacy: CHEC is a strong advocate for the privacy rights of homeschool families. We believe that families should do their own research on the privacy standards of any program before sharing their child’s information online. It is important that group leaders remember that as with all free programs, the FREE offer can cease to exist at any time. You can read Google’s Privacy and Security policy on their website. If you have questions about the privacy of your student’s data in G Suite, please contact HSLDA.
Below are the instructions, taken from Googles article above, for homeschool groups to apply for Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals.
- Open the Google Workspace for Education application form and click Next.
- Enter the name of your institution and include Homeschool at the end.
- Enter the relevant information on the form. For Does your institution have a domain? choose an option:
- Yes, I have one I can use — Enter your domain name. If you receive an error message when you sign up for Google Workspace for Education using your domain, go to Unable to sign up for Google services using your domain.
- No, I need one — Enter a domain name and check its availability.
- Enter the relevant information in the form.
- Review your Google Workspace for Education agreement.
- Check the Accept the terms of use box and click I Agree.
- Click Register.
You will receive an email with information about your new account.
If you purchased your domain when you applied for Google Workspace for Education, or if you have already proved your domain ownership, skip this step.
If you want to apply for Google Workspace for Education in a domain you already own, you must first prove ownership of your domain. This procedure prevents users who do not belong to your domain from either using the service without permission or sending emails disguised as emails from schools.
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Open your Google Admin console.
- Verify that you own your domain. For details, go to Verify your domain for Google Workspace.
After submitting your request and proving ownership of your domain, Google reviews your institution for eligibility and emails you within 14 business days with the results.
Once you’re approved, you can add users to your domain, set up your apps, and take advantage of advanced features, such as email migration.
Getting started with Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals
Getting Started: This site houses resources to help you setup your G Suite for Education account.
Training:
Now that you have access to G-Suite for Education, it’s time to learn about the tools and how to use them in a learning environment. The Google for Education Training Center offers free training on a wide variety of topics – from general lessons (Getting familiar with Google tools for the Digital Classroom), to specific tutorials on each tool (Docs, Drive, Classroom, etc), you’ll surely find what you need.
Community Support:
- Discover Local Google for Education Experts
- Join this Google+ group alongside other homeschools in the US to share ideas, ask questions, and help one another.
Free Programs & Curriculum from Google for Education:
- Applied Digital Skills– teach critical digital skills that have immediate, real-life application and helps students prepare for jobs.
- Be Internet Awesome– teach kids the fundamentals of digital citizenship to help them be safe, confident explorers of the online world.
- CS First– introduce computer science to kids (no CS experience needed)
Click here for support/help regarding Google Workspace for Education.
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