| Our History |

The James River Home School Foundation, recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization, was formed in the fall of 2009 as a 100% Volunteer Christian organization with a desire to serve the home school community in the area of arts, athletics, and academics, by giving more home school students more opportunities for athletic and extra-curricular activities.

Since our initial offering of a Bible class in 2010, we have continued to offer various academic classes and in 2012 we announced the appointment of our volunteer Academic Director, and offered a preschool class, in addition to various academic classes and we began sponsoring the home school support group Titus 2 Moms.  Currently we are operating as James River Cobblestones and classes are offered at  Midlothian Baptist Church, Powhatan Christian Fellowship, and Pine Street Baptist and we are looking to add additional sites in Chester and the west-end as we grow.

Our Lending Library and Resource Center opened in November 2012 was relocated in 2014 to the inner city of Richmond at Pine Street Baptist Church. It currently has over 7,000 books, curriculum and home school resources available for checkout and we offer free weekly educational clubs at that location.

We began sponsoring CounterACT, a drama ministry for home schooled students which was founded and directed by a home school graduate in 2010. The drama ministry team travels to various churches, youth groups, civic and senior groups to minister through drama. In 2011, we held our Inaugural Annual Home School Talent Showcase, and CounterACT's CandleLight Players presented its first Dessert Theatre. In 2013, in addition to continuing the above programs, The Candlelight Players presented a Dinner Theater for the community. The branch of CounterACT called NarrowWay, focuses on full-scale dramatic productions that edify and inspire audience and actors alike and its first production was in November 2013 followed by productions in 2014, 2015, and 2016 for both. Our Arts Director will be taking the current year (2017) off to pursue additional education.

We initially offered, as the James River Eagles, a co-ed recreational volleyball program for teens, followed by boys interscholastic basketball, fielding middle school and high school teams in the fall of 2009. In the fall of 2010 we added girls' interscholastic volleyball and continued our co-ed recreational volleyball program for teens, which we offered in the spring and fall. We added girls' interscholastic basketball for middle and high school girls to our graded boys' basketball program, and in the spring of 2013, we became charter members of the Capital City Athletic Conference (CCAC) and play private schools and home school teams. To our interscholastic basketball program we added a developmental program for younger players, and began offering a winter session to our co-ed recreational volleyball spring and fall sessions. In the spring of 2014 we introduced girls interscholastic soccer and in 2016 we added the following interscholastic sports: boys volleyball, boys soccer, and boys and girls cross country teams.

We also sponsor Players With a Purpose, a ministry wherein our basketball players and families partner with churches and organizations to minister to at-risk children through the avenue of basketball camps.

We continue to praise the Lord for planting the vision of the James River Home School Foundation and we thank Him daily, from whom all these blessings flow. We encourage you to join with us in our mission.