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For two years, Julie Lutz searched the Internet regularly for sites referring to fellow home schooling mothers in Steamboat Springs. Again and again she would type in her searches, and just as often she would find no results.

To solve the dilemma about how to create a social atmosphere for her children, 11-year-old Anna and 8-year-old Aidan, she created a network two years ago and a weekly cooperative last summer that has grown to about 40 families and 80 children. Of those, about 20 families meet regularly in a weekly session of classes and social time, hosted at the First Baptist Church.

Last Tuesday, the group held a book fair, hosted by Usborne Books, to entice two dozen home-schooled, elementary-age children into reading more books. Weekly events include a Spanish lesson and a lesson taught by one of the parents, on subjects ranging from science to history. The mothers in the group - at a meeting last week, there were no dads to be seen - take turns teaching the lesson to all the children who attend.

Student Anthony Sisto, 10, was looking through books at the fair and said he returns to the group meetings because it offers a variety of lessons.

"There's just a bunch of fun different activities," he said.

Lutz said the group was not based on any ideology - scholastic or religious - but is open to anyone who home schools their children.

"We just get together to share ideas and so the kids have time with friends," she said. "We're just very eclectic. We all do different styles of home schooling."

Mother Alicia Righetti, with children Regan, 8, and Gage, 6, moved here from Arizona in July. She found the group's contact information and Web site when, like Lutz, she was searching for a group of like-minded families.

The Web site "is such a great thing to have because being home-schooled, it can be hard to get out and meet other families that are home-schoolers," she said.

Luanne Feldmann, who designed the Web site and operates the group's message board, described the site as a social networking opportunity for home-school families.

"It's not just for big events but for anything," she said. The site is often used for a day of skiing or to organize a group to go to the library. There are 37 families registered on the site, she said.

The weekly home-schooled group meeting is open to children of all ages - last week, several babies played on the floor while the older children read.

- To reach Zach Fridell, call 871-4208

or e-mail zfridell@steamboatpilot.com