Wednesday 14 May 2014

N.A.S.H. Homeschooling Convention

As I returned to the states I have been surprised and amazed at the devision and at times nastiness inside the US  homeschool community.  I know I have done a few posts about the Christian groups in my area and I will do a post soon about joining in on the secular movement in my area.  It hasn't been as easy as I had hoped:(  However I have found a group that I enjoy online and they working very hard to organized secular homeschoolers and create a much needed movement that brings those of us who tend to homeschool using resources that are free of religion.  If you follow my blog you should know I do use Christian programs but I am very particular about my history and science programs as I disagree with many of the Christian programs and their slant on history and science.

So I am very excited to find out there is now a secular Homeschooling conference available nationally, while I can't attend this year due to already having a holiday planned I do want to support this movement and with any luck I will be able to attend next year.

The information on the conference is listed below as well as the link to register!

N.A.S.H. Homeshooling Conference

What:  Secular Vendors, Secular Workshops and the inaugural conference for the development of the National Alliance of Secular Homeschoolers.

Where:  Atlanta, Georgia

When: September 4-7, 2014

Why:  The secular homeschooling community is growing at a rate faster than any sub-demographic in the community.  As such, we need to create a 'demand' for purely secular homeschooling resources and start a national organization to forward the goals and purposes of secular homeschooling.

The conference will provide:

  1. Workshops for secular homeschooling parents conducted by real secular homeschooling parents on real homeschooling topics.
  2. Activities for the children.
  3. The 1st meeting and planning session for NASH.
  4. An opportunity to meet with and connect to other secular homeschoolers!

Register here: 

http://www.nationalallianceofsecularhomeschoolers.com/conference.html

This group is already beginning to define its goals and this year is holding its first national conference and it has already lined up secular programs for their vendor hall.  I few I hadn't heard of before and am currently looking at their websites to see what they have on offer and what I may be able to use in our home!

To further learn about this growing movement please go to their website and read more about their goals, plans for the future and if you are a secular homeschooler please support the movement as it is time there are other options available for secular homeschoolers.  The secular movement is growing and needs your support!  I know I feel so much better knowing their are resources out there that support more of what I wish to teach my children and that we are no longer hiding, and pretending to fit in where we are clearly not wanted in the Christian homeschool community.

http://www.nationalallianceofsecularhomeschoolers.com/home.html

Addendum:  I have lost a third of my followers since I have started posting my struggles with the local homeschooling groups in my area.  I will say again that I do believe in God and consider myself a Lutheran although I no longer attend church services.  However in schooling my children my husband and I consider ourselves to be secular as we do not teach creationism or that America was founded on Christian principles as we both vehemently disagree with both of these philosophies.  I expect I will continue to lose followers due to my postings and while that makes me sad I realize that I have in fact been in hiding and trying to fit in where I simply do not.  I can not in good conscience continue to avoid or deny the basic principles in our homeschooling journey.  I continue to follow many blogs, Facebook sites, and yahoo groups that are based on Christian principals as I find many fantastic resources and I agree with some ideas and methods for homeschooling.  I also follow many secular sites for exactly the same reasons.  This is who I am, a mixture of both Christian and secular homeschooling philosophies so in many ways I don't fit into either group, and slowly I am coming to grips with that.



1 comment:

  1. Hey! I will follow your blog in the future. I think its good to be honest about your attitudes!
    (Sorry for my bad english). Greetings from Germany, Sabine

    ReplyDelete