Professional Development for Homeschool Parents {and a Giveaway}
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I bet if you asked 100 homeschool moms to list 10 things that they love, books would be somewhere on that list, in some form or fashion, for at least 90 of them. They might say shelves to hold all their books or a library to get more books, but the general category would not go unmentioned.
If a person could get intoxicated from the smell of brand-new books just waiting to be read, there would be a lot of homeschool moms in trouble in a homeschool convention vendor hall. One of my favorite things about going to a homeschool convention is getting to put my hands on curriculum that I’ve heard about from friends or read about on line.
But there’s a whole lot more to a Great Homeschool Conventions event than the vendor hall.
In 2014, there are going to be three locations with hundreds of workshops led by dozens of top name speakers in the homeschooling community. You can visit:
- Cincinnati, Ohio – April 24-26
- Greenville, South Carolina – March 20-22
- Ontario, California – June 12-24
In addition to the encouragement you’ll get simply from being surrounded by hundreds of other homeschooling families (tell me I’m not the only one who gets something of an adrenaline rush from that, even though I’m an introvert), you’ll be inspired by speakers such as:
- Heidi St. John
- Dr. Jay Wile
- Todd Wilson
- Darlene Schacht
- Cathy Duffy
- Diana Warring
- Dr. Carol Reynolds
- and many, many more!
(Note: speakers may vary by location. Check each location for a specific list of speakers.)
Now, I know that Jimmie offered to eat chili with you if you go to Cincinnati, but, y’all, I’ve scoped it out – there are at least 20 Chick-Fil-A restaurants in and around Greenville, South Carolina. Now, I’ve never had Cincinnati chili, but I can’t imagine that it could be better than Chick-Fil-A tea.
(Jimmie, if you’re reading this: I know you don’t like sweet tea. It’s a character flaw that I’m willing to overlook. {grin})
So, what you do with your ticket if you win is up to you. Chili in Cincinnati or sweet tea in South Carolina. I don’t know what those folks in California have got for you. Wherever you go, though, I can’t imagine that you wouldn’t come home better equipped for your job as a homeschooling parent. This isn’t just going and shopping for the weekend. I like to think of the workshops as professional development courses.
Great Homeschool Conventions has partnered with Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers to offer one winner an amazing ticket package to the 2014 convention location of your choice. One winner will receive:
- 1 Family Registration
- 2 passes to the Family Comedy Night
- 1 pass to the REAL FAITH for the REAL WORLD Teen Track
Follow the directions on the RaffleCopter widget below to enter.
Rules: This giveaway is open to United States residents, ages 18 years and older only. Giveaway ends on Thursday, October 31. The winner will be selected at random using Random.org via RaffleCopter.
The winner will notified via email and given 72 hours to respond. You must enter a valid email address to win. In the event that the winner cannot be contacted by email or does not respond within 72 hours, the prize will be forfeited and and alternate winner selected.
Click to read the complete rules. By entering this giveaway, you indicate that you have read and agreed to abide by these rules.
I’d want to attend cincinnati, mostly because it is close to my home.
We’re closer to the Greenville location so we would attend the conference at that location. Plus, we could see sweet friends that moved to Greenville.
Thanks for doing this!!
Being a Hoosier girl, the Cincinnati convention would be my cup of tea!
I would love to go to SC for the convention, because I have always wanted to go to visit there and being from the south, I have to have my sweet tea!
I really need to make plans to go to SC. First timer here, definitely need the guidance.
This is our first year homeschooling our 4 boys. It would be helpful to be able to go to the convention and see all the wonderful things that are out there in the curriculum world.
I want to go to South Carolina! I have never been to a home school convention and it’s about time I make it to one. We couldn’t go before, we were stationed overseas. Now seems like the right time. Plus,we all LOVE sweet tea! 🙂
I would love to go to South CAROLINA! I’ve never been to a home school convention. W have Been stationed overseas or the past 5 years and at now stateside in North Carolina. Plus we LOVE sweet tea! 🙂
We live in Ohio and my husband has never been to a convention. I would love to take him with me to Cincinnati year! (And, you’ve got to try Skyline- it’s the best!)
I would have the sweet tea – um I mean I’d go to South Carolina!! I would love the chance to attend. Thanks for offering this chance!
I would like to attend the Ohio conference because its the closest to me.
Loved your comment about being intoxicated by the smell of new books!! Would also love to win this prize and go to one of these conventions! Thanks!
I would love to go to the CA conference. I have never been to a homeschool conference!! Sounds like a blast!
Sounds like a fun time!
I think the South Carolina convention would be great…I mean, sweet tea, really need I say more?
I’ve always wanted to attend this convention. And, since we just moved to Cinci, I am hoping to attend this year. However, I will NOT be eating yucky Cincinnati chili. I’d rather go to CFA! 🙂
I think the Ontario, California conference would be the first choice fro me. 🙂 I love conventions, but have not been to one since we moved to CA.
Oh we have Chic-Fil-A in California too!!! Plus we can bribe you with In and Out burgers!!! Not to mention it’s just a hop skip and jump to the ocean and Disneyland!!!!
So don’t you fret Kris, we will have some sweet tea ready for you!!!
Sounds like fun. Does the family pass mean spouse and possible young ones or could I leave the husband with small one at home and bring my mom to hold my hand as I start home schooling (she’s the veteran)? Hmmm, I’m seeing more possibilities with that one…
The family registration includes mom, dad, kids and grandparents: https://www.greathomeschoolconventions.com/convention-pricing/
Cincinnati, It is close to my home.
Looking forward to going to the Ontario, CA convention. We went when it was in Long Beach and it was fantastic! Ontario is 10 minutes from my house, you should come out here, Kris and I can take you to lots of great restaurants and we even have Chik-Fil-A for your sweet tea fix!
I would love to go to the Cincinnati convention. I’ve never been to a homeschooling convention before, and OH is not too far away. 🙂
We’re in Florida but my in-laws are in Greenville! Perfect!
I would love to take a homeschool vacay and head to SC for the conference and field trip.
Thank you for this opportunity!
I would attend the Greenville convention. I’m an hour away in NC, and I’d LOVE to drink some Chick-fil-a sweet tea with you!
Well, I’d love to attend in Cincinnati because of all the amazing people I know that would be there! But realistically, I’d be more likely to attend in California because I can actually drive there from Oregon!
You know….Skyline has better tea than Chickfilla AND rockin’ chili… 😉
~Honey
I find that so hard to believe about the tea. 🙂
I would love to go to the cincy convention!
We recently pulled our kids out of school and have started homeschooling. Sure would love to go to a conference to gain insight from speakers and look at curriculum live. The Cincinatti location would be closest for me.
Thanks for offering this great opportunity!!
As much as I would LOVE to go to Cincinnati for the convention (to hear Dr Woods and get a long overdue chili fix), I’ll have to say Greenville is more realistic. (Btw, why does Cinci get the great keynote speakers? This year they had Ron Paul. )
I would attend the SC event. I used to attend my state convention, but I no longer do. This has looked interesting, so I would like to check it out.
We would attend the convention in California . Thank you for the opportunity to win. 🙂
We need to find a curriculum that teaches Spanish for next year so we would love to go!
I’d love to go to Cincy…’cause I don’t like sweet tea either!! 🙂 And yes, some of my friends consider that a character flaw as well! 😉
This is my first year homeschooling, so it would be awesome to attend! The closest one to me is Ontario, CA – less than an hour away.