Conferences 2012

 When we were first homeschoooling, I wanted to learn as much as I could. I found a conference that was nearby and went to it. It was referred to as "a Christian" conference, but I didn't think much about it. We were Episcopalian, that seemed like it would be fine. It wasn't long before I discovered that there are sometimes "code words" in the homeschooling language. And, evidently, "Christian Conference" is one of them.

They talked about being called by God to homeschool. That wasn't my situation, I just thought I could do better than the public school system. Sure, I prayed, but I didn't feel like God Himself was telling me to do this! They also talked about wives deferring to their husbands for all decision-making, being subservient, and recognizing that their husband was The Principal in their Home School. That certainly didn't describe our situation. My husband agreed that homeschooling was a good thing, but he hadn't researched it nearly as much as I had. Why would I ask him for advice? I was trying to get HIM to read more and get more educated on the topic (which he ultimately did). But I was leading this push, not him.

What I did find to be beneficial at that first homeschooling conference was their resource room. I had seen various materials for sale in homeschooling catalogs, and most of them were right there in the Resource Room - available for me to look at and decide if their marketing was accurate. You know how you see movie trailers that are so great, but then you realize that those were the only good parts of the whole movie? Marketing works that way in homeschool catalogs as well. And that was the mid- '90s! I'm sure marketing to homeschoolers/unschoolers has only grown larger!

Long long ago!
Lillian Jones, Linda Dobson, me, Alyssa

I will tell you that my favorite conference is HSC Conference in Sacramento. I went for several years as we lived nearby. I even spoke there and worked as a Speaker Coordinator. What I like about it is that all kinds of homeschoolers are welcome. There is a distinct unschooling "flavor" about it. But as my homeschooling friends used to tell me, "I love being around unschoolers. Even though we use curriculum, you all inspire me to be much more creative!" That's what this conference will do.

So grab a friend and head off to a conference! Bring your kids too, because their are fun things for them as well. Also, I think it helps them feel part of something larger.

Unschoolers’ Waterpark Gathering.
January 23-27, 2012. Sandusky, Ohio.

In-Home Conference
March 15-17, 2012. St. Charles, Illinois

ARGH, Autodidactic Radical Gathering of Homeschoolers
May 6-9, 2012  Roan Mt, TN


ALL in May
Always Learning Live Unschooling Symposium
May 18- 20, 2012, Worcester, Massachusetts

LIFE is Good Unschooling Conference.
May 24 -27, 2012. Vancouver, Washington.

HSC Conference: Adventures in Homeschooling
August 2-5, 2012. Sacramento, California

Northeast Unschooling Conference.
August 23-26, 2012. Wakefield, Massachusetts.

Rethinking Everything.
Labor Day Weekend August 30 - September 4, 2012. Dallas, Texas

Wide Sky Days (was Good Vibrations Unschooling Conference)
September 5-9, 2012. San Diego, California

Un in the Sun
October 17-20, 2012

Always Learning Live Unschoolers Symposium.
Dec 27-30, 2012 – Albuquerque, NM

Toronto Unschooling Conference,
 On Hiatus, Toronto, Ontario

For Teens:


Backpacking 101, Outdoors Skills and Ethics
Bowman Adventures
May 13-18, 2012, Jonesborough, Tennessee

East Tennessee Unschooled Summer Camp.
Aug 12-19, 2012. Buffalo Mountain, Tenn.

NBTSC (Not Back To School Camp)
July 30-August 6 Camp Latgawa, Eagle Point, Oregon
August 21- September 4  Camp Myrtlewood, Bridge, Oregon
September 21- October 5  Farm & Wilderness Tamarack Farm Camp - Plymouth, Vermont