The numbers before the talks under the speaker bios represent the session numbers; the letters represent the interest codes. Code descriptions are on the Additional Speakers tab. 

Wil and Meeke Addison are the founders of Straight Edge Ministries and Culture Proof, a movement to equip followers of Christ to resist wicked cultural trends by applying God’s Word – the straight edge. As the co-hosts of the Culture Proof podcast, you’ll hear Wil, Meeke, and their hand-picked guests discuss the cultural issues of the day filtered through a biblical lens. The Addisons are conference speakers with a specific focus on culture and its impact on Christian families. Married nineteen years, they are raising six incredible children—equipping them to live for the glory of God. They disciple and educate their children at home—around the kitchen table and on the sofa.

1          GT       Bridging the Racial Divide: The Realistic Solution to America’s Ethnic and Cultural Problems (Will & Meeke)
3          G         For His Glory Alone (Meeke)
Friday Morning Keynote     The Heart of the Homeschool (Will & Meeke)
5          G         Psalm 78: The Route to an Awakening (Will)
7          G         Culture-Proof: How to Grow the Resistance (Meeke)
9          GT       Critical Race Theory: A Different Gospel (Meeke)
11        D         Point Guard Parenting (Will)


Vicki Bentley is the mother of eight daughters, foster mom of over fifty, grandma to twenty-three grandbabies, and great-grandma to ten (so far). Vicki has homeschooled seventeen children alongside her husband, Jim, and has been a support group leader since 1991. She has served on the executive board and convention committee of Home Educators Association of Virginia and has addressed state and national conventions. She can be found at EverydayHomemaking.com and is the author of My Homeschool Planner, Everyday Cooking, The Everyday Family Chore System, Home Education 101: A Mentoring Program for New Homeschoolers, High School 101: Blueprint for Success, the Homeschool with Confidence series, and other homeschool and homemaking helps. She currently serves as an educational consultant for HSLDA. Vicki has a heart for parents, with practical wisdom and encouraging words.

1          G         Organizing Your Home—Creating a Lifestyle Learning Environment
3          Leaders           L.E.A.D. with JOY
4          G         Homeschooling on a Shoestring Budget
6          B         Exploring Curriculum Options
8          M         Juggling Life and Lesson Plans
9          G         When Life Broadsides Your Homeschool
11        G         Getting Kids to Help at Home: Training in Diligence and Thoroughness


Kristi Clover is a home organization and #momlife expert. She’s the author of M.O.M.=Master Organizer of Mayhem and Homeschool Basics as well as a popular conference speaker. Her passion is to help Christian women find sanity and joy in the throes of mom life. She loves to share about her adventures in motherhood and home life through a variety of media that you can find at KristiClover.com. Kristi lives in San Diego with her husband, Steve, and their five children. Be sure to connect with Kristi online for an extra dose of encouragement. She’s @KristiClover on most social media networks.

2          M         Finding the Balance between Your Life and Your Homeschool
3          G         Homeschooling with Multiple Ages in the House
5          M         Sanity Savers for a Homeschool Mom
7          M         Homeschool Organization Made Easy
9          M         Quitting the Comparison Game
11        M         Stop Trying to Do Too Much! Simplify What & How You’re Teaching!


Kathryn (Bell) Gomes is Apologia’s esteemed math author, nationwide speaker, and a homeschooled student herself (daughter of Debra Bell). Kathryn holds an M. Ed. in mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. in mathematics from the University of Pittsburgh. She has taught math to homeschooled students for thirteen years and is very familiar with the challenges of learning math at home. Kathryn spent three years teaching mathematics in inner-city Philadelphia through Teach for America. She then taught in the most ethnically diverse high school in Pennsylvania. During this time, Kathryn designed algebra 1 and algebra 2 curricula for English language learners. Now one of her great passions is improving mathematics education for homeschoolers by increasing rigor while maintaining the creativity and free-thinking that she enjoyed in her schooling.

2          YO      Living Math: Teaching Off the Page in the Charlotte Mason Style
4          G         What My Mom Did Right, What My Mom Did Wrong (Thoughts from a 2nd Generation Homeschooler)
7          Y         Toddlers in Tow: What to Do with Your Littlest Ones While You Homeschool
8          G         Learning How to Learn: How Neuroscience Can Help You Homeschool More Effectively
10        G         5 Ways God Used Homeschooling to Strengthen My Faith and Prepare Me to Engage the World


Steve Noble is a follower of Jesus Christ, husband, father, talk radio show host, teacher, activist, and speaker. Steve is the host of The Steve Noble Show, a syndicated Christian talk radio show that launched in 2007. Today, the show is heard on 31 stations across North Carolina along with Facebook Live, YouTube Live, and via podcast. Steve has taught over 1,000 high school homeschoolers since 2011 and recently launched NOBLE U to offer his classes online, as well! He teaches civics, US history, Christian ethics, and world history. Steve earned a master’s degree in ethics, theology, and culture from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2018. He has partnered with major ministries across America like Pastor Greg Laurie/Harvest Crusades, David Jeremiah, Family Research Council, and Focus on the Family. The Nobles have homeschooled for 17 years.

2          T          Politics—Nasty but Necessary
4          T          Living Out Your Faith in a Culture that (Sometimes) Hates You
6          T          Identity—Where Are You Rooted?
8          T          Dealing with Doubt
Friday Night Keynote Christian Ethics: Is Your Student Ready for the Culture War?
10        T          I Hated History Too


Todd Wilson is a dad, granddad, writer, conference speaker, and former pastor. Todd’s humor and down-to-earth realness have made him a favorite speaker at homeschool conventions, retreats, and churches across the country. As founder of Familyman Ministries and the Smiling Homeschooler, his passion and mission are to remind dads and moms of what’s most important through weekly emails, podcasts (The Familyman Show & The Smiling Homeschooler), seminars, and books and products that encourage parents. Todd and his wife, Debbie, homeschool two of their eight children (six have graduated from their homeschool with four married) in northern Indiana and travel America in the Familyman Mobile. You can read more at www.familymanweb.com.

1          G         Raising Politically Incorrect Pink and Blue Kids in a Purple World
3          G         The Gift
4          G         Get REAL!
6          G         Common Mistakes Homeschool Parents Make
8          D         Every Dad a Homeschooling Dad!
Saturday Morning Keynote    The Four Homeschool Temperaments
10        G         Choose the Hard Things or How to Keep Going When You Feel Like Giving Up

G: General interest to all parents
B: Beginners and inquirers
L: Parents of struggling learners
Y: Parents of young children preschool to early elementary
O: Parents of older elementary age (may include middle school)
P: Parents of teens (and possibly teens)
D: Dads
M: Mom
T: Teens and alums


Rachel Anderson has been homeschooling for many years. She is married to her wonderful husband, Steve, and has been blessed with four children. Prior to homeschooling, she graduated from Cincinnati Christian University with degrees in music and business. She worked in human resources at the Information Technology Department and as a worship minister at her local church. Once she had children and started to homeschool, she realized that two of her children have learning struggles, one with moderate/severe dyslexia, ADHD and memory deficiency. As a result, she has done considerable research learning how to teach the struggling learner and loves to pass on her knowledge and experience to other parents looking for help.
6          G         Mom, Don’t Make Me Think—Just Tell Me the Answer
11        L          Learning Challenges in Math? Challenge No More!


Francie Black has a twenty year progression through technology product training, project management, software development management, and business development. She was the manager of Internet development for a Fortune 500 company in the Los Angeles area. Later, as a senior management consultant, she worked with other Fortune 500 companies as well as early stage tech startups. For six years, Francie hosted the weekly ABC WLOS News “Tech Time” segment and syndicated her tech segments to over 100 television stations across the country. You can see hundreds of her TV segments by searching her name on YouTube. In 2014, she founded Home Hacker Camp, which offers robotics & programming courses, camps and curriculum to youth (homehackercamp.com). Francie has an undergraduate degree from UNC Charlotte and an MBA from Pepperdine University. She can be reached at francie@homehackercamp.com.
11        G         How to Keep Your Kids Safe Online—Tech Tools & Tips


Dr. Janice Broyles is an educator with over 20 years’ experience. She earned her doctorate in educational leadership and considers it an honor and privilege to teach others, as well as her own children. She is also an author of more than seven award-winning books and the owner of Late November Literary, a small publisher located in Winston Salem, NC. She is the proud mother of two sons, Jonathan and Benjamin. Jonathan is now a law enforcement officer, and Benjamin is fifteen and a tenth grader. Janice and her husband, John, decided that providing the best education for their sons starts at home. She and her family are from the great state of Michigan but now currently reside in the lovely (and much warmer) state of North Carolina.
2          OP       Powerful and Profound: Find Student’s Voice through Writing
5          L          Writing for the Struggling Learner


Paul Cwik, Ph.D., is the BB&T Professor of Economics and Finance at the University of Mount Olive and is a visiting professor of economics and finance at Thales College, in Wake Forest, NC. For eight years, he taught the BB&T courses on capitalism at NCSU. He and his wife (Heidi) have homeschooled their three children for over 10 years. Dr. Cwik has many academic publications and his dissertation was cited in the Wall Street Journal. He is a Fellow at the Ludwig von Mises Institute in Auburn, AL, and has taught economics to high schoolers across the world with the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) since 2003. He has also taught economics and personal finance courses at his local co-op in Raleigh, NC.
3          TG       Is Capitalism Moral? Countering Socialist Arguments


Bobby Dixon is a NC native with over 25 years of experience in education as a teacher and administrator. He is a firm believer in a parent’s right to choose the appropriate education for their child. As the director of the NC Division of Non-Public Education, He has had the pleasure of interacting with many homeschool chief administrators.
8          B         Getting to Know the NC Division of Non-Public Education

 

 


Jared Dodd had been doing ministry for the last 20+ years. He and his wife started a full-time ministry focused on family and discipleship in 2012, and they currently reside in Texas. They homeschool their 10 children and travel the country speaking on many different subjects including apologetics, family, homeschooling, discipleship, history etc. Jared has written several books and has a weekly podcast called The Blessed Family. RightNow Media also streams 3 of his Bible studies (DIO) which are used in homes, churches, and some private schools across the nation. Jared also currently serves as mayor for the city of Cottonwood Shores, Tx.
2          G         16 Essentials for Your Child’s Success
10        G         7 Mistakes that Many Parents Make


Katie Dugdale is a child of God, lover of Christ, wife to an amazing man, and mom to 4 beautiful kids. Her family has been homeschooling from the beginning and have just finished their fourteenth year. It is a constant journey. Each of Katie’s kids was born in a different state. They have many chapters in their story, and Katie has several years of teaching experience through the public school system, homeschooling her own children, working with the church youth group, and teaching in local homeschool co-ops. Katie holds a degree in early childhood education from Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC. She served on the board of directors of the Henderson County Homeschool Association for six years as activities director, treasurer, and secretary. Katie now co-directs Classical Scholars Homeschool Co-op in Mills River, NC.
4          BY      Getting Started with Preschool and Kindergarten
10        P          Delight Directed High School


Jeff Ertzberger currently serves as a faculty member and director of technology in the Watson College of Education at UNC Wilmington, where he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in instructional design and instructional technology. A former public school teacher, Jeff has been a featured speaker at regional, national, and international conferences. His unique experiences and personality allow him to present sometimes complex technologies in ways that are understandable and fun! As an elder at New Hanover Church and a homeschool father of three, Jeff sees the needs of parents in the homeschool and is able to take his knowledge of technology to find ways to make teaching any subject easier and more effective.
1          G         The ABCs of AI
9          P          Reflection of a Homeschool Graduate on College Application Process


Luke Ertzberger is a homeschool alumnus and college freshman and brings a unique perspective to education. Accepted at all colleges he applied to, scoring in the 99th percentile on the ACT and CLT exams, and receiving the NCHE academic scholarship in 2023, his homeschool journey has been a foundation for success. Luke is currently studying computer science through Regent University Online. As a recent homeschool graduate, Luke offers insightful information regarding integrating technology into your homeschool. He doesn’t have a Ph.D. or 30 years of experience to share, but what he does have is a recent homeschool grad’s perspective and tips.
1          G         The ABCs of AI
9          P          Reflection of a Homeschool Graduate on College Application Process


Jessica Frierson is a second-generation homeschooler. She is married to Ernie, a retired minister. They have been homeschooling their seven sons and three daughters since 2000. She is a speaker and writer. She serves as the secretary for NCHE and writes for the GREENHOUSE and the NCHE blog.
9          B         Five Needs of the Homeschool Child

 

 

 


Michelle Gano is a mom of three and a teacher turned homeschooler. She is also the founder of Hands-on Home, an online community that helps parents create a fun, interactive learning environment at home while also developing a deeper connection with their kids. Michelle is known for sharing very practical strategies, so the learning activities and trainings are easy-to-implement even on those busy days. Her infectious joy and passion for helping kids develop a true love of learning will give you a new perspective on what learning can look like in your home. Learn how to simplify lessons, provide hands-on activities, and bring worksheets to life. Check out www.michellegano.com for information on the Hands-on Home Community, including a resource library of hands-on learning and family bonding activities, video trainings, virtual and in-person events, and more.
8          Y         Playful Mind, Powerful Future: Practical Tips for Hands-on Learning


Kwan Graham has an extensive background serving parents and advocating for the educational needs of children. Kwan oversees Parent for Educational Freedom in NC (PEFNC)’s Parent Liaison Team and works diligently across the state to educate and empower parents to become better advocates for their children’s educational needs. As director of community engagement, Kwan also supports and promotes all educational options. Kwan is board chair of PAVE-Southeast Raleigh Charter School and serves on The Telra Institute Charter School Parent/Community Advisory Council. She formerly served on board of trustees of the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) and is a former governor-appointed member of the NC Public Charter School Advisory Board. Kwan has a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina and lives in Charlotte with her husband and two sons.
1          L          Financial Resources for Homeschooling Struggling Learners 


Takeila Hall received a degree in communication studies from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in 1998. She began working with College Foundation, Inc. in August 1999 as a program information and marketing specialist. She has 24 years of experience providing information on career planning, academic planning, applying to college, low interest student and parent loans, scholarships/grants, and North Carolina’s National College Savings Plan.
7          P          Better FAFSA: The First Step in the Financial Aid Process

 


Natalie Mack is a national certified counselor, author, TEDx speaker, and experienced twenty-three years military home educator, with over twenty-two years of service to military homeschooling families and military homeschool support group leadership. Natalie is a mom of five: three college graduates, one college senior, and an 11th grader. She currently serves as president of Fort Belvoir Home Educators. She also owns Natalie Mack, LLC which provides educational consultation, mentorship to military homeschool leaders and advocacy for military homeschooling. She is the military community outreach coordinator for HSLDA. She has a podcast: Base2Base Military Homeschooling. Natalie’s published works include the book 101 Tips for Homeschoolers, available on Amazon and several articles on Military Families Magazine, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and the HSLDA Military Families website.
4          P          You Can Graduate Children to College
8          PT        The Value of Extracurriculars
10        G         Military Homeschooling 101


Mike and Ronda Marshall live in Asheville, NC, and completed 26 years of homeschooling when they graduated the youngest of their 6 children in 2021. They have served on the NCHE board since 2003 where Mike has served as president and regional director, and Ronda has served as homeschool helps director, advisor, and currently as the community relations director. They have established and coordinated local homeschool support groups, email groups, co-ops, enrichment classes and conferences in their area. Ronda served as the director of Biltmore Church Homeschool Ministry that serves over 200 families in western NC. They have had the privilege of speaking at various support groups and state conferences where they love having the opportunity to encourage families in this wonderful, yet sometimes challenging, homeschooling journey.
1          B         Getting Off to a Great Start
6          G         I’m Worn-Out, Going Crazy, & Making My Kids Stupid, Please Help


Inga Masek is a former teacher and administrator turned veteran homeschool mom of 4. After almost hitting burn-out striving to be the perfect homeschool mom, she shifted her focus to the freedom of being an empowered homeschool mom instead. She is passionate about helping other anxious and overwhelmed moms have a biblically grounded mindset, motivation, and mental wellness to teach their children at home confidently.
4          G         Mindset Makeover: Embrace Imperfection in Homeschooling
8          G         The Art of Celebration: Why It Matters in Homeschooling

 


Debbie Mason and husband, Spencer, have 4 adult children who were homeschooled from birth. Alexa graduated from UNCC and is a homeschooling mother. Scott graduated from Grove City College and Regent School of Law and is a lawyer in the Army. Levi has his master’s and bachelor’s from NC State and is a computer engineer. Mereda graduated from UNC Chapel Hill and is a mother and fiction writer. She has 7 grandchildren who are all being homeschooled. An NCHE member since 1985 and board member since 1988, Debbie is currently the NCHE events director and media director. She also directed a large homeschool support group for over 22 years. Debbie has a BS in secondary education, mathematics, and a MEd in counseling.
6          G         A Homeschool Veteran’s Top Advice to Pass Along


Dana McDill is the wife of NCHE’s executive director, Matthew McDill. They live in Clemmons, NC, with five (ages 18 to 10) of their nine children. Their oldest two children are married, and two others are in college with another one headed there in the fall! She has been homeschooling for 21 years. She loves to come alongside and encourage moms because she knows well the challenges of the journey. She doesn’t claim to be an expert because she knows God is still refining her. She hopes some of the lessons she has learned will help you!
6          M         Loving Your Children (Harder Than We Think)

 


Matthew McDill and his wife, Dana, live in Clemmons, NC with five of their nine children. Matthew has been in pastoral ministry for over twenty-five years and is now the executive director for North Carolinians for Home Education. He earned his M.Div. and Ph.D. at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and authored the book Loving God: A Practical Handbook for Discipleship. Matthew loves to teach from God’s Word, especially on topics related to family relationships, discipleship, parenting, leadership and home education.
7          OP       Raising Life-Long Learners
9          OP       Ten Essential Topics for Discipling Your Children

 


Marji McIlvaine & husband Rick homeschooled for 26 years in four states and are now officially retired as homeschool parents. All six children have graduated from homeschooling, half are college graduates or students or working. Marji’s heart is to encourage other parents in the homeschool journey. She served on the board of Henderson County Homeschool Association for 20 years, administers the Woodcock-Johnson test in WNC, teaches homeschoolers online and in person with My Fun Science online academy and Classical Scholars Tutorials in WNC. Marji also tutors students with reading difficulties. She has a passion for foreign languages, science, writing, history and, oh, the whole of God’s incredible creation.
1          G         Homeschooling, Foreign Languages, and Me—Can We Make This Work?
5          PT        Online Instruction: How to Succeed!


Justin Nale is a pastor and homeschool leader in eastern North Carolina. He currently serves as a director and area representative with Classical Conversations, helping equip families for God-centered, classical education. He is the author of The God-Centered Homeschool and a speaker at several conferences and homeschool seminars each year. He is passionate about education as discipleship and the vital role fathers can play in their family’s homeschool. He and his wife, Crystal, have two sons, Jonathan and Benjamin, and have homeschooled since 2007. He has served as pastor of Mount Hermon Church for twenty years and also served on various boards, including with NCHE.
5          G         The Aim of Education


Julia Nalle is a wife, mother, licensed practical nurse, teacher, writer and co-owner of BiblioPlan. She has a bachelor of science in early childhood education and a master of arts in religion with emphasis in Old Testament studies, counseling and pastoral ministries. Julia and her husband have five children, three of whom are adopted. Julia also has 40+ years of teaching experience. With numerous years of experience teaching in classroom settings, homeschooling her own children, tutoring children with special needs, co-writing a history and literature curriculum and teaching at a co-op, Julia has encountered it all. In her sessions, she loves to share with humor and down to earth honesty her heart for classical/Charlotte Mason styled education while giving numerous practical and easy to implement ways to teach and inspire children.
3          LYO    When Your Struggling Learner (Hates, Struggles, Refuses) to Read
9          G         Multi-Age, Multi-Grade? All Together without Mom Losing Her Mind!


Laura Zifer Powell is a Christian apologist, writer, and speaker. She is the founder of An Affair with Reason, and she serves as Christian apologist, senior writer, Islam ministry specialist, and secretary of the board for Women in Apologetics. Since graduating from Duke University in 1998 and from Denver Seminary in 2004, she has ministered in almost thirty countries on five continents. Her considerable experience in ministering to Muslim women around the world has given her a unique voice in the world of apologetics as an Islam ministry specialist, although she enjoys sharing reasons for the hope that she has in Christ with people of all backgrounds and worldviews. Her blog, contact information, and more can be found at her website, www.AnAffairWithReason.com.
1          TG       Is God Really Good: Violence in the Scriptures & Church History


Renton Rathbun has been a classroom teacher for over two decades. His teaching experience has included both secular and Christian institutions ranging from high school to college. He and his wife homeschooled their son, Daniel, who is now in college. Renton has spoken for homeschool venues such as the Foundations Summit, the Canadian Homeschool Symposium, Teach Them Diligently, The Great Homeschool Convention. He has also preached in a variety of churches across the US. Renton holds a BS in English education and an MA in interpretative speech from Bob Jones University. He has also received an MFA in creative writing from Minnesota State University, an MA in philosophy from the University of Toledo, a ThM from Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, and has a PhD in apologetics from Westminster Theological Seminary. Renton serves as the director of the Center for Biblical Worldview.
2          G         LGBTQ+ Ideology: What Our Children Are Facing and How to Respond
5          GT       How We Are Getting Biblical Worldview Wrong


Mandie Rose is a remarried homeschooling mom of 5, business owner, full-time mobile mechanic, and lover of the trades. Her education is in broadcasting, accounting, and automotive systems. She has taught the Crankin Engines summer camp (a curriculum by Rankin Barnes) for 10 years, teaching children and adults the joys of discovering their talents while rebuilding small engines. Discover how you can teach the trades at her workshop, with experience or not!
11        PTL     Teaching the Trades

 

 


Marcus Ross has loved paleontology (especially dinosaurs) since he was a kid growing up in Rhode Island. After earning a BS in Earth science from the Pennsylvania State University, he continued his studies with a MS in vertebrate paleontology from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and a PhD in environmental science (geoscience) from the University of Rhode Island. He served on the faculty at Liberty University from 2005-2021, serving as professor of geology and director of the Center for Creation Studies and continues to serve as a fellow of the Center. Dr. Ross regularly contributes to creationist research and education in both technical and popular venues. He and his wife, Corinna, live in Lynchburg, Virginia, and homeschool their four children.
5          TG       Dinosaurs: Fuzzy, with a Chance of Feathers
9          TG       Creation and Evolution: Where We Stand Today


Sandy Smith is a certified neurodevelopmental specialist at Carolinas Biofeedback Clinic in Pineville, NC. Through her own family, she had the opportunity to face many challenges—developmental delays, behavioral challenges, sensory issues, tantrums, traumas, academic challenges and more. As a teacher for 18 years, she always seemed to be drawn to the most challenging children and spent her teaching career specifically helping those families and those students. She has a passion for helping children with academic, behavioral and developmental challenges. She helps them reach their highest potential by working at the source of the problem, the brain itself, using its natural developmental processes. She is an active and dynamic speaker and loves bringing awareness of The Developmental Sequence to the community.
2          LYO    The Importance of Movement in Early Brain Development


Casey Samuel Townsend has been speaking and teaching for nearly twenty years in both public and religious sectors. Formerly working as a pastor in a large church setting and speaking to more than a thousand people on Sunday mornings, he now is part of a biblically-based house church made up of only five families. His passion is teaching Christians how to understand and defend their faith using logic, reason and most importantly, the Bible. He and his wife, Casey Lauren Townsend, run a small music store in Southport, NC, in which they hold their homeschool co-op each week, with a variety of subjects taught by both Caseys. Casey Samuel Townsend has a bachelor’s degree in music, which he uses to continue teaching music at a local private school and leads their chapel services each week, bringing his passion for biblical truth to every lesson and song. Casey is a second generation homeschool.
10        G         You Can Start a Co-op!


Ann Troast is a former classroom teacher and the founder and director of Four Square Community, a homeschool co-op in West Michigan that serves over 100 classes to over 675 local students. As a veteran homeschooling mom of four, she has discovered, implemented, and helped others enjoy the freedom of a Charlotte Mason education. Her passion for sparking joy in education and inspiring lifelong learning led her to create Without Doors, a minimalist Charlotte Mason curriculum. You can find her wide range of resources for the entire family ranging from preschool through adult at withoutdoorscurriculum.com.
3          G         Applying the Principles of Minimalism to Homeschooling
5          G         The Art of Joyful History Lessons
7          G         How to Explore Nature when You’d Rather Be Inside


Cheryl Vandegrift started out by joining the Air Force immediately after high school, where she served and traveled the world for 12 years, before deciding to separate to raise her toddler daughter. After the birth of her twins in 2004, she opened a drop-in childcare business in a shopping center and served her community for 10 years, ultimately closing down two months before the pandemic. In that time, she also began homeschooling her young children, who are now 19, 15, and 15. During the pandemic, she worked to achieve a bachelor’s of science degree in psychology, with a focus in life coaching and health and wellness life coaching. She has recently teamed up with her sister, Allyx, to form a coaching program aimed at educating parents/caregivers and professionals/businesses to properly support the neurodiverse people in their lives and help them thrive in a world not made for them.
10        L          Helping Your Neurodiverse Child Thrive


Amanda Wares is a 19 year homeschooling veteran. Three of her four children have graduated from her homeschool, and they all still love each other! Amanda is married to Michael and is still homeschooling one teenager in central North Carolina. She serves in homeschool leadership at the local and state level and is passionate about encouraging and equipping others on their homeschool journey.
3          P          Homeschooling High School How-Tos
7          M         The Girlfriend’s Guide to Homeschooling

 

 


Susannah, Killian, Katrielle, & Deacon Wares, the children of Michael and Amanda Wares, have experienced first hand the so called “horrors” of homeschooling that most parents fear their children will endure as home-educatee’s. Despite this, they have all found ways to  demonstrate success throughout their lives. Whether it’s in athletics, higher education, or simply social skills, they have lived lives as homeschoolers and want to share that experience with others.
11        OP       Homeschooling from a Homeschoolee’s Perspective

 


Deb Weakly is a co-founder of Help Club for Moms, a ministry of moms encouraging moms to know the great love of Jesus Christ. Deb loves to share Christ-centered inspiration and ideas to help moms in every season to know Jesus more intimately, cultivate a strong marriage, disciple their children, and establish a joy-filled Christian home. She is a contributing writer to the book of the same name, The Help Club for Moms: Inspirational and Practical Help for You, Your Home, and Your Family, and ten other encouraging devotional books in The Wise Woman series. She also has created a unique, one-of-a-kind mentoring platform at myhelpclubformoms.com designed to help moms thrive in every season of their lives! Deb and her husband, Randy, have been married for 32 years and have two grown children, Christie and Jack, an answer-to-prayer son-in-law named Alex, and three delightful grandchildren.
4          G         Homeschooling by Faith
6          P          How Do I Reach My Teen’s (and Young Adult’s) Heart?


Pat Wesolowski is an author, speaker, and homeschooling mother of 9 who is now the homeschool specialist at Bryan College in Dayton, TN. After homeschooling her 9 children for the past 32 years, she is finally finished! Pat has a heart for helping parents find joy in their homeschooling experience and, for that reason, loves teaching workshops in order to encourage and equip parents for a fun and successful homeschool experience. Pat is the host of a podcast entitled “The Homeschool Specialist,” writes a blog, and has authored numerous unit studies for homeschooled students. Pat has written a free E-resource to help parents plan for a successful high school experience: www.bryan.edu/ebook.
2          P          Gifts, Talents and Entrepreneurship


Jeff Zenger is a current member of the NC House and is a homeschool dad who has raised 4 kids and founded and run several businesses over his career. Prior to that, he served in Urban Ministry in Baltimore City to teenagers for 13 years. He has served 4 terms on the Lewisville Town Council, chaired the town planning board, been an elder in his church, been on missions’ trips, small group leader and served on many boards and committees. Rep. Zenger is currently serving in his second term in the NC House. Rep. Zenger’s first challenge to engage politics came at the 2009 NCHE Homeschool Conference in Winston Salem. His interesting and varied background gives him keen insight into kingdom politics, homeschooling and public service.
7          GT       Kingdom Politics, Homeschooling and Public Service

 

Speaker Handouts

Speaker handouts will be posted in this tab as they are provided by the speakers. They are available as PDF or Power Point files for online view and/or download. They are listed by speaker name, session number and workshop title.

 

 

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