Wayne County Homeschool Fair offers information and support
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on August 22, 2017 5:50 AM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Nerissa Ayers and her kids, Zachary, 11, and Hannah, 9, visit the Take Time for Art booth at the Wayne County Homeschool Fair Monday at the Wayne Center.
When Chasity Cerny started homeschooling her children, one of the challenges was knowing what was available to support her.
An event like the Wayne County Homeschool Fair would have been wonderful, she said.
"It used to be we didn't have as many groups but now we have more," she said at Monday's free conference at the Wayne Center.
Sponsored by Seymour Johnson Christian Homeschool Educators, organizers said more than 300 turned out for the curriculum vendors, representatives from other homeschool group and speakers.
Mrs. Cerny homeschools both her sons, Christopher, 16, and Jacob, 10.
In addition to the typical academic areas, Christopher also mentors a younger FLL, or First Lego League, team and participates on a robotics team.
"If I wasn't homeschooled, I probably wouldn't have time for that," he said, explaining the late nights involved in such an activity.
His interests also include 4-H activities and competitions in "shooting sports" like archery and rifles, he said.
Daniel Boren, 13, has been homeschooled for four or five years, he said.
"I like how it's a lot more near home, I get more work done," he said. "I also get to spend more time with my friends."
Not all homeschool groups are created equally, though.
Wayne County Home Schoolers is the only "inclusive group" in Wayne County, said members Kris Perry and Diana Loader.
"We want to make it open and inclusive to everyone," Loader said, explaining it includes all ethnicities, religions, genders, ages and orientations. "We don't have a statement of faith.
"We do a little more of a buffet style, whatever works for you and your family."
Wayne County Home Schools have a burgeoning calendar of activities -- from archery and community service to a National Home School honor society, readers' theater, science Olympiad, teen nights and mom's night.
The group became official last year, but has been around for three years, Loader said.
It currently has about 63 members, from age 4 up to high schoolers.
In addition to curriculum vendors, providing options for new and veteran homeschoolers to offer up a variety of academic approaches, the homeschool fair also featured networking opportunities that support the educational option.
Christina Bruggeman represented Classical Conversations, a resource for parents that has national and international ties. It has been around for 20 years, she said.
"We teach the classical method of education to equip parents and children. We meet weekly," she said. "Most people don't know what classical education looks like. We actually model it, we get together and engage in classical education."
The program is for ages 4 through high school.
Its approach is to provide age-appropriate concepts, like songs and chants and hand motions for ages 4-12, hands-on science projects for older youth and opportunities for students to give presentations on a regular basis.
Mostly, though, and perhaps most important, is what Classical Conversations does to enhance the homeschooling role.
"We teach families how to learn," she said. "We start by the first skill, memorizing information.
"The second skill is processing it. The last part of that process is being able to teach it to others."
Conferences like this are important, since many families did not grow up knowing about educational models other that the traditional public and private school ones, she said.
"We want to be able to tell people about this, that it's an option and that there are a lot of helps in Wayne County," Mrs. Bruggeman said. "It's a great opportunity for families to know what's available."