Homeschool conferences are a great encouragement

I'm in conference planning mode.  Our provincial homeschool group, CHENL, has been organizing a "Conference on the Rock" homeschool conference every year since it's beginning.  The purpose of the conference is to bring together homeschoolers from across our province and provide support, encouragement and inspiration.  Plans are presently under way for the 2011 CHENL Conference on the Rock.  It is great to be able to get together and I wish we could do it more often.

We are so spread out across our province that many homeschoolers are the only family in their community that is homeschooling and they never see any other homeschoolers.  For some, even getting out to the conference once a year is a struggle, because of the travel, costs, or timing.

I think these times of getting together are very important.  I don't think I would have survived all these years without the times that I was able to receive encouragement and support from other homeschoolers.

One year, before our provinical homeschool group started, a couple of other homeschooelers and I traveled to New Brunswick for a conference.  It was great to see so many others and not feel so alone!  I wished I could go every year but of course it just wasn't feasible.  I was glad when our provincial group started and I at least had the option to go to their conference each year.

Last year, thanks to the Old Schoolhouse Expo, I discovered the wonderful world of online conferences.  I still think there is nothing better than face to face conferences, but the online conference is definitely an added blessing when you don't get a chance to have face to face get togethers very often.  The really great thing about the Expo is that if for some reason you can't take in a session when it happens, you can always enjoy it at a time that is more convenient for you, because when you purchase a ticket to the Expo you also get access to recordings of each session.  I was so encouraged by the first Expo that I participated in!  It was just what I needed at just the right time.

Right now the Old Schoolhouse Expo is taking preorders for their Expo to Go.  If you aren't able to take in the Expo when it is taking place, May 16th-20th, you can still order the recordings and enjoy them when it is convenient for you to enjoy them.  For $19.99 you receive all the MP3 recordings from the Expo along with a great bunch of free gifts.  It's worth your while to check it out.

If you are homeschooling in Newfoundland and Labrador, I really hope that I will see you at the 2011 CHENL Conference on the Rock.  If you decide to take in the Old Schoolhouse Expo I'd love for you to let me know.  I plan on taking in both the provincial conference and the Old Schoolhouse Expo.  I love the opportunity to connect with homeschoolers all around the world!