Homegrown Homeschool Conference
Plan, Brainstorm, Keep it Simple to Host Your Own Conference
May 5, 2008
Depending upon location and budget, you may not be able to attend a state homeschool conference. Some conferences are huge and commensurately pricey. They may be located too far away for you to attend. Or they may have a focus outside your interests.
But homeschool conferences don’t have to be big, flashy and expensive to be fun, helpful and informative. Just as you can create your own homeschool workshop, you can can also throw your own state or regional conference for little or no cost, and have a great time doing it.
Getting Started
First, find a central location. Consider what type of event you want to have and the commensurate noise and activity level when choosing your meeting space. If you’re going to have food and music, and vendors, the library won’t be a good choice. But if you’re just going to have speakers and community group booths, a big library may be just the right place. Other possible, reasonably priced locations might be colleges or universities, community centers, parks with covered pavilions, churches, or science centers.
Brainstorm Your Event
Get together with other homeschoolers and brainstorm. Be open to suggestions and ideas. You’ll find that a lot of people with good ideas are happy to help implement them when acknowledged and encouraged. Instead of responding, “I don’t know if we can do that.” say, “What a great idea! How do you think we can do that?” In this case, the more cooks in the kitchen, the better.
Consider whether you want vendors, and how much you want to charge. Vendors can help defray any meeting area rental costs if the place you’re meeting at isn’t free. Think about whether you want children’s programs, if you plan to have food or have people brown bag it. What kind of speakers or presentations would you like to have? Workshops on eportfolios or creating transcripts or teaching certain subjects?
K.I.S.S.
But Keep It Simple…Sweetie. Keep it short the first time around, and try not to over plan. Keep lists of people who helped you pull the event together, and start a file of resources for next year. Having an information package on hand for guests is great, too. A simple package can include the Home Education Magazine Pocket Homeschool guide, a copy of state statutes and lists of local homeschool resources.
Have some of the kids make posters or banners. Decorate with balloons. Remember, the draw is being together. Schedule just enough to provide attention getting information, but not so much that folks won’t have time to just hang out together. And if you stick to a simple set up, breaking down won’t be nearly so difficult.
Keep Everyone on the Same Page
- Make sure everyone knows what needs to be done and when on the day of the event, and make sure everyone has a way to stay in contact.
- Make sure your speakers and presenters are recognized and attended to by event goers, especially if everyone is participating for free. The least they’re owed is everyone’s attention, so don’t schedule any mingling or sale table browsing until speakers are done.
- Be sure to have a guest book and someone to guide newcomers to it. This is the basis for your statewide networking and future gatherings. Ask guests to include an email address, the area they’re from and the name of their homeschool groups.
- Clean up thoroughly when done, and be sure to thank your hosts! If possible, set up a big white poster board “card” for event guests to sign that you can then give to your hosts. You want to be invited back!
And be sure to say THANK YOU, over and over again to everyone who helped put together your state conference. Send letters with pictures to speakers, those who helped provide space, and those who gave of time and resources. And tell everyone how much you look forward to doing it again next year!
You don't have to be a corporate giant to throw a great homeschool conference. Find a central location, brainstorm with others, keep it simple and communicate consistently with everyone involved, and your homegrown homeschool conference can be a great success.
 |
