The VaHomeschoolers unConvention is more than an event—it’s an inclusive celebration of homeschooling, tailored to inspire, empower, and connect families from all walks of life. Whether you’re just beginning your homeschooling journey or are a seasoned educator, there’s something for everyone.

Engaging Sessions: Explore a diverse lineup of workshops and talks led by experienced homeschoolers and educational professionals. Gain actionable insights, creative ideas, and practical strategies for every stage of homeschooling.

Vibrant Community: Meet and mingle with other homeschooling families who share your values and experiences. Build connections, share stories, and find support in our welcoming community.

Exhibit Hall: Discover resources, tools, and programs designed to enrich your homeschooling experience. From curriculum providers to hands-on materials, the exhibit hall is a treasure trove of ideas.

and MORE!

Come join us on April 13th, 2025, and be part of this unique opportunity to celebrate and grow with Virginia’s homeschool community.

Home Education is the unConventional Education!

Home education is the unConventional way to educate our children, and VaHomeschoolers is here with the resources and support you need to make your home education journey successful!

Susan Wise Bauer

Susan Wise Bauer is a renowned educator, historian, and author. her newest book for Norton is a guide for parents, Rethinking School: How to Take Charge of Your Child’s Education (2018). Her previous books included The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home and The Well-Educated Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had; The Story of Western Science: From the Writings of Aristotle to the Big Bang Theory (previously titled The Story of Science): and the History of the World series, a narrative world history series.

As a homeschool graduate and experienced educator, Susan brings both personal insight and professional expertise to her work, offering practical guidance and rich resources to empower parents and students alike. Her contributions have helped shape modern homeschooling, making classical education accessible, engaging, and achievable for families worldwide.

Catina Franklin Sweedy

Catina Franklin Sweedy has been a leader in the homeschool community since 2008, with a focus on unschooling, youth rights, and restorative practices. As a mentor at Embark Center for Self-Directed Education, she helps young people and families navigate autonomy, trust, and respectful communication, in addition to creating their own learning paths. A sought-after speaker, Catina has presented at conferences including Virginia Homeschoolers UnConventions and the Alternative Education Resource Organization Conference, covering topics such as homeschooling, video game education, and self-directed education. She has also been featured on multiple podcasts discussing self-directed education, nonviolent communication, sociocratic decision-making, and peaceful parenting. Catina is a Mojang-certified Minecraft educator, and lives in Leesburg, VA, with her husband, two teenagers, and a menagerie of rescued animals.

Homeschool Harmony: Creating a Peaceful Homeschool Environment with Nonviolent Communication and Teamwork

This lecture will introduce homeschool families to the principles of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) and Sociocratic Decision-Making (SDM) as tools for compassionate conflict resolution and deep listening. NVC and SDM are effective methods of communication that acknowledge both parents’ and children’s needs and goals. This is an interactive session with plenty of opportunities to problem-solve actual situations audience members have experienced. Attendees will leave with more understanding and skills of how to effectively problem-solve together with their children.

Candy Baracat-Donovan

Candy is a dedicated educator, consultant, and advocate who helps people find their voice and take action in ways that align with their unique strengths. As the co-founder of Like A Sister, she provides inclusive, evidence-based support to families navigating pregnancy, postpartum, and early parenthood. She also created and teaches a civic engagement workshop, empowering parents with progressive values to make an impact while raising young children. In addition, Candy is the founder of Politically Connect, where she advises candidates and activists on leveraging digital tools to shape messaging and mobilize communities. She integrates technology and AI into her work, from supporting parents in managing the mental load to crafting compelling political narratives. A passionate home educator of her three children in the Washington, D.C. suburbs, she approaches all her work through a feminist and inclusive lens, blending communication, technology, and education to help individuals and families make meaningful change.

Topic 1: Raising Informed & Active Citizens: Weaving Civic Engagement into Your Homeschool

Have you ever wondered how to:

• Raise kids who are passionate about making the world a better place?
• Bring your civics lessons to life by giving your child a chance to apply what they’ve learned in your homeschool?
• Balance a busy schedule and your own civic engagement?

In this workshop, parents will learn how to create a family culture of civic engagement. No matter what issue speaks to you or your kids, you can help make your voices heard and positively your their community.

Attendees will leave the workshop feeling hopeful and empowered to create change and model for their kids what it looks like to be an engaged citizen. I’ll bring my expertise in political communication, new parent coaching and personal activism, while incorporating my experiences as a home educating mom of three kids, to this presentation.

We’ll cover:

• Identifying and naming your family’s values
• Getting started with civic engagement as a family
• Translating your homeschool lessons into real-world actions
• Building community around your interests
• Getting to know your elected officials
• How political and awareness campaigns work
• Teaching media literacy and critical thinking

Topic 2: Tech-Savvy Teaching: Harnessing AI to Support (Not Shortcut) Your Homeschool

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the way we access and process information, and homeschoolers have a unique opportunity to harness its potential while maintaining ethical and intentional use. This session will explore how AI can be a powerful tool for homeschool planning, research, and everyday family management—without replacing critical thinking, creativity, or hands-on learning. We’ll discuss key ethical concerns, including AI’s environmental impact, bias, and the importance of mindful consumption. You’ll learn practical ways to use AI for lesson planning, field trip coordination, and reducing your mental load as a homeschooling parent, all while helping your children develop strong analytical skills and a healthy relationship with technology. We’ll also address how to teach kids to use AI responsibly, avoiding over-reliance while fostering digital literacy. Whether you’re an AI skeptic or already experimenting with these tools, this workshop will offer a balanced approach to incorporating AI into your homeschool in a way that aligns with your values. You’ll leave with a better understanding how AI can help you streamline your homeschool experience, free up more time for hands-on learning, and support your role as both an educator and a parent.

Akilah S. Richards

Akilah S. Richards guides discussions about how unschooling skills and other forms of decoloniality are shaping families and other cultures of leadership, change-work, and love. In addition to private coaching and public speaking, she facilitates trainings, small-group experiences, and consultations that help resolve the ways that unexamined experiences with bias and oppression disrupt families’ and organization’s capacity to sustain cultures of belonging. You can find her views on Self-Directed Education, grief, deschooling and decoloniality for leadership and community all over the Internet, including coverage in Forbes Magazine, Washington Post, NPR, NBC TV, CBC Radio, and print publications, including The New York Times. Her book, Raising Free People: Unschooling as Liberation and Healing Work is available in select bookstores, via PM Press, and some local libraries.

If Not School At Home, Then What?

If not school at home, then what?” is an interactive experience to discover and discuss the various ways learning happens and can be supported without a heavy reliance on forced curricula. The session includes a focus on grief as part of the discussion, as in mourning the loss of all the expectations we had/have around conventional schooling, and the sense of loss from the changes in the perceptions around studenthood.

Joshua Jernigan

Joshua Jernigan (he/him/his) is a transgender rights activist, speaker, and philanthropist living in the greater Charlotte Metropolitan area where he and his husband are raising their children together. He started the Gender Education Network, an organization helping transgender and gender diverse youth under 12, and is passionate about ensuring every child has a safe and loving home to nurture their growing identities.

Joshua has extensive experience in early childhood education both in traditional classroom settings and remotely. He has previously taught classes on numerous topics ranging from sign language instruction to racial and gender identities.

Joshua is also passionate about accurate and accessible history which has led him down the path of learning all he can about LGBTQ+ history, all things that are not taught in a standard classroom. This passion has led to him giving several speeches about accurate queer history and why it’s important that this information be available for all individuals, which now has brought him back to his first love, educating. He has also taken this passion and used it to author an Accurate LGBTQ+ history curriculum aimed at the homeschool community, set to be released in 2025.

Joshua’s love of literature and diversity led him to co-found his local Drag Story Hour chapter. Joshua also authors children’s books under the pen name Hawk Kanter. These books explore trans loved ones from the eyes of a child. He is currently working on more books in the series.

When not helping kids or educating in some way, Joshua enjoys camping, hiking, and hanging out with his family.

All History is Queer History

Explore how LGBTQ+ individuals and communities have always been part of the broader human story, even if often hidden or unacknowledged. Join us as we uncover the diverse roles LGBTQ+ people have played across history, showing how their contributions have shaped art, politics, science, and social movements.

Sherry Wolfe

Homeschooling is not a journey Sherry planned to take. She started homeschooling when her twice-exceptional son wasn’t thriving in public school. At that point, she committed to learning the best ways for her kids to be successful. Twelve years later, Sherry is still homeschooling. Her oldest has graduated and is loving college. She has 2 teenagers left at home, both of whom have various learning disabilities as well as medical needs. She holds master’s degrees in education and math and has experience teaching math in high school and colleges. This education and her experience with her own kids have come together with her enthusiasm for helping other parents bring out the potential in their children.

In the Middle: How to Understand and Enjoy Homeschooling Your Middle Schooler

The transition from elementary to middle school can be quite jarring. Come find out why your preteen acts the way they do, how to meet them where they are, and how to make homeschooling middle schoolers fun!!!

Michelle McCarthy

Creating a Neuroaffirming Environment in Your Homeschool and Community

As a former special education teacher, Michelle had to unlearn traditional methods to homeschool and support her child with autism. In this session, she will share her journey of creating a homeschool environment that embraces neurodiversity and moves away from traditional teaching and behavior management ideas that only hurt our neurodivergent kids. You’ll leave with practical strategies to nurture your child’s strengths and build an inclusive, supportive community. Whether you’re new to homeschooling or looking to grow, this session offers valuable insights for your journey.

The transition from elementary to middle school can be quite jarring. Come find out why your preteen acts the way they do, how to meet them where they are, and how to make homeschooling middle schoolers fun!!!

Build Your Own Library

This event is sponsored in part by Sweet Briar College.

We’re grateful for their generous support! Learn more about them with the QR below!

Our Volunteers have the Most Fun!

Join the team of volunteers that help make the VaHomeschoolers the amazing and inclusive event it is!

Half day volunteers receive a warm thank you including full day registration and lunch on us!

Want to join our team? We’d love to hear from you!