Andrew Pudewa shares many humorous experiences (and painful lessons) he has learned over thirty years of teaching and homeschooling. You will be challenged, reassured, and sure to leave with an expanded vision of your calling as a home educator.

By now, it’s clear that the agendas of woke ideologues have infiltrated almost every major institution in western civilization. This begs these questions: “Does the public school deserve to have your children for 8 hours a day?” “Should my children be salt and light in the public schools?” Join Heidi St. John, mother of seven and well-known advocate for parental involvement in education for an eye-opening, excuse-smashing exposé on the agenda for our public schools. See how the schools are pushing gender ideology, homosexuality, Critical Race Theory, and pro-abortion propaganda. Learn the true history of public schools, the real agenda of the National Education Association (NEA), the National Library Association (NLA), and more. You’re not helpless in this battle for the heart and mind of your child. We’ll discuss why an “exodus” from our public schools is happening and why homeschooling is growing in leaps and bounds.

Are you weary? Today’s parents are up against a lot. We’re shepherding children in a time when the war for their hearts and minds has reached a fever-pitch. And, yes, the battle is real—but so is our God! Come spend an hour with mother of seven, Heidi St. John, as she offers hope and teaches parents how to pray for their kids at every stage of development. We’ll get real about the struggle, but we won’t focus on it. You’re raising a special generation of warriors! Don’t give up. You were born for this!

Are we allowing secularism to creep into the homeschool? Are we allowing worldly standards to establish our definitions of success? Have we clarified the differences between a man-centered education and a God-centered education enough? Kevin Swanson gets back to the basics on a biblical worldview in this presentation.

Starting the homeschool journey can be an overwhelming and intimidating process. How do you decide which curriculum to use? How should your home be set up for learning? What does the law require of homeschoolers? Is there a right way to homeschool? This session is designed to address beginning topics like state homeschool laws, how to choose curriculum, understanding your children’s learning styles, finding support for you and your homeschool, and making learning a lifestyle. It’s my hope that you’ll leave this session feeling equipped and confident for the school year ahead.

Character is the most important fruit that parents can nurture in their children, and it is the foundation for academic learning. Discover how character is learned and how to establish a plan for teaching it to your children. Kathie will give several creative ways you can encourage your children to develop in this important area. After hearing this, you will be motivated and full of ideas to use with your own children.

Just like a house needs a strong foundation to stand tall, children need a solid base in math to tackle more complex ideas with confidence. Without a solid foundation, things can start to crumble. In this session, you’ll learn simple, effective ways to teach math from the ground up, helping children understand the basics in a way that builds their confidence. When kids have a solid math foundation, they don’t just get the right answers—they feel empowered to keep growing, trying, and even enjoying math as they advance to more challenging concepts.

Did you know that God places a high value on the role of homemakers? If you’re wondering if the work of making dinner, keeping the house clean, changing diapers, and doing dishes carries eternal significance, this workshop is for you. Mom, you’re irreplaceable. Come join Heidi St. John as she infuses your heart and home with the joy of homemaking. (Bonus! Heidi will be sharing some of her favorite recipes and tips for creating a home that your whole family will love to come home to.)

One of the great benefits of homeschooling is the opportunity to personalize your children’s education. A key ingredient in tailoring education is understanding each child’s individual learning style. This facilitates easier learning, adds fun to school, and aids in choosing curriculum. This workshop will give you the tools to determine your child’s learning style and ideas for how to better teach them. Additionally, you’ll be able to learn about your learning and teaching style, too!

Do you struggle with a child who is difficult or challenging? Do you have one child who causes you exasperation and takes more time and energy than all your other children put together? How do you respond to the resentment and anger he stirs up in you? How do you respond to him? There IS hope and help!! Get answers to these questions that will encourage you and help you deal wisely and lovingly with that child.

Homeschooling isn’t just about finishing textbooks—it’s about preparing kids for real life. In this workshop, we’ll explore how to intentionally weave life skills into your homeschool from daily chores and time management to financial literacy, problem-solving, and even entrepreneurship. You’ll learn practical strategies to help your children grow in independence and confidence while still pursuing academics. Walk away with a clear vision for raising capable, resilient young adults who are ready not only for graduation but also ready for the responsibilities and opportunities of adulthood.

Listening and reading well, speaking and writing clearly, and thinking and debating effectively are abilities that most parents hope to cultivate in their children. With that goal in mind, Andrew Pudewa explores various environments and activities that accelerate the development of these language skills, beginning with the youngest students and continuing into the high school years.

This session covers everything you need to know about your state’s homeschool law so you can homeschool with confidence. It includes a thorough presentation of the basics with plenty of time for questions.

Set the boring worksheets aside and say hello to joyful learning through games! In this fun-filled workshop, you’ll discover how simple math card games can make math something your child actually looks forward to. These games are powerful tools for teaching and reinforcing key concepts like addition, multiplication, and fractions. They encourage critical thinking, build number sense, and allow kids of all ages and abilities to learn together. Games turn solitary work into a social, interactive experience that boosts math skills and infuses learning with laughter and joy.

Would a Renaissance education help bring about a renaissance in education? What sort of training and life did a young Shakespeare or da Vinci have? What elements of that can we recapture and apply in our tech-driven modern world? Andrew Pudewa contemplates craft, attentiveness, stock, imitation, constraint, freedom, and more!

Don’t miss the essentials! These are the most crucial and the most basic, age-old, biblical principles for the education of a child. Faith and character are preeminent. The principle of individuality is the most liberating principle. Relationships lie at the heart of it. Life integration turns knowledge into an extremely useful and powerful tool for success. But how many of these elements are missed by conventional systems of learning and by many homeschools as well? These are the basics, coming from Kevin Swanson’s 53 years of experience in the movement, and his book, Upgrade: The Ten Secrets to the Best Education for Your Child.

As homeschool parents, it’s natural to want to protect our children. Keeping them too sheltered can leave them unprepared for life’s challenges and sometimes even lead to rebellion, which pushes them toward the very things we hope to shield them from. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to guide your kids through honest, age-appropriate conversations about feelings, choices, and real-world experiences. We’ll explore practical strategies to build resilience , confidence , and sound judgment , helping children grow capable, self-assured, and ready to navigate the world beyond home.

Teaching multiple ages at once is no small task—it can feel overwhelming, exhausting, and frustrating. But with the right systems and mindset, it can become one of the most fruitful parts of your homeschool. In this session, Kathie Morrissey, homeschool mom of eight, will show you how to turn the chaos into calm. You’ll learn practical strategies to structure your days, foster independence, and keep everyone on track—even when you’re juggling toddlers and teens. You’ll walk away encouraged and equipped with tools to make school time more peaceful, productive, and purpose driven.

How to choose wisely among the seeming thousands of homeschool curriculum options available today? Can it work to have students of different ages use the same study materials? What other options are there for managing students at different levels? Let this workshop save you hours of research through a guided tour of popular teaching methods, learning styles, and resources for evaluating curriculums. We won’t tell you what to use, but we will help you make choices that fit your individual students – and probably save you some money along the way.

Did you know that you have influence? You do! The question is: What are you doing with the influence that God has given you? You have influence with your children, your friends, your family, and your co-workers. What are you doing with it? How is your faith influencing those around you? In this powerful presentation, Heidi will share six character traits of leaders who have successfully navigated the ups and downs of leadership and used their influence to make a difference in the lives of those around them. Your legacy is already being built. What will it be?

Many teachers and parents assume that good readers will naturally become good writers. Others think that writing talent is a natural ability. Some have it. Others don’t. Both are myths. History and modern research demonstrate how good writers develop the two most critical skills needed for a high level of aptitude in writing. With humor and insight, Andrew Pudewa explains these two easy but powerful skills that build language patterns and nurture competent communicators.

Teaching math can be tough, especially when your child learns differently. Whether your child has a learning difference, struggles with math anxiety, or simply doesn't grasp math the traditional way, you're not alone. In this encouraging and practical workshop, you'll discover strategies that truly work for kids who need a different approach. Learn how to teach in ways that build real understanding, reduce anxiety, and foster confidence. With the right tools and support, success is not only possible—it’s within reach. Come gain insight, encouragement, and a clear path forward for your child’s learning journey.

Parenting. It’s exhausting and exhilarating. Frustrating and fascinating. Like all things that are God-breathed, it’s a Kingdom-building exercise. It’s a masterful strategy, this idea of using all-night feedings and miscarriage and labor and teenagers (see how teens and labor go hand-in-hand?) and even homeschooling to teach us to trust the heart of the Father. But that’s exactly what God wants you to learn to do. Join Heidi St. John for an hour of encouragement and inspiration that will lift you up and remind you of the WHY of homeschooling.

Is your marriage facing challenges or obstacles? Do the problems seem overwhelming or too big to handle at times? This workshop will clearly define God's intention for marriage but also outline three very simple, practical habits that you can use right away. These habits can strengthen your connection, build resilience, and help "divorce-proof" your relationship. Ebon's goal is to equip and inspire you to build something lasting and deeply rooted in God's plan for marriage.

Kevin’s parents graduated six children from their homeschool, and now, Kevin and Brenda Swanson have just about graduated their five children as well. All parents want their children to be successful. We will take a careful look at the word “success” and touch on our children’s calling and purpose in life. We clear the deck and present life preparation goals that each of our children will need. We will offer two tracks — the entrepreneurial track and the college track — and offer to parents and young people an exciting array of options and ideas that will accommodate their children’s particular needs. Special mention will be made of the power of mentorship.

Science is messy and expensive. Ever wonder whether you’re “doing it right” or “doing enough”? In this workshop, Ben will offer his insight as a middle school science teacher on where you should probably splurge and where it’s okay to cut your science budget. He will also describe some of his favorite science tools that you can buy once and use for years with multiple scholars. Hopefully, you’ll walk away from this workshop feeling encouraged and equipped with new ideas, resources, and the confidence that you can teach science!

This comprehensive seminar delves into three common learning differences—dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia—affecting students’ reading, writing, and math abilities. Educators, parents, and tutors will gain a clear understanding of how each condition presents in the classroom, their underlying causes, and how they can often overlap. The seminar will provide practical strategies for identifying these learning challenges early and explore targeted interventions that support student success in reading, writing, and math. Participants will leave equipped with effective instructional techniques, accommodations, and tools to help students overcome these barriers and achieve academic growth.

As schools have made reading their new god, they believe that producing good readers will solve all their academic problems. As a result, many children—the dyslexic, the easily distracted, the auditorily challenged—are left behind in the rush to improve test scores. What schools do not know (but what many parents and teachers discover) is that reading is not simply being able to rapidly decode symbols with the eyes. With humor and insight, Andrew Pudewa shares stories and strategies for helping students who need to engage the cognitive processes of reading but who are more likely to excel through a wider variety of practical, creative, and imaginative approaches.

As the author of six books on world history, American history, missions history, and the history of Christian liberties, Kevin Swanson shows how a Christian view of history is so very different from an evolutionary, materialistic and humanistic view that is taught in schools today. Most of the Bible is history. Jesus appears in history. The Gospel is a historical event. If you are passing on the faith to your children, this will be a critical element of it. It is essential that we pass on the “mighty acts of God” as recorded in history — and see them as just that — the mighty acts of God.

Receive a first-hand report on what happened in the 2026 Iowa Legislative Session from our Homeschool Iowa lobbyist, Jeremy Vos. You’ll learn about Homeschool Iowa’s advocacy efforts on behalf of Iowa homeschooling families and hear the inside-scoop about all things legislative affecting home educators in our state.

Do you remember your first date with your spouse? Take a moment and think about how you felt while holding hands and gazing into their eyes. God intended for marriages to maintain that cherishing nature throughout the entire journey. In this workshop we will discuss the distractions and barriers that arise and how we can successfully tend the garden of our relationship to always treasure their presence.