Homeschool Iowa CONFERENCE
SPECIAL TRACKS
SPECIAL TRACKS
FRIDAY-Saturday
June 10-11, 2022
Homeschool Iowa Conference
MidAmerican Energy Recplex
West Des Moines
BEGINNING
HOMESCHOOLING
Scott Woodruff has worked as an attorney for Home School Legal Defense Association since 1998, assisting thousands of home educating families in dealings with social workers, police officers, truant officers, principals, superintendents, and prosecuting attorneys.
Scott has represented HSLDA members in court and has appeared before many state legislatures to fight against repressive homeschool legislation. He is a frequent speaker at homeschool conferences and on radio programs across the country.
Nancy Bjorkman began as the ultimate homeschool skeptic. Now, after 20+ years teaching her own four children, she has become the “go-to lady” for many and a champion of the cause.
She's a certified teacher and has spoken at homeschool conferences in over 10 states where she is known for her enthusiasm, energy, and encouragement.
Having graduated all of her children, Nancy finds it exciting to have graduated herself to being a mentor for other homeschool families.
She and her husband own HEPPNER’S LEGACY, a homeschool store in Elk River, MN, where they delight in ministering to the unique needs of families year round, and where parents say, “Come for the books. Stay for the therapy.™”
FRIDAY, JUNE 10
8:30-9:20am:
Homeschool Legal Requirements in Iowa
~ Scott Woodruff
9:30-10:20am:
Homeschooling for Beginners
~Homeschool Iowa Regional Representatives
10:30-11:30am:
Exploring Homeschooling Methods
~Nancy Bjorkman
HOMESCHOOLING
SPECIAL NEEDS
Faith Berens is team leader for HSLDA’s Special Needs Educational Consultants. She also works as a private educational consultant and evaluator.
She has an MEd in reading from Shenandoah University. Her areas of expertise are early childhood literacy, reading assessment, and the identification and remediation of reading difficulties and disabilities.
Faith has over 15 years of teaching experience that includes serving as a classroom teacher in public and private Christian schools, Reading Recovery® teacher, reading specialist, NILD educational therapist, home educator, co-op instructor, and tutor.
She lives in Fauquier County, Virginia, with her husband, Matthew, and homeschools her daughter, Hailey, and son, Hayden. Her passions include reading for pleasure, singing, traveling, nature/science, leading Bible studies, and teaching reading to struggling students.
FRIDAY, JUNE 10
1:00-2:00pm:
You Can Homeschool Your Struggling Learner
~ Faith Berens
2:30-3:30pm:
Teaching Struggling Learners at Home: The Nuts & Bolts for Success
~ Faith Berens
4:00-5:00pm:
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
~ Faith Berens
HIGH SCHOOL
& BEYOND
Vicki Tillman has been working with homeschool high schoolers for decades as an academic advisor and career coach. She specializes in helping teens find their strengths, manage themselves and their academics well in the present while planning for the future.
Through her coaching, teens have found that they enjoy writing fiction, poetry and even research papers. She helps them learn to "like Psych" and other high school topics like Career Exploration, Human Development and Early Childhood Education through the curriculum she has developed.
Vicki is a member of the 7SistersHomeschool team. She also shares lots of how-tos on the Homeschool High School Podcast.
Her five kids homeschooled through graduation and have now all graduated from college. Four of them are teachers and one is a professional photographer, so they all keep super busy.
Rory Groves is a former technology consultant and founder of multiple software businesses. Several years ago he moved his family from the city to the country to begin the journey towards a more durable way of life.
Rory and his wife Becca now reside in southern Minnesota where they farm, raise livestock, host workshops, and homeschool their five children.
He is author of Durable Trades: Family-Centered Economies That Have Stood the Test of Time, and director of Gather & Grow, a nonprofit ministry dedicated to rebuilding the family economy.
SATURDAY, JUNE 11
10:00-11:00am:
The College Question: Exploring Alternatives to College
- Rory Groves
11:00am-1:00pm:
College & Career Fair
1:00-2:00pm:
How to Homeschool High School
~ Vicki Tilman
2:30-3:30pm:
How to Build the Transcript Your Teen Needs
~ Vicki Tilman
3:30-4:30pm:
How to Choose the Best Electives for Teens
~ Vicki Tilman
Homeschooling 101 Mini-Conference
Thinking of homeschooling? Feeling overwhelmed? Don’t know where to start?
Take advantage of our Homeschooling 101 mini-conference.
Introductory workshops will
• walk you through Iowa homeschool law,
• give you guidance as you choose curriculum, and
• encourage you as you step into home education.
Homeschool Iowa is pleased to offer this Mini-Conference
at an special low admission rate for those who are exploring the option of home education.
Admission to this Mini-Conference is included in full-conference registration.
PRESENTER: POLLY LILLY
Retired NICHE Board Member & Regional Representatives Coordinator
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
This workshop will help you think through the important steps needed to successfully homeschool. Polly will include how to overcome some of the obstacles and challenging questions that many will meet as beginning homeschoolers. The diverse approaches to homeschooling will be presented as well as examples and stories from her 17 years of home educating her children and 6 years as an supervising teacher. Resources will be shared and questions will be answered at the end of the session. We’ll cover some common roadblocks and misconceptions about “what school should look like” and also discuss many of the stages that homeschool families experience as they walk through the years. There will be a time for interaction and questions.
PRESENTER: Scott Woodruff
HSLDA Attorney for Iowa
2:15 - 3:15 p.m.
Iowa's homeschool laws can seem quite complicated and overwhelming. With multiple options, and varying requirements, the legal maze can seem like an obstacle course.
Home School Legal Defense Association attorney, Scott Woodruff, will provide you with everything you need to know about Iowa's homeschool laws so you can homeschool with confidence.
PRESENTERS: HOMESCHOOL GRADUATE PANEL
3:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Most parents who are considering home education ask questions about the end results of homeschooling. They want to know about socialization, about college admission, and about employability.
This presentation will allow you to meet and hear from a group of Iowa homeschool graduates. Hear them tell about their own experiences as homeschooled students. Find out what homeschooling has meant to them.
Special Thanks to our sponsors
High School & Beyond SponsorS:
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Learn more about our full Conference, which includes the SPECIAL TRACKS