Home Educators Expo

Set for March 30 - April 1, 2006

By Jim Day

In the St. Louis area, we are blessed to have a strong Christian homeschool community. There are many local homeschool support groups located in most metro area counties. Membership in these groups ranges from dozens to hundreds of families. Offering an alternative to the traditional Christian or public school settings, homeschooling has continued to experience steady growth.

“Many people think they will be totally on their own when they choose to homeschool their children. They think they have to do everything from creating curricula to learning about the law to arranging field trips. Area homeschool support groups have learned that by sharing information and providing opportunities for homeschool families to come together and help each other, the challenges of homeschooling their children become less stressful,” said a local

homeschool mother of two.

This year many of the St. Louis area homeschool support groups have come together to host the Greater St. Louis Area Home Educators Expo. This three-day event will be held at West County Assembly of God Church which is located at 13431 N. Outer Forty Rd., in Chesterfield, MO on March 30, 31 and April 1, 2006.

The Expo is the creation of leading Christian homeschool support groups in St. Louis City and County, Jefferson County, St. Charles County and Illinois counties. Nationally known speakers will be featured including keynote speaker Steve Moitozo, Scott Woodruff, Dr. David Vaughan, Kerry Messer and Bill Federer. These speakers will present a wide range of the topics such as Homeschooling – Am I Doing Enough , Understanding Missouri Homeschool Law, Classical Christian Education, The Humor and Heart of Homeschooling and much more. Smaller workshops will also be available throughout the Expo.

The first day of the Expo, Thursday, March 30, will feature a free homeschool variety show and the vender hall will be open to the public. A two-day pass to attend on Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1 will be $30 for a family or $10 for an individual if purchased before March 15.

Families exploring the possibility of homeschooling for the first time or families who have homeschooled their children for years will certainly benefit from this unique event. Parents will be able to attend workshops and seminars with topics ranging from new ways of teaching to selecting the appropriate curriculum for their children. Vendors of curricula will also be on hand to make recommendations and sell their resources to the general public.

You are not alone when you homeschool your children in the greater St. Louis area. There are many support groups to help you through this rewarding vocation. See www.stlhomeschoolexpo.com for a registration form and more details.