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Homeschooling parents have been known to carve out paths for their children that may be uncharted when they want their kids to have certain experiences. They design their own curricula, design their own apps, open online groups, and start co-ops—if an opportunity is not available where they live, trailblazing and inspiring others to join them is not a foreign concept.

In this part 2 episode of The Benefits of 4-H on Your Child’s Homeschool Education, I sit down for a chat with Centex HBCU Alumni 4-H Club Manager Tony Austin and his wife (Sheryl Austin), who is also an Extension Agent for Prairie View A&M University, which sponsors our club. You’ll learn what inspired them to start our 4-H Club, the role land-grant HBCUs play in 4-H, and what kids, particularly kids of color, stand to gain from experiencing 4-H.

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In this episode, I want to share with you an alternative to homeschool co-op that can develop your child from the lower elementary ages all the way through high school. 4-H has been around since 1902, when it began as an educational program for rural youth. Since then, it has evolved into a youth development organization that enables both parents and kids to be involved.

This podcast episode is taken from a Coffee Talk Presentation for the BFHES (Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars 2023 Teach-in Virtual Conference. To view the video version visit A Heart 4 Homeschool Youtube Channel.

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In this episode, I chat with Jason Esters, a homeschool dad and host of the Black Men Homeschool Podcast. We talk about several key issues pertaining to the black homeschool community. Specifically, Jason shares how he and his wife, both educators, became homeschool parents, the impact of fathers and community in homeschooling, the rise of community colleges in post-secondary education, as well as what he thinks the future holds for the public school and homeschooling communities.

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As homeschooling has become more mainstream, I’ve found it refreshing that many people are somewhat familiar with the idea of home education. When I mention the fact that we homeschool now, most people simply nod their heads. It’s no big deal.

It’s a different story, however, when I say I am homeschooling my high schoolers. It’s one thing to homeschool elementary or even middle school, but high school? That’s when I get the stares and the questions. How can homeschool parents provide the academic rigor their children need to compete? What about standardized tests like the SAT and ACT? And other activities that round out the high school experience? Like prom, community service, and other extracurriculars?

For additional information on resources to help your homeschooled teen, check out my presentation for Black Family Homeschool Educators & Scholars Coffee Talk titled, " Online Tools to Get Your Homeschool Teen Organized and Accountable."

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In this episode, I will be having a candid conversation with Pamela Smith a veteran homeschool mom, business owner, and former director of an evangelical homeschool program, who is working on a groundbreaking book titled, Black Faces in White Spaces. In her upcoming book, Pamela shares her heartbreaking experiences as a black, Christian homeschool program director and starts a very necessary conversation about what homeschoolers of color at times experience. We also discuss the underlying fear many new black homeschoolers have of entering majority white, evangelical homeschool spaces.
Pamela also owns Afrocentric Homeschoolers on Facebook and @blackhomeeducators on Instagram.

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New and prospective homeschooling parents often have many questions: What are the homeschool laws for my state? Where do I find affordable curricula? What is my child's learning style? What is deschooling? Now the answers to these questions are at your fingertips with the Homeschool Yo Kids app. This app, developed by fellow homeschool mom, Jae Carter, provides resources, encouragement, and the answers you need to begin your homeschool journey comfortably. Download the app to your iOS or Android device and listen to Jae explain what inspired her to create such a revolutionary resource for the homeschooling community.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1616697031

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During the pandemic, many black families have chosen to divest from the public school system in order to homeschool their children. They've discovered homeschool freedom and the liberty to teach their children accurate history and have conversations surrounding race that would be suppressed in public schools. Many have embraced homeschooling for the long term and are already seeing positive results which begs the question--is homeschooling the solution to systemic racism in education? Tune in to our Clubhouse conversation.

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Though The 1619 Project has been fraught with criticism, detractors, and legislation seeking to ban it from public school classrooms, it continues to stand as a testament to the resilience, perseverance, and resolve of the enslaved and their descendants in spite of struggle. It’s also a testament to the tenacity of Nikole Hannah Jones, the Pulitzer prize-winning journalist who created The 1619 Project. In this episode, you’ll hear our clubhouse discussion of The 1619 Project, why teaching accurate history is so important for the next generation, and how we can serve within our communities to ensure all of our children are educated in truth rather than myths.