The benefits of going to homeschool conferences are many and I’m here to urge you to make time to go to one. I understand that making time to go to a homeschool conference is hard. I understand that finding the money to go is hard. I understand that finding someone to watch the kids or having to take the kids with you is hard. But I still think it’s important to go to a homeschool conference.
I recently attended a Charlotte Mason themed homeschool conference in Austin, Texas. I hadn’t been to an in-person conference in many years, but when I saw the Rooted and Grounded Conference put on by City School of Austin with keynote speaker, Amber O’Neal Johnston aka The Heritage Mom, advertised on a local Facebook group I knew that I just had to attend. When I started planning to go, I almost decided not to because of the work that I would be missing and the planning that I had to do to make things go well for my family while I would be out of the house. 
I persevered and went anyway! And I am so glad that I did! In the rest of this post, I am going to share four benefits of going to homeschool conferences and why you should go to at least one each year if it’s at all possible.
Benefit #1 Learning from other people’s experience
The speakers at homeschool conferences generously share what they’ve gone through and how they came out on the other side. We can leverage their experiences and expertise, gleaning valuable insights into ways we can improve our homeschooling.
The speakers at these conventions range from fellow home educators to experts in all sorts of fields. My grandfather wisely once told me, “You can learn from other people or you can learn from the school of hard knocks.” I choose to learn from others whenever possible!
Benefit #2 In-Person Beats Virtual Interactions
You might be thinking, “Can’t I just do my research online or watch speaker videos when the kids are in bed instead of going to a conference? “ Sure, you certainly can, but it’s nothing like the camaraderie and encouragement of being with other homeschoolers, or being able to meet a homeschooling hero in person. When I was a fairly new homeschooling mom, I went to a Sally Clarkson WholeHeart Ministries conference and was an overjoyed fan girl when I met Sally. I’ve met other giants in the homeschooling world and it’s always been a thrill. You can’t get the same effect watching a video online. In a similar way, being with other homeschoolers is both invigorating and inspiring. I belong to many homeschooling groups on social media and enjoy the support and interaction of those groups, but it still pales in comparison to meeting with some of those folks in person. Interacting with other homeschoolers at a conference is very rewarding in a way that interacting online can never be.
Benefit #3 Becoming a Better Home Educator
Just as public school teachers engage in yearly teacher training, so should home educators. Homeschool conferences are chock full of teacher training and continuing education opportunities. If we’re homeschooling for the long haul, we’re going to need to keep adding to our skill set. Every conference that I have attended offers practical teaching instruction on a variety of topics. The Rooted and Grounded Conference had break out sessions that taught Charlotte Mason principles such as Nature Study and Art Study.
Benefit #4 Encouragement and Support
The homeschooling lifestyle is still not the norm, though more people are familiar with homeschooling after the pandemic brought school into just about every home. No one understands the ups and downs of homeschooling more than another homeschooler. The speakers at homeschool conferences are fellow homeschooling families who come from all walks of life and share how you can keep homeschooling through and in spite of challenging circumstances. They understand and can encourage you in your homeschooling in a way that your supportive parents or friends cannot. Going to homeschool conferences helps to build you up and to give you tools to keep homeschooling.
So, there you have it- four compelling benefits of going to homeschool conferences. The homeschool conference season usually starts in March or April each year. This allows you time to do your research, save some funds, and plan on going to at least one homeschool conference in the future!
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