s/o Crying Kids in Workshops/Dream Homeschool Convention

[HS Mom in NC]

Here's the thread Crying Kids in Workshops http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/609073-crying-kids-in-workshops/ to catch you up on where people are coming from.

 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on what would make your dream homeschool convention.  List what you don't like, what you do like and what you wish for at a homeschool convention.  All aspects are included, time of year, scheduling, fees, organizational style, content, topics, speakers, attitudes, social norms, physical layouts, challenges, improvements, locations, policies, consequences, the sky is the limit; problems and solutions.

[waa510]

Oh my gosh, where do I begin....

 

 

What I don't like at conferences I've attended:

 

-Random vendors who are there as empty-space-fillers; their business has nothing to do with homeschooling

 

-Vendors who can't answer basic questions about their products

 

-Vendors who are overly eager to push their specific seller code for purchasing online (make sure to use my code! or Make sure you put my name in the box on the site so they know I helped you!) So, in short, a vendor who works only on commission and is thus very, very pushy. Vendors who try to up-sell people i.e, I could get by on just product a and b but you insist I should buy a, b, c, and d products

 

-Vendors who push people toward their products even if they *know* the products are a bad fit. (People rolling up to my booth insisting on gobs of worksheets, no manipulatives at all to fiddle with were kindly turned away)

 

-A conference that is 90% speakers/workshops and 10% vendors. I personally come to browse vendors and have never gone to a workshop as they've never interested me

 

-Speaker sessions on religious or political topics. Speakers who claim their way is the only way to do this "right" thus playing into people's fears to get a sale. Feels smarmy to me

 

-Conferences who exclude vendors who aren't the right type of Christian or not Christian at all. Conferences should be religiously neutral arenas. I don't see why it's a huge thing to represent creationism *and* evolution in your vendor hall. 

 

Things I've loved: 

 

-Conferences anytime from May-July..preferably more like June/July timeframe. 

 

-Allowing parents of preschoolers to come in for free. It was helpful for me as a new to homeschooling mom to be able to check out the conference without having to pay a huge fee.

 

-An organized gridded map of the vendor hall put up on the conference's website weeks beforehand so I could print it out and highlight the booths I wanted to check out. 

 

-I puffy-heart loved working the conferences that had a tech support team to assist with getting mics and speakers, cords, computer stuff up and running for all my talks. Some conferences I'd have to leave the booth 15 minutes before my session would start to ensure that all the tech was set up and ready to go. Having that covered was immensely helpful.

 

-Organized check-in process (some conferences gave this job to disorganized teens *sigh*) with number of chairs and tables my convention coordinator had arranged previously to be *correct* and waiting for me in my spot. Nothing more irritating than having to call my boss to confirm that we ordered x number of tables (they need to be paid for, oftentimes) and to have to have her e-mail me the payment receipt so I can argue with the convention hall person about a freaking table when I could be getting my product display up and a second coffee in my body. *whew!*

 

- Not allowing people to stay past the time specified in the vendor hall schedule. By this time, vendors are fried..an extra 15 minutes is no fun for us. We often have to drive to a hotel, wake at 5 the next morning and do a hugely long day all over again. The best conferences did a little 5 minute warning chime over the speakers and had a team to gently usher people out while announcing what time the hall would open tomorrow. *Loved* those guys.  :001_tt1:

 

-A wonderfully close to the hall parking area. Often, the products bins are heavy and cumbersome to push/drag over to the vendor booth. A parking lot with ample space right behind the center (like a 500 ft walk with huge boxes) was heaven. 

 

-An atmosphere of religious acceptance. I had a lot of people assume I was Christian and I often had to lie/pretend in order to ensure that people wouldn't boycott my booth or my boss' math products. The vibe at many of the conferences from customers was sometimes quite hostile towards non-Christians. It was sad and always nerve-wracking as to whether I'd be 'outed'. Putting my current hometown on my vendor ID tag caused a lot of issues for me (Oh, what church do you go to? Oh, I haven't seen you at *insert mega-church in small town we both lived in*. ) Please don't do that to a vendor. 

 

-Having your conference in a climate-controlled area. One state has their conference in a barn. When it rained, we vendors froze, when it was sunny, we baked. Not pleasant. 

 

-Charging a fair amount of money for the conference like $40 to $50. Often, conferences that were $15 a family or less...if it rained, people didn't show as the money was little enough to not bother coming. This made it very difficult to predict if we'd make any money at the conference or not. Some vendors stopped coming to these conferences over the years as there was no guarantee and they became a break-even or even a loss to attend as a vendor. 

 

-Conference hotel deals, like tell the hotel you are with x conference and you can get into one of our discount rooms we reserved for way cheaper. Hotel connected by walkway to conference hall, or there's a shuttle. Had to walk back to hotel in sketchy areas sometimes...as a woman, alone at 10pm at night...yikes! One conference even had a team of guys whose whole job was to walk people back to their hotel at night!! That was awesome. 

 

What I wish a conference could be like: Like the WTM conference which focuses on academic speaking sessions. A large vendor hall with big name people in the homeschooling world like MCT, Jim Weiss, Andrew Pudewa, dude from Videotext whose name is escaping me, my wonderful former boss Dr. Cotter who is amazingly brilliant, Julie Bogart, etc. Having talks and vendors that span the ages and stages. So, things for those who need transcript help down to those who need help wrangling their toddlers so they can teach the big ones. Having a huge amount of volunteers or workers who help with check-in, session tech support, vendor booth issues, parking lot for vendors issues, information booth for map or session or schedule questions, anything that's needed. More volunteers, the better IMO. 

 

And I'm sure I'll think of more. It's been a couple years since I've been a vendor/attended a conference. I'll ponder this some more. Great topic!!!  :)

[Guest]

Oh I love this topic! :) I echo most everything above. 

 

What I have liked:

 

- Efficient, organized check in, professional materials, and well marked rooms. It was very easy to find where you were going. 

-Good sound systems. Unfortunately not good enough to override screaming kids though! 

 

My specific wishes:

 

1) That it be a true homeschool conference, not a parenting conference. If you're going to have parenting workshops, at least make sure your actual teaching/curricula workshops to help you to master a topic or situation actually outnumber the "parenting classes". Otherwise, they should just call themselves Parenting Conferences- at least it's honest. 

 

2) If you are religiously oriented and only invite speakers of a certain bent, clarify it. Say we're the Patriarchs of Texas Homeschooling Society. Don't mislead newcomers into thinking that your specific sect is all inclusive. I really have an issue with "state" titled conventions who are representing a small, but powerful patriarchal subset and aren't inclusive to other denominations (and actually purposely exclude them). When you're new your mind doesn't necessarily go to the thought of "excluded" because they're Catholic, or old earth or whatever, but instead you think they're small company and perhaps not popular and may cause you to rethink the curriculum. But that's not really why they aren't there. They aren't there because they ticked someone off.  It takes most of us a few years to figure out the internal politics of homeschooling. I really wish all of it wasn't so underhanded. It feels dirty.

 

3) No kids under 8 in workshops, and ushers/monitors to help enforce this. 

 

4) Affordable, high quality recordings. If you're charging $80+ for the recordings, please make sure they're actually of a decent quality. 

 

5) Reliable wi-fi in the vendor hall so that credit card payments can be easily processed without the poor vendors having to stretch their arms out and wave the machines around as if they were performing some type of exotic ritual. When they have to write every receipt out by hand it has to take a toll on business too, not to mention the lines. 

 

6) Available tech support for speakers. It's amazing how many speakers have had to deal with malfunctioning equipment that causes delays to the workshops. I wish there was some kind of paging system to summon help when they need it. It's uncomfortable watching someone fumble for 10 minutes with a system they're unfamiliar with but are required to use. 

 

That's all I have at the moment. To be honest I'm pretty sure I could get over a lot if the atmosphere was simply more pleasant. Great thread. Please take it and come create a convention dynasty starting with Texas!

 

 

[Rosie_0801]

Online. :D

[Guest]

.

Edited September 23, 2019 by Æthelthryth the Texan

[PeterPan]

Here's the thread Crying Kids in Workshops http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/609073-crying-kids-in-workshops/ to catch you up on where people are coming from.

 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on what would make your dream homeschool convention.  List what you don't like, what you do like and what you wish for at a homeschool convention.  All aspects are included, time of year, scheduling, fees, organizational style, content, topics, speakers, attitudes, social norms, physical layouts, challenges, improvements, locations, policies, consequences, the sky is the limit; problems and solutions.

 

You didn't ask, but I'll just say GHC has pretty much done what you're saying.  I don't know if you're just wanting to chat or whether you're actually wanting to do something with the information you're asking for.  That's what GHC did, getting sponsors, getting their ear to the ground. And they're professionals who run other major events, meaning they can run them flawlessly and usually do.  The GHC conventions are pretty well done, and when I'm reading about things on these lists, they're just non-issues.  

 

The problems they run into, even when they nail SO MUCH and get so much right, are things like quirking off part of your population (the Ken Ham debacle from a few years ago), market saturation, the economy, and the need to bring in large numbers of vendors to make up the gap between what people will pay for and what people want.  

 

I think these homeschool bundle sales are becoming a strong way for developers to advertise their product.  It may be that, in a way, conventions are too old school.  I tried to participate in an online one once and it was not much fun, more of a waste of time.  Even the dynamic of homeschooling has changed and the dominant philosophies of what they're looking for.  

 

Good luck with whatever you're trying to do.  :)

[happypamama]

My idea of good vendors are the people at Classical Academic Press.  I visited their booth at a small convention last year as well as at a big one this year, and they were lovely.  They were friendly and talkative, very knowledgeable about their products and able to answer questions, but they were not pushy at all.  (And they had a 20% off convention special, which even beat Amazon.)  Very pleasant shopping experience.  Fwiw, Veritas Press and the Memoria Press rep at the Rainbow Resource booth were all very pleasant too, as were the Miller Pads people, and the guy at the Christian Liberty Press booth was quite friendly without being pushy.

 

Small children don't bother me.  I don't even mind if they're running around occasionally, or crying, as long as parents are obviously trying to keep things under control.  Chaos happens with small children sometimes.

 

Strollers weren't a problem at CHAP.  There were a few of them, but they weren't too bad, not any worse than the backpacks/rolling bags.  

 

I like friendly, approachable vendors, but I don't like pushy ones.  One small vendor offered me a flier three or four times, even stepping out into the aisle to ask me if I had children of a particular age.  That was a little much, IMO.

 

One vendor could have used a couple more booths, IMO.  They had eight, I think, but they were super crowded with very narrow aisles.  Still didn't stop me from making multiple stops there, but it wasn't the easiest to maneuver, and it made me feel rushed, whereas I felt I could browse more leisurely at other vendors.

 

I'd like to see workshops based more on academics than lifestyle, the "school" part more than "home."  I feel like so very much basic organization/meal prep/faith teaching/etc. is available online nowadays, and I'd like to hear more practical advice for the school and teaching side of things.

 

I liked that I was able to volunteer and be reimbursed for my entrance fee, especially since I had an easy volunteer job.  I also didn't love the high parking fee, or at least I would have liked to have been able to pay just one parking fee instead of two daily fees. 

 

I didn't like that I couldn't bring my own water into the convention (which will be remedied with a move next year).  I understand lunch, but the cost for drinks was crazy high.  Neither parking fees nor the prohibition against water was the fault of the convention organizers, though.

 

I like seeing a variety of homeschool material vendors representing different types of homeschooling.  I'd love to see some secular vendors as well as the Christian ones, tbh.

Edited May 22, 2016 by happypamama

[happypamama]

Wow! They wouldn't let you bring in water? Very harsh!

Yeah.  Not their rule, but the rule of the venue.  They do that for all conventions.  The convention organizers did provide tables with cups of water, which was a nice touch.

[happypamama]

Also, I think it would be nice for a convention to have a workshop on "beginning homeschooling in X state," maybe with a panel discussion or something about what it actually looks like.  I answer questions for people all the time about what the PA law says and what it actually looks like in practice, and if a convention doesn't have that, it should, at least in high reporting states.

 

I'd also love to see a convention have reps and/or info about evaluators (in states where you get a choice) and support groups and co-ops in the area.  I think that information could be very helpful for new and prospective homeschoolers who are trying to answer the "socialization" question.  When my support group puts together events for the larger homeschool community outside of our group, I always try to have a table with additional information about the law and such for people who are new to homeschooling and completely overwhelmed with everything.

 

I know CHAP offers tour guides and mentors to help navigate the conference, which I think is a fabulous idea, although I haven't used them myself.

 

[Guest]

I would like to add a request for gourmet food trucks or at least some type of food vendor within walking distance with an eating area. Ours only lets you eat (theoretically) at the tables in the hall if you've paid for their crappy box lunches. Options would be nice. 

[happypamama]

Also, sorry, but I would like to see a convention in March.  May is okay, but by May, I largely have my things gathered and my plans made.  They're moving CHAP to early June next year, and that just seems far too late for a state where July 1 is the official start date.

[happypamama]

That's really early. Do you HAVE to begin that early?

I need to begin in July because we take at least a half day off a week, and I like to be done before Memorial Day so that I can work on stuff in the house that I don't have time to work on during the year, before it gets too hot for the kids to run around outside or for me to work around my not-completely-air-conditioned house.  And because I only have little bits and bobs of time, and because April and May get crazy busy, I do like to start my planning in March.  March is usually cold and wet around here, so it's prime time for working on the following year's plans.  I don't HAVE to start then, but I really prefer to.  A later conference doesn't really bother me, because I'll use it to look at ideas to roll around in my head for the year after, which isn't a bad thing, but given my preference, or in order for me to buy a lot at a convention, it would need to be earlier in the year.

[HS Mom in NC]

I have a couple of motivations for starting this thread. 

 

1. People were getting into related topics and didn't want to derail the original thread, so I wanted a broader thread that covered more territory.
 

2. I've kicked around the idea of being involved in starting an alternative homeschool convention here in my state because a certain subset of a certain type of Christian denomination has run our conventions for a loooooong time now and while things are getting better with speakers who are covering a broader range of topics, there's still quite a ways to go until it's really all about homeschooling, and not primarily parenting, theology and culture.  Our homeschooling community is underserved at our convention because of its narrow focus and I was wondering if that was as much of a problem other places too. It appears it is.

 

For the record, I take no issue at all with any particular Christian denomination creating a convention that focuses so much on parenting, theology and culture, but I don't think they should bill themselves as state convention in that situation.  It may be the only convention in the state, but they need to be up front about where they're coming from and where they're going with their convention for the sake of transparency.
 

[waa510]

I think you should absolutely go for it. It sounds like you're willing and able to meet the needs of others in the state. It can be difficult when the state is only serving one small group of individuals. :(

[Gentlemommy]

Secular or at least not uber conservative. 

Stick to homeschooling lectures. I don't want to hear about discipline, prepping, guns, or whatever else. Ill go to different conventions for those. Same with the vendors. I want HOMESCHOOLING products. Not wooden spoons with smiley faces, not random business advertising a discount rate for theme parks, ect. 

A super fun, organized, and well run children's area. I'd be willing to pay a reasonable fee for this. Not $100 per kid though. I don't want a room where it is a free for all either. I want ADULTS in charge and teens helping. Take the kids on a scavenger hunt, make cool crafts, conduct fun experiments. And I want either a pager system or for them to have the capability to text me in case there is any issue. 

Stroller free zone in the convention hall. I do know its difficult to shop if you have a toddler, so perhaps there would be a block of time each day when stollers were allowed. Say two hours in the morning?

 

[Wheres Toto]

I think there is a need for an academic secular or truly inclusive homeschool convention.  The only secular conventions do seem to be geared toward unschoolers. 

 

I'm in one of the most liberal, diverse areas of the country with a huge homeschool population and I can't find a secular convention to attend.  I think Virginia might have one (?) but that's it for the entire East Coast.

[EmilyGF]

I went to the Charlotte Mason International Conference last year in my search for an academically oriented conference. 
 

I think it worked because

1) There was unity in philosophy that was being studied

2) That unifying principle limited what could be covered so it was focused

3) There aren't a huge number of CM conferences, and are even fewer that are well done (little competition)

4) CM emphasized teacher training, but homeschoolers don't

 

I'm not sure how a general homeschooling conference could mimic this.

 

And, it was amazing and inspiring. Going again this year and it sold out REALLY QUICKLY.

 

Emily

 

[prairiewindmomma]

Our large, regional homeschool conference (where I used to live) ran a special learners track of speakers.  I found it to be VERY VERY helpful.  One speaker was a naturopath speaking on the importance of nutrition (fish oil, b vitamins, magnesium, lots of water, etc.).  One speaker was an OT working on handwriting position and troubleshooting body position, sensory breaks, etc.  One speaker was on estate planning/transitioning to adulthood. The rest were on how to adapt curriculum or on curricula that was especially adaptable to SN populations. 

 

It was seriously awesome.  Many attendees had some or a lot of experience already in parenting their kids. Some of the attendees had preschoolers or young elementary kids who were still in the denial phase about the issues their kids had....but they were curious enough and open enough that a lot of them had that AHA moment and did something about getting additional resources and help.  Others came to see how they could help someone in their lives (who wasn't their child).  

[PeterPan]

I'd also love to see a convention have reps and/or info about evaluators (in states where you get a choice) and support groups and co-ops in the area.  

 

It's not that simple.  When a major convention (regional, not just state) puts on a convention in a very large venue, they charge extremely high amounts for vendor slots.  That's how they keep the prices at the bargain attendees expect.  So your non-profit state support groups don't have that money to pay.  These are the same state groups that had their own conventions decimated by the coming of the regionals.  Previously, the small state conventions were the major source of income for these support groups.  So now you're saying no income AND pay a booth? 

 

There's just a lot of can we play nice and who do we get along with and who gets the money going on.  And it really isn't pretty if you dig in close.  Now what you have are state orgs picking regional conventions and lining up with them.  Everyone has their opinion on how things ought to run.  I'm just saying there's a lot of money, a lot of opinions, etc.  There are lots of homeschoolers who don't support HSLDA, don't support their state orgs, etc., either financially or even philosophically.  So the bigger convention in our state is not attended by the state org, and the state org decided they would merge with ANOTHER, smaller regional convention.  Crazy.  Me, I'd have everybody get along.  I'd have slapped upside the head GCA and TTD and told them to get along and then told them to give state org free table and a slice (1%, .5%, something) for endorsing/promoting.  But I'm not on a board and I don't have a say.  

 

 

I have a couple of motivations for starting this thread. 

 

1. People were getting into related topics and didn't want to derail the original thread, so I wanted a broader thread that covered more territory.

 

2. I've kicked around the idea of being involved in starting an alternative homeschool convention here in my state because a certain subset of a certain type of Christian denomination has run our conventions for a loooooong time now and while things are getting better with speakers who are covering a broader range of topics, there's still quite a ways to go until it's really all about homeschooling, and not primarily parenting, theology and culture.  Our homeschooling community is underserved at our convention because of its narrow focus and I was wondering if that was as much of a problem other places too. It appears it is.

 

For the record, I take no issue at all with any particular Christian denomination creating a convention that focuses so much on parenting, theology and culture, but I don't think they should bill themselves as state convention in that situation.  It may be the only convention in the state, but they need to be up front about where they're coming from and where they're going with their convention for the sake of transparency.

 

 

There's actually a way to quantify your market for this.  You would contact GHC and talk with them about bringing a regional convention to CO.  They would have the data on where people are coming from for their other regional conventions.  If your vision is to stay small-ish, I think you could do whatever you want.  But if you want it to be bigger, I would align and bring in the help and the advertising it would bring.  It's just too complex, with too many mistakes to be made that could be avoided.

 

When GHC started in Cincy what they did was get a large church sponsor that had a gym and a large enough auditorium to accommodate them.  They were there several years before they ever went over to the huge convention hall.  If you actually want to do it, I would make some connections like that, get some help.  No need to do on your own what other people have figured out how to do in other parts of the country.  

 

And, fwiw, I know people come to the Cincy convention from CO.  That indicates they have money.  The problem with conventions is that they need people planning to spend $$$.  If people come in and don't SPEND, the vendors won't return.  The costs are largely paid by the vendors.  So if your demographic is people who aren't going to buy, then you're not going to have vendors coming back.  You could decide whether you're trying to focus on workshops or the hall or what.  Some of the major vendors (MFW, Timberdoodle) didn't even travel this year.  People like to have the vendor hall, but I'm not sure how successful you're going to be convincing major vendors to add another place to their list.  I don't think people will travel just for workshops, because they can do that online.  The regional conventions work because they're destination venues (water parks, Creation museum, etc.).  

 

Might be easier to co-opt the state org.  Or talk with GHC and see what their plans are.

[73349]

I'd like a venue that's accessible another way besides by car. Walking distance/quick bus ride from an Amtrak station is ideal (and in my region, that's reasonable; obviously that can't be done everywhere). I do not want to drive out to the middle of nowhere, even if the venue is cheaper.

 

I agree that March is a good time. When May comes around--much less August!--my stuff is pretty well nailed down for the next year, so I will probably not buy anything.

 

Do not sell your mailing list. For pity's sake, there were a couple of companies I'd never buy anything from that were still sending me catalogs years later.... What a waste of resources.

 

Clearly identify sessions as 1) teaching advice OR 2) religion/worldview/parenting/lifestyle OR 3) how & why to use the book/curriculum the presenter is selling. Different people want different things out of a conference, and they should be able to easily find the type(s) of presentation they want and avoid others. ETA: Publish these descriptions when you first publicize the convention online, so potential attendees know whether you are going to be offering what they're looking for. I will not sign up for a convention unless I know it's worth attending.

 

Easy access to food is helpful.

Edited May 22, 2016 by whitehawk

[happypamama]

It's not that simple.  When a major convention (regional, not just state) puts on a convention in a very large venue, they charge extremely high amounts for vendor slots.  That's how they keep the prices at the bargain attendees expect.  So your non-profit state support groups don't have that money to pay.  These are the same state groups that had their own conventions decimated by the coming of the regionals.  Previously, the small state conventions were the major source of income for these support groups.  So now you're saying no income AND pay a booth? 

 

 

We don't have a regional convention by a convention company; we have a convention put on by a state group.  It is good, but there is room for improvement.  The state group already maintains a list of small local support groups and the like, which is very nice of them, but it's listed on their website.  I don't know that they had that info on paper at the convention.  They might have, and I just might not have looked for it, but it seems like a simple table with "help yourself" handouts organized by county/region of the state would help.  They could even put a small donation jar on the table in case people wanted to contribute toward the cost of printing.  And/or the mentors could say to people, "Here, I'm happy to discuss homeschooling with you, and by the way, I see you're from the Johnstown area -- here is some additional information about groups and co-ops and evaluators in your area for you to contact later."  

 

No, absolutely, my small support group would definitely not pay to have a booth at a big convention (although I know CC had a couple of booths, and at smaller fairs some of the larger co-ops and groups do have booths), and I wouldn't expect the big organization to either.  But since it's the big organization putting on the convention, it doesn't seem like it would be too difficult to have some print-outs of lists they already have.

[Dmmetler]

One thing some of the herpetology and ecology professional conferences DD has attended have a "accompanying person" registration and set up e-lists and other stuff to help families connect with others. For example, for the JMIH in New Orleans, they're looking at where people want to go (zoo, aquarium, big shopping malls) and arranging set group trips (with the hotel/convention center) and allowing people to pre-register and pre-pay for the admission and transportation in advance. Think field trip venues, with similar group discounts. This seems to work well, especially for families where both parents want to attend at least some sessions, so are trading off. And it also sends a clear message that yes, we know your family comes with you, but except for a few specific events, they aren't allowed in workshops.

 

I think that might be a better option than trying to have kids activities onsite for a big conference.

[HS Mom in NC]

March is better for me too.  My decisions for the next year are made by May. I spend the summer planning and prepping the whole year because I don't plan or prep at all during the school year.

[ScoutTN]

 

That it be a true homeschool conference, not a parenting conference. If you're going to have parenting workshops, at least make sure your actual teaching/curricula workshops to help you to master a topic or situation actually outnumber the "parenting classes". Otherwise, they should just call themselves Parenting Conferences- at least it's honest. 

 

 

 

 

:iagree:  :iagree:  :iagree:

[daijobu]

Um, I've never been to a homeschooling conference.  Am I allowed to make a suggestion, if you take it with a grain of salt?

 

Although I've never attended, I'm presenting at a local conference on how to teach math.  Looking at the schedule, I notice there aren't any other talks that are subject-specific.  I would love to learn something along the lines of "How to Teach History" or "How to Teach Literature" or "How to Teach Writing" or similar.  However, there are several unschooling workshops, go figure.  

[Guest]

I think one of the things that sunk the secular hs convention in CO is that simply unschooling types don't buy much curr! Let's face it, the biggies like ABeka and BJUP or even Rainbow are not coming to come as they won't make back their vendor fees.

 

CO is pretty unique--it's not like you can hop over to another convention without a full day of driving. To find one the size of CHEC's would involve traveling several states over. We have a lot of folks who come from NE, NM, WY, and UT. There is no conference anywhere near Denver, the size of Denver's conference. From where I live, the two closest GHC's are 14 hours of driving.

Margaret, your post made me realize something just now. My needs from a homeschooling conference have changed significantly from my first conference before we started to what they are now. That first year I wanted to see and get my hands on the curriculum I was interested in. I wanted an overview. I wanted to BUY. Right then and there- in the moment. Now I don't really care about the vendor hall- I don't purchase my stuff there- everything's online and I'm all about digital or streaming if i have the option. Now I want the more substantive lectures. I don't need the overview, but rather the nitty gritty problem solving type workshops or how to help me do something better. So I am not the type that draws vendors my self, even though I'm definitely not an unschooler. BUT I would happily pay a great deal more than I currently do to attend, if it meant that people like SWB were presenting.

 

ETA- I think part of my change is from being on this forum. I hear about the different curricula and can ask opinions and anything else, anytime I want. So I don't need to have that in person experience as much as I did before I found the forum. Y'all are my personal window to the world of products.

Edited May 23, 2016 by texasmom33

[Ellie]

Here's the thread Crying Kids in Workshops http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/609073-crying-kids-in-workshops/ to catch you up on where people are coming from.

 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on what would make your dream homeschool convention.  List what you don't like, what you do like and what you wish for at a homeschool convention.  All aspects are included, time of year, scheduling, fees, organizational style, content, topics, speakers, attitudes, social norms, physical layouts, challenges, improvements, locations, policies, consequences, the sky is the limit; problems and solutions.

 

My wish list:

• in the spring
• workshops that are about homeschooling, not parenting
• workshops by people who are experienced homeschoolers, not authors of homeschool materials, even if they are experienced homeschoolers
• exhibitor workshops by said authors
• exhibit hall that has actual homeschool stuff in it, not merely educational, not crafts or jewelry (although I understand that in a big convention, those exhibitors help pay for the space)
• No children except for nursing babies, preferably no strollers

I don't want exhibitors to have to sign a statement of faith or any other kind of thing. Goodness. People can decide whether or not they like a product; they are grown-ups. Similarly, workshops can be from all educational philosophies, clearly described in the program so people know whether they want to attend or not.

 

Ideally, local homeschool support groups are having park days and library meetings and whatnot where people who are considering homeschooling can learn about it, and they can bring their children. Or they can plan a big family camp-out or something. A convention is an adult education event, and children don't need to go to one.

[runninl8]

I went to the Charlotte Mason International Conference last year in my search for an academically oriented conference. 

 

I think it worked because

1) There was unity in philosophy that was being studied

2) That unifying principle limited what could be covered so it was focused

3) There aren't a huge number of CM conferences, and are even fewer that are well done (little competition)

4) CM emphasized teacher training, but homeschoolers don't

 

I'm not sure how a general homeschooling conference could mimic this.

 

And, it was amazing and inspiring. Going again this year and it sold out REALLY QUICKLY.

 

Emily

 

I want to go to a CM conference so bad. The closest one to me was sold out immediately. I am on a never ending waiting list. :sad:

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Also, sorry, but I would like to see a convention in March.  May is okay, but by May, I largely have my things gathered and my plans made.  They're moving CHAP to early June next year, and that just seems far too late for a state where July 1 is the official start date.

 

March is very early for me to have firm plans about the following year.  I know that some of the online courses are open at that point, but in general, with high schoolers, March is full of finishing the current year out, including final exams and AP tests where applicable.  It is hard for me to get my kids to discuss anything about what they want to do in the fall, when the last 6 weeks of school are so packed.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I would like to see more workshops done by people with experience and information to share, even if they don't have a booth in the vendor hall.

 

I offered several years ago to give a presentation on the application process for service academies.  The conference organizers (small state conference, with few vendors traveling to it) explained that the priority for workshop time was for the vendors.  In other words, the workshops were primarily an opportunity for the vendors to explain how their product fit your needs.

 

I do like that vendors give presentations.  I've been saved from some expensive purchase mistakes by 30 min in a workshop.  I just don't think that they represent the limit of wisdom about homeschooling.  

 

Also, I love panel discussions.  I love to hear different responses to questions.  It helps to see that for many situations, there isn't one way that is the good and correct solution.  

[Ellie]

I would like to see more workshops done by people with experience and information to share, even if they don't have a booth in the vendor hall.

 

I offered several years ago to give a presentation on the application process for service academies.  The conference organizers (small state conference, with few vendors traveling to it) explained that the priority for workshop time was for the vendors.  In other words, the workshops were primarily an opportunity for the vendors to explain how their product fit your needs.

 

I do like that vendors give presentations.  I've been saved from some expensive purchase mistakes by 30 min in a workshop.  I just don't think that they represent the limit of wisdom about homeschooling.  

 

Also, I love panel discussions.  I love to hear different responses to questions.  It helps to see that for many situations, there isn't one way that is the good and correct solution.  

 

 

:iagree:

 

I'm with you. I don't care for conventions where most of the workshops are presented by exhibitors, even if they don't talk about their product. I was stunned when I moved here and found out that most of the workshops were exhibitor-presented. In fact, it  also limited the exhibit hall. The year that the author of Tapestry of Grace did back-to-back workshops, KONOS didn't come, because people were going to flock to the TOG booth.

[Sherry in OH]

One thing some of the herpetology and ecology professional conferences DD has attended have a "accompanying person" registration and set up e-lists and other stuff to help families connect with others. For example, for the JMIH in New Orleans, they're looking at where people want to go (zoo, aquarium, big shopping malls) and arranging set group trips (with the hotel/convention center) and allowing people to pre-register and pre-pay for the admission and transportation in advance. Think field trip venues, with similar group discounts. This seems to work well, especially for families where both parents want to attend at least some sessions, so are trading off. And it also sends a clear message that yes, we know your family comes with you, but except for a few specific events, they aren't allowed in workshops.

 

I think that might be a better option than trying to have kids activities onsite for a big conference.

 

I have attended many professional conventions both as a participant and as a spouse.  Planners recognized that many participants would bring their families.  Registration materials included information about childcare options (often subsidized), planned events for spouses and children, and local attractions to explore on one’s own.  The registration forms included options for purchasing exhibit hall passes and special event tickets for family members.  Day passes were an option for anyone who wanted to attend a session or two but not the entire conference.  Children attending sessions were thus registered participants and held to the same standard of behavior as any other participant.

 

I find it odd that professional organizations acknowledge that family members will accompany participants to conferences but homeschool convention organizers expect participants to leave their families at home.  Lack of childcare is a large part of why I have never attended a homeschool convention.   

[Artichoke]

I think most of us have a desire for more academically oriented conferences. We'd like to see an extensive vendor hall without gutter-guard sales people and lots of vendors who answer all of their questions. I know I want that experience. The problem is we all have to be willing to fund that experience. Sure, there are speakers who may volunteer their time and experience.  But what about those whose livelihood depends upon serving the homeschool community? I think this is where the disconnect is. If we don't support our vendors, then they can't financially afford to be a part of the conventions. If these vendors can't afford to come, then the hall must be filled with other vendors to pay the bills or registration fees have to be raised. 

Edited June 12, 2017 by Artichoke

[HS Mom in NC]

I'd like multi speaker workshops. Instead of the typical hour + with one speaker, I'd like 2-3 speakers who do the same thing different ways to speak for 20-30 minutes.  The workshops could focus on household management and academics like a notebooking workshop, a living books workshop, an incorporating art, memorization workshop, an academic planning workshop, hand on projects workshop, a science labs workshop, etc.  Let people who do those main categories in significantly different ways explain what their favorite resources are, what their main focuses are, and a few examples of how they do those things, and then take a few general questions. 

So many homeschoolers today don't do much research about their options and often have no idea there are variations on themes.  They read one book or go to one workshop with one speaker on CM, Classical Education, Unschooling, Unit Studies, planning style, academic schedule, household maintenance schedule,  or whatever and they're sure that it won't work for them unaware that that particular variation of it may be a bad fit but there might actually be another version that is a good fit.  Also, you might get more speakers if they didn't have to commit to such a long presentation.

[Ellie]

I think most of us have a desire for more academically oriented conferences. We'd like to see an extensive vendor hall without gutter-guard sales people and lots of vendors who answer all of their questions. I know I want that experience. The problem is we all have to be willing to fund that experience. Sure, there are speakers who may volunteer their time and experience. As an older homeschooler, I do this almost every time I asked. But what about those whose livelihood depends upon serving the homeschool community? I think this is where the disconnect is. If we don't support our vendors, then they can't financially afford to be a part of the conventions. If these vendors can't afford to come, then the hall must be filled with other vendors to pay the bills or registration fees have to be raised. We as homeschoolers have to be willing to support quality homeschool businesses and materials as much as we can in order for conventions to improve.

 

The expense of the convention is borne by the exhibitors first, and then by attendees.

 

Workshop presenters should be paid nominal fees. There could be a keynote speaker who would be paid more, but the rest of the workshops should be done by local homeschooling parents.

 

Exhibitors of actual educational products and services are invited to the convention first; the others are invited later, just to fill the spaces.

[eternalsummer]

I think one of the things that sunk the secular hs convention in CO is that simply unschooling types don't buy much curr! Let's face it, the biggies like ABeka and BJUP or even Rainbow are not coming to come as they won't make back their vendor fees.

 

CO is pretty unique--it's not like you can hop over to another convention without a full day of driving. To find one the size of CHEC's would involve traveling several states over. We have a lot of folks who come from NE, NM, WY, and UT. There is no conference anywhere near Denver, the size of Denver's conference. From where I live, the two closest GHC's are 14 hours of driving. 

 

I think that at least in Colorado Springs, there's also less reliance (by secular homeschoolers, anyway, if there are any here) on various social groups or support networks because of the *great* free homeschool day programs run through most of the districts here.

 

I would totally go to a convention in Denver if I thought it had anything to offer me.  I wouldn't mind a Christian focus  but if all the offerings were Christian there wouldn't be a lot I needed at the convention, really.

 

If someone could take advantage of both somehow (without pissing off one side or the other), by having both the Christian speakers and vendors and the secular speakers and vendors that would be *great*.  It would be like getting advice here!  Alas, everyone seems so touchy on both sides.

 

If anyone *did* try to make a convention like that, Colorado would be a great place to start, imo; it's a pretty varied state, with a fair number of free spiriters and a fair number of very religious people and a lot in between.

[eternalsummer]

We have a talk this year called "The Five Flavors of Hsing", Sound intriguing, though I could probably give the talk myself. And one on "Making Curr Choices in Light of Learning Styles", with a vendor hall tour. Sounds promising. 

 

I wonder what the five flavors are?  I can think of about 20...

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I think most of us have a desire for more academically oriented conferences. We'd like to see an extensive vendor hall without gutter-guard sales people and lots of vendors who answer all of their questions. I know I want that experience. The problem is we all have to be willing to fund that experience. Sure, there are speakers who may volunteer their time and experience. As an older homeschooler, I do this almost every time I asked. But what about those whose livelihood depends upon serving the homeschool community? I think this is where the disconnect is. If we don't support our vendors, then they can't financially afford to be a part of the conventions. If these vendors can't afford to come, then the hall must be filled with other vendors to pay the bills or registration fees have to be raised. We as homeschoolers have to be willing to support quality homeschool businesses and materials as much as we can in order for conventions to improve.

 

DSS and I were having a similar conversation about a recent comic con in our city.  I suggested that they might like to look for some new shirts.  They pointed out that shirts were often cheaper online.  I suggested that they keep in mind the cost of shipping and that buying at the con would support the people who brought the con to town.

 

In the end, we didn't buy any shirts, because there weren't many.  I did buy a fabulous little Rapunzel figure made out of ribbon and chatted with the local artist who had made it.

[Guest]

A thread over on the High School board just made me realize- we need a TED talk set up for homeschooling. They're fast, interesting, and varied. And I've also never heard a screaming kid while watching a TED talk!! :)

[school17777]

From the replies on here, it sounds like I am in the minority, but I don't appreciate nursing babies brought to the workshops (and I AM a baby person!). The noises are disruptive to me and it's hard for me to concentrate on the speaker when I hear a baby crying and the noises of getting the baby settled (the mom shuffling through the diaper bag, arranging herself to nurse, the gurgling noises of the baby nursing, not getting settled down, etc...). I don't mind moms wearing the babies in the shopping area, but I do mind them in the workshops. I also don't enjoy trying to look at things at vendors when the kids are blocking everything. I end up leaving those vendors and go somewhere else. I feel bad for the vendors because I am sure they lose out on sales when whole families block the tables from other customers.

[goldenecho]

I've never been to a homeschool convention.  Here is what I would like if I were to go.

Low cost, because I just can't afford to spend much on this.

I'd prefer it on a weekend so my husband could watch the kids OR that it had activities you could put your kids in for the day at the conference that weren't too expensive.  At very least, a play area in the center of any "booth browsing" room that kids in tow could play in while their parents browsed.

In summer would be best.  NOT in April, May, November, or December...those are the worst months.

 

TOPICS I'd be interested in.

 

1.  I would love a room full of curriculum I could actually thumb through (I assume most conventions have something like this).

 

2.  I have kids in public school and homeschool.  The topic of balancing "blended" homeschool/public school/private school very rarely comes up in homeschooling literature.  I would love to see a talk about that.  I would also love to see information about how the homeschooling community can actually collaborate with the public school community and about ways to increase communication and understanding between these two groups.

 

3.  I would love very practical talks on teaching practices.  Strategies for teaching reading, writing or math would be great topics.

 

 

Edited May 28, 2016 by goldenecho

[goldenecho]

Oh yes!  I would love TED talks for homeschooling.  Talks based on real research and talk based on innovation.

 

 

A thread over on the High School board just made me realize- we need a TED talk set up for homeschooling. They're fast, interesting, and varied. And I've also never heard a screaming kid while watching a TED talk!! :)

 

[goldenecho]

THIS...what is highlighted in green.  I would love love to see an INCLUSIVE homeschool convention where both secular and religious  viewpoints get a voice.

 

I think that at least in Colorado Springs, there's also less reliance (by secular homeschoolers, anyway, if there are any here) on various social groups or support networks because of the *great* free homeschool day programs run through most of the districts here.

 

I would totally go to a convention in Denver if I thought it had anything to offer me.  I wouldn't mind a Christian focus  but if all the offerings were Christian there wouldn't be a lot I needed at the convention, really.

 

If someone could take advantage of both somehow (without pissing off one side or the other), by having both the Christian speakers and vendors and the secular speakers and vendors that would be *great*.  It would be like getting advice here!  Alas, everyone seems so touchy on both sides.

 

If anyone *did* try to make a convention like that, Colorado would be a great place to start, imo; it's a pretty varied state, with a fair number of free spiriters and a fair number of very religious people and a lot in between.

 

 

Edited May 27, 2016 by goldenecho

[FloridaLisa]

I'd love to have a Saturday-only conventional-hall only admission option. I've been at this a long time and I don't usually have an entire weekend to get away. But I'd love to drive down for one day, shop the hall, actually buy my books and not have to pay about $200 between pass and parking fee to get in. 

 

In my earlier homeschooling years, I would have loved the option to purchase MP3s from talks when we didn't go to the convention. 

 

[luuknam]

Never been to one... that said, on my wishlist:

 

Secular (it's okay if there are some religious vendors/speakers, but maybe put them on one side of the hall so it's clear whether you're looking at stuff with a religious viewpoint or not) - I just don't want to go to a conference where *everything* is christian or w/e.

 

Not unschooling - my special needs kid needs clear instruction. I'm cool with unschoolers, I think it's great when it works, but my kid didn't even learn to speak without clear, focused instruction. :(    To be clear, I'm okay with having some unschooling talks, just not the entire convention being 100% unschooling.

 

Within, say, 5 hours driving of Buffalo, NY (in other words, not in NYC - not that I've ever heard of a homeschool convention in NYC... I'm sure there are ones though, right?).

 

I don't care what time of year it is, I do care about the organizers magically letting me know long enough in advance that my perfect conference will be happening within a reasonable distance from me.

[8filltheheart]

Well, I have been invited to give 2 talks at a convention next weekend. I know nothing about the convention other than where it is. I scanned several posts in these threads, and oh, my, you all are a tough bunch. I am not a public speaker (actually, I hate it). I started to second guess my decision about giving the talks, but then I decided that since they are being given on a volunteer basis, you get what you pay for and all of that! LOL

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Well, I have been invited to give 2 talks at a convention next weekend. I know nothing about the convention other than where it is. I scanned several posts in these threads, and oh, my, you all are a tough bunch. I am not a public speaker (actually, I hate it). I started to second guess my decision about giving the talks, but then I decided that since they are being given on a volunteer basis, you get what you pay for and all of that! LOL

 

Are you coming to Hawaii by chance?  I'd love to meet you in person.  

 

You have some incredible experience and wisdom.  Share what you have to share and trust that the audience are adults who can take what is helpful and leave what is not.  

 

I don't think that any one speaker needs to be all things to all people.  In fact, I think that when they try, the result is not as good as when they focus on their strengths.  I think that what people get frustrated with is when a conference as a whole seems to present only one viewpoint or speak to only one facet of the homeschooling journey - especially when it is either the only game in town or wasn't clear in its advertising.  In other words, I would expect a conference from a specific theological viewpoint to reflect that view.  I don't appreciate it when a conference represents itself as neutral but has an unspoken agenda.

[8filltheheart]

Are you coming to Hawaii by chance?  I'd love to meet you in person.  

 

You have some incredible experience and wisdom.  Share what you have to share and trust that the audience are adults who can take what is helpful and leave what is not.  

 

I don't think that any one speaker needs to be all things to all people.  In fact, I think that when they try, the result is not as good as when they focus on their strengths.  I think that what people get frustrated with is when a conference as a whole seems to present only one viewpoint or speak to only one facet of the homeschooling journey - especially when it is either the only game in town or wasn't clear in its advertising.  In other words, I would expect a conference from a specific theological viewpoint to reflect that view.  I don't appreciate it when a conference represents itself as neutral but has an unspoken agenda.

 

I would love to meet you, too!  But, alas, I am driving to Mississippi, not flying to Hawaii.  (That would be enough to get me over disliking public speaking.  :) )

 

I am just going to approach the entire thing conversationally b/c my 2 topics are teaching writing and college applications as a homeschooler.  Both topics are subjects that I am completely comfortable talking about.  I don't know my audience at all, so whether or not what I share will be helpful or not, I don't know.   I am going to presenting generic information.  

 

I know that during a recent conversation with another homeschooler about majoring in physics in college that the assumption was made that I was young earth.   She was talking with such heartfelt sentiment that I didn't feel like it was appropriate to interject and clarify.  So, when I give my college talk, I am going to be talking about admissions to a wide range of different tier colleges.  It may be appreciated for its breadth, or it may go over like a ton of bricks b/c I am not focusing on a specific type of school.  

[fairy4tmama]

I have a couple of motivations for starting this thread. 

 

1. People were getting into related topics and didn't want to derail the original thread, so I wanted a broader thread that covered more territory.

 

2. I've kicked around the idea of being involved in starting an alternative homeschool convention here in my state because a certain subset of a certain type of Christian denomination has run our conventions for a loooooong time now and while things are getting better with speakers who are covering a broader range of topics, there's still quite a ways to go until it's really all about homeschooling, and not primarily parenting, theology and culture.  Our homeschooling community is underserved at our convention because of its narrow focus and I was wondering if that was as much of a problem other places too. It appears it is.

 

For the record, I take no issue at all with any particular Christian denomination creating a convention that focuses so much on parenting, theology and culture, but I don't think they should bill themselves as state convention in that situation.  It may be the only convention in the state, but they need to be up front about where they're coming from and where they're going with their convention for the sake of transparency.

 

OH,oh,oh, oh I so hope you do this! I am finally going to THE convention for the first time this year. I have not gone in previous years but I am really trying to stoke our little secular homeschool community up here in N.AZ and figure it will give me insight and an opportunity to network but I REALLY wish there were other options.

 

I have actually NEVER been to a homeschool convention because they always seemed like they would be irrealevant to me as a secular homeschooler. A good friend showed me the Homeschooling EXPO in California and I desperately wish there were something like this in our state. 

 

If there is every anything I can do feel free to PM me!

[kolamum]

This thread cracks me up.. I'd just take a Convention, tears & all, which shows you how many have EVER been here for me. :)