Homeschool Support Network Anna Gagne-Hawes (UAF) Jennifer Tilbury (UAF CTC) Ryan Tilbury (Raven)
What is the Homeschool Support Network? • Homeschool Support Network is a coalition of B.E.S.T ., Focus Homeschool, Raven, IDEA, Cyberlynx, Independents and UAF • Parents, students, teachers, counselors and community members attend events • Representatives from each organization help organize and host events with some focus on postsecondary educational opportunities
Why the Homeschool Network Formed • 1 in 10 high school students in Alaska is homeschooled • Schools hold overlapping events and use similar resources • Interior homeschools are competitive programs that fall under different school districts • Lack of collaboration between different programs • A lack of procedural consistency within University system • Community of information – both internal and external
Year One and Year Two • First year focused on building interschool relationships. • First year also focused on offering options for all postsecondary opportunities. • Second year doubled activities/hosted events, • Second year strengthened relationships between stakeholders. Resources and knowledge is shared beyond meetings.
Events and Participation • The Homeschool Support Network has offered over 20 collaborated events • Close to 250 students, parents, military and community members have attended Homeschool Support Network Events • Roughly 25% of CTC’s WRTG111 is now composed of homeschool students (an enormous jump within the last two years) • The Homeschool Support Network has maintained participation of all original stakeholders
Event Highlights • Trade Fair (included unions and UAF programs (Associate and Bachelor degrees). Focus was on union trade apprenticeship. • AKCIS presentations from ACPE representative. • Scholarship, financial aid and dual enrollment presentations at CTC. • Military Recruitment Event (included UAF ROTC and UAF Homeland Security and Emergency Management program).
Challenges and Positives • Challenges – Still difficult to achieve good participation at events – The Homeschool Network is still fragile – continued buy-in is necessary • Positives – Increased collaboration among schools – Homeschool Support Network is now established – Valued by students and parents
Future Plans • Permanent co-chairs rotating between home school programs and UAF • University advising track for home school students (identification and communication) • Incentivize dual enrollment programs • Improved marketing for collaborated events – Facebook, emails, fliers, radio
Group Discussion – Identify physical or informational barriers that prevent students from accessing post- secondary opportunities – Not limited just to high school students – where are the barriers? – What networks would be necessary to overcome these barriers – who would your partners be?
Questions?
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