Making the Most of Convention

By Janice Campbell

The 2008 convention is almost here! Are you ready?

Whether it is your first convention or your fifteenth, the annual homeschool convention can be an overwhelming event. With dozens of workshops, more than 295 booths, and thousands of new and used books, it can be a challenge to know what to do first. Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your convention experience.

BEFORE THE CONVENTION
Registration
In order to maximize your time and money, start planning well before the day of the convention. Pre-registering online is amazingly convenient, and it will save valuable time when you arrive at convention. HEAV members receive a generous $15 discount on full registration, and pre-registering by May 19 will save another $5. That is an extra twenty dollars to spend on something that will make your homeschooling easier! This year, conference attendees will also receive a FREE CD with more than $200 of homeschooling materials!

Planning
First, know why you are going to convention. What do you want to accomplish? Do you want to:
• Find out about homeschooling in general?
• Learn techniques for teaching toddlers or teens?
• Gain encouragement for educating your special-needs child?
• Get a hands-on preview of new curriculum?
• Stretch your dollars by buying used curriculum?
• Hear encouraging truths from veteran homeschoolers?
• Make a few dollars by selling your used books?
• Give back to HEAV by volunteering for a few hours?
• Save shipping costs by purchasing your textbooks?
• Attend an inspiring graduation ceremony?
You can do all this and more at the convention if you plan your time wisely! If you spend time thinking through your goals for the coming year, and deciding what you need from the convention, you are well on your way to making the most of this exciting weekend.

Making Your Lists
HEAV maintains a list of workshops and vendors on its website, and the preliminary workshop descriptions are also included in the latest issue of The Virginia Home Educator. Use these resources to plan your time at the convention. As you study the workshop schedule, you will begin to see workshops that you absolutely want to attend. Check them off on the preliminary program, and begin to prioritize. Inevitably, there will be more than one workshop per session that you would like to attend. This is not a problem! Virtually all the workshops—except vendor workshops—are recorded, and you may purchase CDs or MP3s at the convention and listen at your convenience later. This way, if you decide to spend all your time in the curriculum hall or the used book sale, you will not miss out on all the encouraging and informative workshops that are scheduled.

Planning for Children and Teens
While convention weekend is a wonderful opportunity for some special “couple time,” the convention is family-friendly if you prefer to bring everyone. A glance at the program reveals many workshops marked with a ‘T,’ indicating that they are of special interest to teens and 'tweens.

Children ages 4 to 12 may enroll in a special program by Children’s Conferences International that teaches them about the power of God’s Word. The program features knights in shining armor, princes and princesses, court jesters, and more. It is offered on Friday and Saturday so you may attend workshops or go shopping. Your children will join you for lunch at 11:30 a.m. each day, and afterwards return to the program.

Reading Ahead
If you are new to homeschooling, or are entering a new phase of home education, such as high school, you may want to do some reading before you arrive at the convention. You may wish to order HEAV’s The Virginia Homeschool Manual, a complete, Virginia-focused, resource for homeschooling from preschool through high school and beyond. Other helpful books include The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling by Debra Bell, For the Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macauley, and 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum by Cathy Duffy. There are many other wonderful resources available, and whatever you read will help you prepare for the convention, as well as for the coming school year.

TIP: If you write your shopping list on a business size or "7x9" envelope, you will be able to place all your receipts in the envelope as you make purchases. You can jot notes about what you see on the back of the envelope, and keep a running total of what you spend on the inside of the flap. Just don’t lose your envelope!

AT THE CONVENTION
When you arrive at the convention, you’ll receive a program booklet and a bag of literature from vendors. The program will contain a map of the convention hall, speaker and graduate profiles, a listing of vendors, and a final schedule of workshops. It pays to sit down for a few minutes to get acquainted with this valuable resource. First, check the workshops you want to attend and verify the time and location. Second, locate the bathrooms, concession stands, bag drops, and other conveniences, and locate the booths of vendors or speakers you particularly wish to visit. Now you are ready to plan your day!

If This Is Your First Convention
If this is your first convention and you are able to come more than one day (I highly recommend coming for the whole time, if at all possible), don’t buy anything until the last few hours you are there. Use your first day, or first few hours, to attend the free introductory workshop sessions offered on Thursday afternoon if you are a new homeschooler, then browse the curriculum hall, picking up catalogs and brochures. If you know you have a bag full of information, and will be able to order anything you see later, after you have had time to make a careful decision, you will not feel pressured to decide too quickly on anything you see.

Take all the literature you have gathered back to your hotel, or out to lunch if you are there for only a day, and look through it. Focus on things that fit your needs now—elementary curriculum if you have young children, high school curriculum if you have teens. Get acquainted with some of the things that are available, so that when you return to the curriculum hall, you can go directly to the items that seem most interesting or useful to you. Write down questions you would like to ask different vendors, and do not forget that the HEAV table is staffed with veteran homeschoolers who would also be happy to answer questions for you. Remember that you do not have to make any quick decisions, but that you may order virtually anything, including an MP3 recording of all the workshops, after the convention.

If You Are A Veteran Homeschooler
If you have been homeschooling for years, but have not been to the convention in a while, prepare to be astonished and delighted by the amazing array of high-quality curriculum options that are available. You will find many resources for the high school years, as well as a great deal of information on helping your student make the transition to college, the military, or a career. There are encouraging new books and resources, as well as workshops and vendors that can answer many of the questions you may have as your students grow older.

Veteran homeschoolers are probably also aware of the many opportunities available for volunteer service at the convention. The convention takes place only with the help of the 400+ volunteers—both new and veteran homeschoolers—who donate a bit of their time to make it happen. You may choose to help with graduation, security, hospitality, registration, or publicity, or in the exhibit hall or used curriculum sale, or as an office volunteer or speaker host. As a special thank-you, volunteers receive first admission to the used curriculum shopping area on Friday.

AFTER THE CONVENTION
When you reach home after the convention, you will have much to digest. Make time to read the books and catalogs you bring home, and listen to the workshop tapes you have purchased. As you put all you have learned into practice, you will be thankful you took time to learn more about home education. Your new knowledge will help you experience joy in your homeschooling journey.

Janice Campbell has homeschooled since the late 1980’s, and looks forward each year to the HEAV Convention. Her website, www.everydayeducation.com, offers information, links, and resources for homeschooling through high school, including Transcripts Made Easy and Beat-the-Clock Essay Workshops.