Susan Wise Bauer

Susan's most recent book for Norton, The History of the Ancient World: From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome (2007) is the first in a four-volume series providing a narrative world history. Her previous book, The Well-Educated Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had (2003), is a guide to reading the classic works of fiction, poetry, history, autobiography, and drama. Norton also published The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home (with co-author Jessie Wise); originally published in 1999, this bestselling guide to education in the classical tradition was revised and updated in 2004. Susan has written a four-volume world history series for children, The Story of the World, for Peace Hill Press. Volume 1, Ancient Times, was published in 2002 (revised edition 2006); Volume 2, The Middle Ages, in 2003 (revised edition 2007); and Volume 3, Early Modern Times, in 2004. The final volume, The Modern Age, was published in 2006. Susan is also a contributing editor to Books & Culture and a frequent contributor to Christianity Today.

Susan's parents taught her at home for most of elementary and middle school, and all of high school; she entered college at seventeen as a Presidential Scholar and National Merit finalist, and finished her B.A. in five semesters with a major in English, a minor in Greek and a summer spent studying twentieth century theology as a Visiting Student at Oxford. She went on to earn a Master of Divinity from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, where she added Hebrew and Aramaic to her languages. In 1994, she also completed the M.A. in English language and literature at the College of William and Mary in Virginia; her concentrations were in translation theory, seventeenth-century devotional poetry, and Psalm paraphrase in the Tudor period. Since 1994, Susan has taught writing and American literature at William & Mary, where she also received her Ph.D. in American Studies, with a major field in the history of American religion.

Susan was born in 1968, grew up in Virginia, and was educated at home by pioneering parents, back when home education was still unheard of. She learned Latin at age ten, worked as a professional musician while still in high school, and wrote three (unpublished!) novels before she turned sixteen. Since then, she has toured with a traveling drama group; galloped racehorses at a Virginia racetrack for spending money; taught horseback riding; worked in ghostwriting and newspaper ad sales; learned enough Korean to teach a Korean four-year-old Sunday school; and served as librarian and reading tutor for the Rita Welsh Adult Literacy Center in Williamsburg. Susan and her husband now live in rural Virginia, where Peter serves as the minister of a nondenominational church. They have three sons and a daughter.

  Jessie Wise

Jessie is a home education consultant, speaker, and writer; my recent appearances include workshop sessions for home school conventions in Virginia, California, West Virginia, North Carolina, and elsewhere. She is also the co-author of The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home (with co-author Susan Wise Bauer), published by W.W. Norton in July, 1999. Until her consulting load grew too heavy, she tutored privately in English and mathematics and served as the principal of a private cooperative school for two years, a position which included both administrative duties and the teaching of elementary classes on all subjects. Jessie taught three children at home from elementary school through high school; all three completed college degrees, and two went on to complete graduate degrees as well. Before educating her own children, she taught preschool at a private school in New Orleans. Over the years she also taught second, fourth, fifth, and sixth grade classes at public schools in three states; Virginia, Tennessee, and Louisiana. For a short period, she also taught the children of international hospital workers in Haiti. She is currently at work on her own home school book — the story of her journey into home education.

   Amy Barr

Amy Barr is a Classical archaeologist, educator and home school mother of three.  During 10 years of travel, study and research, she excavated in a Byzantine city in Jordan, a Bronze Age citadel in Greece, and the site of Homer’s Iliad at Troy, Turkey.  She has earned degrees and been an educator at The Ohio State University, Miami University and the University of Cincinnati.  She and her husband Regan founded The Lukeion Project in 2005 as a cutting-edge way to share their expertise on the Greeks and Romans through live online courses.    She teaches challenging and dynamic high school courses in Latin (I, II, III, IV), Classical mythology, and Roman History.  She also teaches workshops for every age on Troy, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Augustus, the Iliad, Odyssey, Aeneid, Metamorphoses, and much more.  Regan and Amy Barr lead family tours to the Mediterranean each year.

  Regan Barr

Regan Barr is a Classical archaeologist, educator and home school father of three.  During 10 years of travel, study and research, he excavated in a Byzantine city in Jordan, a Bronze Age citadel in Greece, and the site of Homer’s Iliad at Troy, Turkey.  He has earned degrees and been an educator at Cincinnati Christian University and the University of Cincinnati.  He and his wife Amy founded The Lukeion Project in 2005 as a cutting-edge way to share their expertise on the Greeks and Romans through live online courses.    He teaches challenging and dynamic high school courses in Greek (I and II) Greek History, Greek and Latin word roots, and a seminar in College Research Writing.  He also teaches workshops for every age on the Art of Greek and Roman War, Imperial Murder Mystery, Greek Tragedy, an introduction to archeology, and more. Regan and Amy Barr lead family tours to the Mediterranean each year.

  Cathy Bollinger

Singer-songwriter Cathy Bollinger has been working with children through music for more than 20 years. Beloved by her young audience, she holds songwriting workshops, practices music therapy and performs.   Cathy responds to the requests she receives and is available for freelance work, performances, parent and homeschool workshops. She has been commissioned to write and sing children’s music for a variety of projects including a promotional song for the island of St. Thomas, a promotional jingle for Piedmont Virginia Community College, songs and sounds to help Chinese students learn English, songs supporting children’s learning to read, write and build social skills, songs emphasizing sounds and words used specifically in speech therapy. Bollinger received her Master of Arts in Creative Arts Therapy from Drexel University College of Medicine (formerly Hahnemann Medical School) in Pennsylvania, and can often be found in the classroom, singing with preschool and elementary audiences. Ready to Learn! is her ninth CD. Cathy lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, with her husband, Bob and children Will and Kate. Older son Ross is attending school in New York at the School of Visual Arts.

   Yvonne Bunn

  Janice Campbell

Janice Campbell is a lifelong learner, writer, and conference speaker who has enjoyed homeschooling since the late 1980’s. She and her husband, Donald, have seen the benefits of home education in the lives of their four sons, and she takes joy in sharing what she has learned with others. Through her website, www.EverydayEducation.com, Janice offers inspiration, information, and resources for writing and homeschooling through the teen years, with a focus on making the most of the teen years through early college or home business. Janice graduated cum laude from Mary Baldwin College with a B.A. in English. She is author of Transcripts Made Easy: Your Friendly Guide to High School Paperwork, Get a Jump Start on College! A Practical Guide for Teens, and Excellence in Literature: Reading and Writing Through the Classics, a five year literature program for grades 8-12; editor of The Virginia Homeschool Manual; and creator of the Beat-the-Clock Essay Workshop™, an innovative one-day workshop that prepares students for the SAT and other timed essays. Her website, www.Everyday-Education.com, offers information, resources, inspiration, and a free e-newsletter.

  Catherine Drown

William and Kristen Eckenwiler both share a passion for teaching students to read, particularly those that may be struggling.  After William earned two Masters Degrees from Reformed Theological Seminary, he completed his doctorate in literacy instruction from the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida.  He met and married Kristen after she completed her Masters Degree in literacy instruction, also from the University of Central Florida. They have taught public school children in Virginia and Florida, and both hold a current teaching license in the state of North Carolina. William teaches reading, language arts, children’s literature and educational psychology at the collegiate level.  While Kristen has taught these same courses, she now stays home to meet the daily challenges of homeschooling their two boys, Isaiah 11 and Simon 5.  Together, they have developed two important sets of materials designed to help homeschooling parents. The first set of materials helps parents assess and understand their child’s reading strengths and weaknesses. Once areas of need are identified, the second set of materials help parents target and strengthen those areas of weakness.


   Barry Hardy

Barry is currently the leader of the Customer Care Center with the Dave Ramsey organization. He has been with Dave for 4 years as a team leader and he and his wife, Debbie have coordinated Financial Peace classes for over 9 years.They live in LaVergne, Tennessee with 2 of their 3 sons. Barry is also responsible for the promotion and teaching of Dave’s children’s and youth products. This includes bringing to life “Junior” the title character of the 6 children’s books. You might even see Junior walking around while you are here. Prior to working the The Lampo Group Inc., Barry taught school for 14 years. He is very active at church and has been on 6 mission trips to Novosibirsk, Siberia….during the winter!!! Ask him about what a Russian winter is like. He should be used to it. Barry was born and raised in Maine, then moved to Tennessee where he attended David Lipscomb University. He completed his Master’s Degree in education at Indiana University. His speaking engagements include, motivational and ministerial speaking as well as conventions and workshops talking to families about how to better prepare themselves and their children when it comes to money matters.

  Rebecca Jaramillo

Ms. Rebecca (Becky) Jaramillo has been an educator for the past 31 years and has served as a special education teacher and Assistant Principal for Norwood School in Peoria, Illinois. She holds a Bachelors of Science Degree in Education from Northern Arizona University, and is pursuing a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership and Administration.  In 2005, she received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching for her innovative teaching methods and has served as an Educator-in-Residence at NASA Langley Research Center where she developed and implemented award-winning STEM educational resources.  Ms. Jaramillo has served on advisory boards to assist with curriculum development for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Wildlife Prairie State Park, and is a member of the Illinois Problem-Based Learning Network. She has been asked to speak at local, state, national, and international conferences. She is currently serving as an Educator-in-Residence at the National Institute of Aerospace as the Curriculum and Professional Development Coordinator for the NASA eClips™ program.
 

  John Jenkins

John Jenkins has been teaching effective communication – writing, speaking, and critical thinking classes – for homeschoolers across Northern Virginia for the past 12 years. John is a homeschool conference speaker, the author of five books, and his historical fiction short stories have appeared in Focus on the Family’s Breakaway for teen boys and Brio for teen girls. John’s Breakaway story, If One Falls, won 1st place in the Higher Goals fiction category for the 2000 Evangelical Press Association Writing Contest for publishers. John lives in Gainesville with his wife Brenda and attends Fairfax Community Church.

        

  Susan Kemmerer

Susan and her husband Dale have been blessed with 9 children, ranging in age from preschool to adult). She has been homeschooling for nearly 2 decades (and still has nearly 15 years to go before they are all graduated!). An author and motivational speaker, Susan has written a number of textbooks for homeschooled children, including Apples Daily Spelling Drills, Research in Increments, and Pennsylvania Keystones. Her articles have appeared in a number of magazines. She and her husband started their own homeschool company, Schoolhouse Publishing, nearly a decade ago. Susan has spoken to audiences all over her state, combining personal experience, biblical insight, gentleness, and a touch of humor. Her workshops are designed to encourage and equip homeschool moms in their high calling – especially those moms that are experiencing discouragement and burnout. She is currently working on a book for burnt out overwhelmed homeschool moms. Her primary love is for her Savior and her family. She is first and foremost a wife and mother, and is grateful for that calling. She and her husband serve on the board of one of PA’s homeschool conferences. They are active in their local church.

  Kathy Kuhl

Kathy Kuhl began homeschooling in 1997, after trying for years to help her son succeed in public school despite learning and attention problems. The Kuhls homeschooled him for grades four through twelve and he is now working and attending college part time. Kathy is the author of Homeschooling Your Struggling Learner. She graduated from William and Mary, where she earned teaching certificates in secondary mathematics and English. She has a variety of teaching experience, including junior high school math, seminars for adults, Sunday School for two year olds, and small classes for homeschooled teens. She currently teaches Algebra 1 and Geometry for C.H.E.S.S., Centreville Homeschool Enrichment Support Services, in Fairfax County. Kathy and her husband Fred have two grown children and live in Herndon, Virginia. Visit Kathy’s website, http://www.learndifferently.com/.

  Kathleen Lawler

Kathleen Cotter Lawler is the daughter of Al and Dr. Joan A. Cotter, author and creator of the RightStart Mathematics program. She has a Masters Degree in Business Administration and a second Masters Degree in Management from the University of Mary in Bismarck ND. She is the Marketing and Sales Manager for RightStart Mathematics. Kathleen, her husband, and four children, ages 12 to 16, live on a fourth generation working farm and ranch with their collection of cats, dogs, horses, calves, and various other critters. The Lawler children attend a rural school and are "afterschooled" in mathematics and science. Kathleen spends her spare time reading, quilting, and keeping up with the kids.

  Ritzya Mitchell

Ritzya Mitchell, The Drama Coach, is a homeschool veteran of seventeen years with two down and one to go. Her passion and expertise working with youth is evident by the testimonials from parents and students alike, describing the triumphant transformation achieved by the young people she has coached.  She has worked with the beginner all the way up to the advanced speaker in helping them develop their own personal, presentation style. These young people have become confident, compelling, captivating speakers who command audience attention and keep it from the first word to the last. They have been top place finalists in local, regional and national speech competitions, presenting all types of platform speeches from expository and persuasive all the way to dramatic and humorous interpretations of literature.  Her workshops and seminars are enthusiastically received in the academic and business sector where she works her magic with CEO’s, Sales Professionals and Entrepreneurs. There’s always an element of fun in everything she does, and her infectious enthusiasm leaves here students and clients feeling encourages and inspired.

   Leslie Nathaniel

Leslie Nathaniel is a mother of two daughters who have been happily homeschooling since 2002.  She is a member of the board of directors for The Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers (VaHomeschoolers) and an experienced speaker on homeschool topics.  She helps families find answers to their homeschooling questions through her work with VaHomeschoolers and organizes homeschooling information seminars around the state.  A La Leche League leader for ten years, Leslie enjoys helping mothers and babies settle into family life.  Her homeschooling and parenting experience have taught her that no one homeschooling style or curriculum is “right” for all.  Respecting the different approaches and desires of home educators is crucial to helping families find a curriculum that supports their goals and suits the styles of the people involved.

  Lillian Snider

Lillian Snider has been serving in Christian education for approximately forty years in a variety of roles.  As a Preschool Teacher, LD Resource Teacher, Educational Therapist, Educational Consultant, Curriculum Specialist, Sunday School Teacher, Director of Children's Ministries, and homeschool mom she had the privilege to minister to parents, as well as their children.  She is now blessed with the opportunity to homeschool two of her five grandchildren while continuing to help homeschooling families as the Virginia authorized representative for Math-U-See.  Her passion is to see the hearts of future generations following the Lord Jesus Christ with truth and boldness and to equip and encourage families to fulfill their role as spiritual and educational leaders in their home. 

   
   Elly Tucker

Elly has worked with children her entire adult life, She received her Masters in School Counseling from The University of Virginia. She served as County Extension Agent with the 4-H Program and then as an Elementary School Counselor and most recently as a Career Counselor at University of Virginia.

Elly now serves as Marketing Director for Rivanna Music and is committed to providing customers with great children’s music and easy access to information about the company’s products and services. Elly loves performing in local musical productions and community choirs. Elly and her husband, Bill, live in Albemarle County VA with their son, Josh. Their daughter Dory is just completing her Masters of Education at UVA and will begin teaching elementary school.

   Cindy Wiggers

Cindy Wiggers is an, author, publisher, MOPS mentor, and motivational speaker. She has a heart to help parents inspire their children with a love for learning. Her workshop presentations are full of practical ideas from true-life experiences gained from home schooling her three very different children (now grown) and her intense desire to see homeschool families succeed beyond their hopes and dreams. She is creator and author of theTrail Guide to....Geography series, co-author of The Ultimate Geography and Timeline Guide and established a family business, Geography Matters, with her husband in 1989. Her interests include nutrition and fitness, geography and culture, and engaging in adventure with friends.




   Scott Woodruff

Staff Attorney for Home School Legal Defense Association, Scott specializes in Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, and West Virginia homeschool law. He has assisted hundreds of home educating families in dealings with social workers, police officers, principals, and prosecuting attorneys. He has campaigned successfully against repressive homeschool legislation. Scott and his wife, Jane, teach their two daughters, Betsy and Sarah, at home. Their son, Christopher, was homeschooled through high school and is now attending Baylor University.




   Michele Zavatsky

Michele Zavatsky, the Family Travel Mom who "Vacations for a Living", has become a kid-testing expert after traveling for 12 years, writing 14 books, and visiting 5,000 places in 1,000 cities to find the best sites that kids love to visit! This adventure of writing and publishing family travel guidebooks has taken Michele and her home-schooled family on a journey of experiences they could have never imagined. The Zavatsky family have been blessed to be called the "family that vacations for a living" by over 300 radio and television programs.  Michele has spoken to hundreds of groups throughout the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and the South encouraging "family-friendly", close-to-home travel. The parent company, KidsLoveTravel.com, is a popular exhibitor at over one dozen annual curriculum fairs and conventions each year.  Michele occasionally conducts Field Trip workshops to a room packed with interested folks.

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2009 Lineup Of Speakers!

CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS

50+ Workshops Exhibit Hall Full-service Food Court Door Prizes Nursing Mother's Room Demonstrations Free Parking Convenient to entire Metropolitan DC area