Paul T. Mero
Homeschool Dad, President of Sutherland Institute
"Homeschooling and Freedom"

Paul expanded our vision and we saw that our homeschooling efforts bless the entire community.   -more-

Joyce Kinmont
homeschool mom, author of
Home School Decisions and Diet Decisions,
Founder of LDS Home Educators Assn.
"Temples of Learning"
"Why Latter-day Saints Should Home School and How to Do It"

The Kinmont's were one of the first families to homeschool in the state of Utah.  Eight wonderful children and a lovely foster daughter were all homeschooled.  "We delight in the people our children have grown to be, the spouses they've chosen, and the 23 creative, talented grandchildren they have given us so far."

From the perspective of over 30 years, Joyce will share many reasons why Latter-day Saints should homeschool.  It's likely that some of these will be things you haven't thought about before.  She will also share her observations about the most valuable things to do in your homeschool.

Joyce will also report on the Temple of Learning Project, the purpose of which is to encourage colleges and other entities to find teachers of faith and knowledge to teach a class or two in the subject of their life's work, from a foundation of faith, geared toward jr. high age youth -- and do it in front of a video camera so it can be easily distributed.

Coke Newell
Homeschool Dad, Author 
"The Edaphic Leadership Compass"

Having embarked on "the Great Experiment" in 1982, Coke and his wife, Cindy, have homeschooled their seven children since each was born. The four oldest are enrolled in regional colleges, studying film, computer science, aeronautics and "undeclared." Coke is a widely published author and has worked in journalism and public relations for most of twenty years. He now owns and runs Edaphica, LLC, providing leadership and management consulting to academic and corporate clients.

Coke has developed an inspired model for leadership. In the corporate world he presents this model as an all-day seminar, but we have asked him to pick out the most pertinent concepts of the presentation as they apply to homeschooling dads who are trying to reach a new level of leadership. Coke’s model is so simple you can hang a 4x4” drawing or two on your refrigerator door or your dashboard and stay constantly reminded of the principles. At the same time the model is so profound I believe it will enable us to change our relationships with troubled children very quickly and raise our young ones with greater faith than ever before. And it is a foundation for all we do in homeschooling.

Although you will learn enough in this presentation to make the model a very useful tool, we anxiously await the how-to-apply book that Coke is now working on. His website is www.edaphica.com.

edaphic:  1.  Of or relating to soil, especially as it affects living organisms.
               2.  Influenced by the soil rather than by the climate.

Celestia Shumway
Homeschool Mom
"The Tree of Life: A Model for Mothers"

The proclamation on the family states, "Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children." What does it mean to nurture? Do we as mothers take this stewardship seriously? How do mothers nurture children at different ages and stages? Why have the prophets always encouraged mothers to be in their homes with their children? The tree of life metaphor in the Book of Mormon gives us the secrets. Celestia has developed a fascinating concept called "Tree of Life Mothering" which unifies the principles of attachment mothering, leadership education, and natural, holistic, Christ-centered family living.

Celestia has always been interested in nutrition, biology and mothering. She has a degree in zoology, premed emphasis, from BYU. She decided to forego medical school to focus on mothering. She has six children ages 0 to 12, has homeschooled from the beginning, is wife to her wonderful attorney husband Dan, and has been a volunteer breastfeeding counselor for over 8 years.

Rebecca Rocque
Homeschool Mom, Teacher
"Indigo Children - The Children of Light:  
How Do We Teach Them?"

Experts in the field of psychology, education, physics, and religion believe that 96% of the children under the age of 10 are "indigos," a term coined by Nancy Ann Tappe, a researcher from San Diego State University, who first observed the indigo life color around these children.  These children/teens have numerous gifts, talents and abilities and are extremely intelligent and creative, but the sin and corruption of this world, and the hypocrisy of the Saints, is very painful to their souls.  For them the veil is thin.  It's hard for them to live in this world, and many are being destroyed.  If we learn how to teach these last-days children without injuring them, they in turn will help us, and hearts and homes will be healed and our lives blessed in unimaginable ways.

Rebecca is a mother of six children and three grandchildren, most of whom are indigos.  She has been a professional teacher (preschool through college and adults) on a variety of subjects, including indigo children and emotional health education, for the almost 30 years.  She graduated from BYU with a BA degree in Mathematics Education with a minor in Computer Science & Statistics.  She went back to school in 2000 with the intention of getting a Master's degree in Instructional Technology and is just finishing a PH.D. at BYU in Instructional Psychology and Technology.  (She added the Psychology to help teachers learn to deal with Indigo children.)  She teaches Technology in Education classes at UVSC and Educational Psychology at UVSC and BYU.      -more-

LuJean Livingston
homeschool mom,
author of One Sure Foundation curriculum materials
"Creating a Spiritual Environment of Learning in Our Homes"

 LuJean taught us about the home as a temple and the gospel as the foundation of all learning.      -more-

Michele Brady Stone
Homeschool Mom
"The Celestial Model of Education"

What an exciting time to be raising and educating children! The trust which God has put in the mothers and fathers of this chosen generation growing up in these last moments of the last days is incredible, and He is depending on them to live up to it. Today's children must be educated in a way that will prepare and qualify them to accomplish the magnificent missions which God has entrusted to them.  It is up to their parents and teachers to first overcome the "telestial education" which most of them experienced, and then go beyond "terrestrial education" to begin to discover and implement the principles of "celestial education" for themselves and their families. As parents strive to do this they will be raising up a generation more capable of living Celestial laws, and more prepared to welcome the Savior when He returns. That is the true and eternal purpose of education. Reading, writing, arithmetic, etc. all play an important role in education, but they can be introduced and taught according to telestial, terrestrial, or celestial principles and purposes. What children learn is not as important and why, how, and when they learn it.

Michelle is a busy homeschooling mom of a growing family. She has spent years studying every educational philosophy she could find. She believes that God has outlined His principles of education in the gospel and the scriptures and that LDS parents too often live below their privileges by looking to the wisdom of the world rather than God's teachings on education.  She hopes that more and more parents will recognize and follow the promptings of the spirit to seek Godly education for their children. She makes it part of her mission to spread the word about Celestial Education, "We need a generation of children who are being prepared for a Celestial world rather than just for the telestial one. We don't want our children to grow up to be telestial people, so why do we educate them telestially?"  Michelle and her husband Shane live in Draper, Utah with their soon to be six wonderful (most of the time) children.

Jack Monnett
homeschool dad, Institute teacher, publisher, author,
Revealed Educational Principles & THE Public Schools
"Beyond Textbooks: Curriculum for a
Millennial Generation"

The Lord had explained that learning and academic achievement are good--but he has qualified their importance as secondary to spiritual growth.  The scriptures have outlined specific areas which should be taught in our homes and the consequences for not teaching them.  (Liberty, responsibility, watchful for Satan's counterfeits, leadership, complete trust in Lord and skepticism for the "arm of flesh," etc.)  

If you haven't yet read Jack's book, Revealed Educational Principles and the Public Schools, may we suggest you do so now.  It will give you a solid foundation upon which to build your homeschool testimony.  The book is a history of education in early Utah.  In those early schools, scriptures were read and church leaders wrote many of the books the children used.  They were narratives, not textbooks, and they were intended to develop faith.  Then the Saints drifted into worldliness and wanted teachers with credentials and secular curriculum.  When "free" schools came along, the Saints were outright disobedient to the counsel of their leaders.  There is much to learn from this book, and much to think about.