As the number of high school students who are homeschooled continues to rise, leaders in high school sports across the country face growing interest among these students and their parents to play sports on their local public school teams. Interest continues to build in homeschoolers’ participation on public schools sports teams. In some states, that option exists, although the requirements vary from state to state with some states requiring part-time enrollment in the local school. In other states, the debate continues as to whether homeschooled students should be allowed to play on the local high school team alongside students who attend classes at the school all day long.
ExploraVision is a competition for all students in grades K-12 attending a school in the U.S., Canada, U.S. Territory or a Department of Defense school. Homeschooled students are eligible to enter. It is designed to encourage students to combine their imagination with their knowledge of science and technology to explore visions of the future. Teams of students select a technology, research how it works and why it was invented, and then project how that technology may change in the future. They must then identify what breakthroughs are required for their vision to become a reality and describe the positive and negative consequences of their technology on society. Winning ideas have focused on things as simple as ballpoint pens and as complex as satellite communications. The student teams write a paper and draw a series of Web page graphics to describe their idea. Regional winners make a Web site and a prototype of their future vision.
A homeschooling mom of seven children shares her approach to successfully home educating in a large family. She emphasizes routine over schedules, taking advantage of teachable moments, and resisting the temptation to over-control.
Although it seems that the majority of the responsibility of homeschooling falls to mothers, there are many fathers who participate in their family's homeschooling to varying degrees. From dads who help teach science or take the kids on field trips to fathers who do all the teaching while his wife is the breadwinner, fathers have many roles to choose from when a family is homeschooling.
Good news for homeschoolers who want to receive NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) scholarships and participate in college sports! Homeschoolers have finally been recognized as high school graduates by the NCAA. Homeschool students no longer have to go through the “waiver process,” but can now register in the same manner as “traditionally schooled” graduates.