Military:  Homeschool Support

This page has lists of lists, email lists that is, and the names and addresses of homeschool support groups at military installations in the United States and overseas.

If you are PCSing from an 'easy' homeschooling state to a 'difficult' homeschooling state, the best way to find out how to manage the new regulation is to join a civilian email list for the new state and ask veteran homeschooler from that state how the manage their homeschooling.

A quick guide to state-specific homeschool information is Ann Zeise's A to Z Home'sCool website.  At the A to Z site, click on the initial of the state on which you are seeking information, and scroll down.

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On This Page

• General Email Lists
• Military Homeschooling Support Groups and Email Lists
      CONUS
          Alabama
          California
          Colorado
          District of Columbia
          Florida
          Georgia
          Illinois
         Kentucky
          Kansas
          Louisiana
          Nebraska
          New Mexico
          New York
          North Carolina
          Ohio
          Pennsylvania
          South Carolina
          Texas
          Virginia
          Washington (state)
         
      Overseas
          Belgium
          Germany
          Guam
          Italy
          Japan
          United Kingdom
   
• Civilian Email Lists
• Religion-specific lists
      CONUS
      Overseas
• Special Circumstances lists
• Civilian State lists
   

Information about text files and links to other websites can be found at The Military Homeschooler Update List page.

For links to state-specific information, you can find information at:
A to Z's Home's Cool regional page and click on the appropriate link
NHEN's legal and legislative pages

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General Email lists:

Group descriptions are taken from the sites themselves.  The Military Homeschooler is merely passing along the information.

Alternative Military Family
Do you cloth diaper, home birth, do unassisted birth, homeschool, breastfeed, not vaccinate or choose not to rely on allopathic medicine?

The Betrayed Brigade
IRR spouses who are homeschooling are not usually 'plugged into' a military support network, much less a military homeschooling support network.  This list is an email support group was started in January 2005 to deal with the issues specific to involuntary reactivation.   I hope the group is open to enlisted members as well as officers despite the group's description.

Homeschooling in the Military
Support group for military families who are homeschooling or considering home schooling their children.

Homeschooling Military Families
Please share your stories (good and bad) about homeschooling while being with the military!

Homeschool Military
Welcome to all parents of U.S. 'Military Brats' regardless of branch of service. Active Duty, Activated-Reservists and Guards, as well as IRR-families are welcome.


Military Homeschool
This list is a place for military persons and their families who homeschool to come together  [note:  As of 17 May 2004 this list still had no moderator although the originator is onlist but unable to regain moderator status.  Anyone can join and this includes spammers.  The number of spam messages did not outnumber the list-member messages but many of the same members (hence the same chat and advice) can be found on other lists.

Military HS Families
This list is for you if you are: --a believer in Jesus Christ --connected with the United States military in some way --home schooling your children --living in the United States or abroad.

The Military Homeschooler
This service is sponsored by The Military Homeschooler website. It is an announcement list for updates to the website and a file storage area for archived material from the website and 'around the web,' "Unschooling in a word" photos and an Acrobat file of the booklet FAQ About Military Homeschooling in Europe, And One Homeschooler's Answers.

 

Civilian Email Lists
(listed below)

 

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Military Homeschooling Support Groups and Email Lists

If you know of a military support group not listed on this page, please send the group's description, or the contact information, to: The Military Homeschooler.

 

• Hints for advertising your group so that homeschoolers can find it:
  -- flyers in the library
  -- print sticky labels with group information and put them on the covers of a stack of donated homeschooling magazines in the library
  -- set a consistent park date and time and advertise in local shopper newspapers
  --  write articles about field trips to submit to local newspapers and include your group's URL (if any) and contact information for outings
  -- bookmarks printed on cardstock and inserted into homeschool books at the library

 
Note: Orange = civilian group

Online General Lists

Homeschool Social Register
* Get in touch with other homeschoolers in your area.
* Browse hundreds of links to homeschool support groups and other resources.
* Build your own custom "homeschool home page" with links to the latest homeschool content from all over the web.

 

CONUS
 

Alabama

Maxwell AFB
Maxwell Area Home Educators (MAHE) is a new support group formed primarily to encourage military homeschoolers in the MGM (Maxwell/Gunter/Montgomery) area regardless of their reasons for homeschooling, philosophy, or method of instruction. MAHE is NOT a legal "church school," but a network of homeschoolers working together to assist and support one another in our homeschooling efforts.


California

Edwards AFB
Desert Home Educators Association
Edwards Air Force Base, California is located about 90 miles northeast of Los Angeles, in the Antelope Valley. Our families include active duty military service members, their dependents, retired military, reserve, and other Department of Defense (DOD) affiliated members.


 

Colorado

Peterson AFB
Peterson Homeschoolers
The Peterson Homeschool Group is comprised of active, reserve, and retired military members and their families. We are located on Peterson AFB in Colorado Springs. Our goal is to provide a supportive atmosphere for our homeschool families and educational opportunities for our children. We have monthly meetings, field trips, swimming and bowling.


District of Columbia

Bolling AFB
Bolling Area Home Educators (BAHE)
Non members have access to the general areas of the site, which includes contact info for the group. The group is open to all homeschoolers in the DC area who have access to Bolling Air Force Base (active, reserve, retired, some federal etc). The group is also happy to assist any homeschoolers in Washington DC.

See also Ft. Belvoir Home Educators



Florida

MacDill AFB
MacDill Air Force Base Military Homeschoolers
E-mail macdillhs@yahoo.com

macdillhs
This group is for homeschool families affiliated with Macdill AFB in Tampa, FL.



Georgia

Ft. Benning
Ft. Benning Homeschoolers email group.
This is a group designed to unite military homeschoolers in the Ft. Benning, Georgia area. This forum was created to share ideas and pass on information to all those interested.

Fort Benning Homeschoolers website
Homeschoolers was developed to give general information on homeschooling to active duty, retired, Reserve and National Guard families in the Fort Benning, Georgia area.
 

Ft. Gordon
HomeEdFortGordonGA
This is the very beginning of what I hope will become an inclusive group (as in not exclusively christian or requiring a statement of faith to join) for military homeschool families in the Fort Gordon/AUgusta/CSRA area in Georgia and SC.

Check for additional Georgia information at:
Home Education Information Resource (HEIR)
A non-partisan, non-sectarian, volunteer-only organization working to ensure that the people of Georgia and their government recognize home study, freely practiced in its diverse forms, as a legitimate choice and value it as a positive force for improving the quality of education.

Moody AFB
Valdosta Area Homeschooling Association
"The Valdosta Area Homeschooling Association (VAHA) is a support group for homeschooling families and those interested in homeschooling in the South Georgia/North Florida area. VAHA has an emphasis on field trips and group activities, as well as providing the testing that is required by Georgia's education law. Membership is open to any person or family who has an interest in homeschooling. Members do not necessarily need to be currently homeschooling any children."

Sports
See Georgia Football League under Sports on the Subjects page

 

Illinois

Illinois Home Oriented Unique Schooling Experience  H.O.U.S.E.
State and Local contacts:  "If you are writing about starting a group in your area or wish to find a group in your area, please note your general location in the subject line."

 

Kentucky

Fort Knox
Hardin County Inclusive Homeschoolers
see Yahoo group page for email address or email "4_homeschool_at_gmail_dot_com" (remove underscored spaces and change at to @ and dot to . )

Kansas

Military Homeschoolers of Kansas
Military Homeschoolers of Kansas is a group is intended to provide support for those of us who are always the newcomers, who because of our connections to the military don't quite fit in with civilian homeschoolers, who because we homeschool don't quite fit in at squadron functions, and who face challenges that civilian homeschoolers could never understand.

My hope is that this group becomes a way for fellow homeschoolers to find each other and network, so newcomers have one less obstacle when PCSing into the area, and long established homeschoolers in the area can discover each other.

If you're from or in or coming to Kansas, if you're somehow associated with the military, and if you're educating your children we'd love to have you join us!

McConnell in Wichita, Fort Riley near Manhattan, Fort Leavenworth are among the bases that we represent.

We are a very inclusive group, everyone is welcome.
 

Louisiana

Barksdale AFB
Barksdale AFB
Provides support for Barksdale AFB homeschool families.

NAS JRB New Orleans
see civilian listing under Religion-specific groups

 

Nebraska 

Nebraskahomeschool
A list for Nebraska homeschoolers, discussing homeschooling, field trips, help finding support groups.

Offut AFB
Omaha 
Nebraska Secular Home Educators
NESHE is a parent-run homeschool cooperative. We are located in Eastern Nebraska around the Omaha Metro area. We have no specific religious affiliation whatsoever. The principles of character and integrity are emphasized and encouraged amoung our members. The idea behind this group is that parents can pool their resources and talents to expose their children to fun and educational group activities and events. It's all about enjoying learning, networking with other families, and giving our children the unique experiences that a larger group affords.

New Mexico

Cannon AFB
Homeschooling PACT, Parents and Children Together, is an informal, inclusive, cooperative group offering information, support, and activities for homeschooling families in the Portales/Clovis/CAFB area of eastern New Mexico.


Kirtland AFB
KAFB Homeschoolers  is an active group of active duty, reserve, retired military families along with other government and civilian employees and their families who have access to the base. KAFB Homeschoolers meets on a weekly basis for park days and activities.
Group activities may include Science Fair, Presidential Fitness Testing, optional Iowa Basic Testing, science activities, Geography Fair, Spanish Cultural Classes, Music Classes, Cross Country team, annual yearbook as well as monthly field trips.

Initial contact information is available through Family Advocacy at 1-505-846-0741 or by emailing Dawn Wilhelm at dawnspassions@yahoo.com  (information current as of October 2005)
 

New York

Ft. Hamilton
New York City Home Educators Alliance (NYCHEA)
We are a non-sectarian, non-profit and member-run support group for families who choose to educate their children at home. Our mission is to provide home educating parents with resource information and to help in dealing with current city, state and national regulations for education and/or home instruction.
 

North Carolina

Homeschool Alliance of North Carolina (HA-NC)
Established in 2003, the Homeschool Alliance of North Carolina is a grass roots, statewide advocacy group supporting independent homeschooling families in North Carolina. We are a colorful patchwork of families who embrace a myriad of approaches to education, spirituality and lifestyle. Individually, we are of varied opinions, beliefs and values. We all work together to support HA-NC's mission and goals without compromising our own personal principles, beliefs and commitments.


Cherry Point
Cherry Point Homeschoolers
This is a group inviting any homeschooling parents, or those looking to homeschool, in the Cherry Point, NC and Havelock area.

Camp Lejeune
East Coast Homeschool Organization: Support for Homeschooling Families in Camp Lejeune and Eastern North Carolina

 

Ohio

Ohio Home Educators Network O-HEN a civilian website for Ohio information.

 

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Home Educators Association (PHEA) is an inclusive statewide coalition of home educators whose primary purpose is to provide accurate information and advocate for Pennsylvania home educators.

 

South Carolina

Shaw AFB
Shaw Military Home Educators (SMilE) is a homeschool support group for families stationed at Shaw Air Force Base, SC. We are open to any military family and there is no fee to join. This group was formed to help meet the “special” needs of the military homeschool community at Shaw AFB. Encouragement and support are needed in any homeschool situation, but with military deployments, TDY’s, remote tours and the absence of extended family that many military families face, additional support is needed.



Texas

Brooks City Base
Kelly USA
Lackland AFB
Ft. Sam Houston
San Antonio Military Home Educators
(no web site)
San Antonio Military Home Educators (SAMHE) is a support group for families who homeschool and who are associated with the military. The only requirement for membership is that you carry a DoD ID card. We are an interfaith group, so everyone is welcome. We strive to give our children ample opportunities for socialization and field trips in and around the San Antonio area. We meet weekly to achieve this goal. Currently, we have members out of Lackland AFB, Kelly USA, Brooks City Base, and Ft Sam Houston. We meet primarily on the south/southwest side of town.

For Lackland AFB, contact Cyndi.

Ft. Bliss
Southwest Homeschooling Network  "Southwest Homeschooling Network is a group of homeschooling families in El Paso, Texas who share information, promote educational development, and provide support for all homeschooling families and interested parties through our monthly newsletter.  We are a volunteer organization for the benefit of the homeschooling families subscribing in our area."

Texas (in general)
TAFFIE
"The TAFFIE mailing list is for anyone interested in topics related to home schooling in Texas. While many of the topics are specific to Texas, there is also discussion related to homeschooling in general. We are now in our 10th year of operation, making us the oldest Texas homeschooling list."



Virginia

Ft. Belvoir
Fort Belvoir Home Educators
Yahoo email group:  Belvoir-homeschoolers

The FBHE offers activites and support to military families in the Virginia, Maryland and DC area. Our summer events are open to any family who homeschools or those thinking about homeschooling their children.

Please feel free to join our group. You will be sent membership information later in the summer.

Our membership requirements include an annual fee ($25 per family) and a commitment to our Members All Participate (MAP) program. We'll be sending out more details about all that later in the summer, too.

Our regular activities in the Fall, Winter, and Spring include field trips, co-op, social events, annual group testing, a Science Fair, and many more special events. You guessed it, details will be out later this summer.

 

 

Langley AFB
Military Homeschool Support (MHS)
Based in the Peninsula
Serving the Yorktown, Newport News, Poquoson, and Hampton areas.

Civilian Support Groups
from the Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers (VaHomeschoolers)
email groups and local support groups

Washington state


Ft. Lewis/McChord AFB/Madigan AMC
Ft. Lewis Homeschool Families
If you want to find families to get together with, swap ideas, old curriculum, find support with people who share simular beliefs and values for their children, this is the place.

Life Education Activity Resource Network (LEARN) is an inclusive non-profit homeschool support group in the South Puget Sound region of Washington State. While most LEARN members live in Thurston County, we also have members in Pierce, Mason, Grays Harbor, and Lewis Counties. According to a LEARN member the group includes "a good number of military families."

Whidbey Island
Homeschoolers on Whidbey (H.O.W.)  Homeschoolers on Whidbey is a non-profit support group dedicated to serving all homeschoolers on North Whidbey Island. Annual membership dues are $15. Membership includes a monthly newsletter, field trips, HOW classes, special events, and use of the HOW Lending Library. In addition, support group meetings covering topics of interest to homeschoolers are held the second Monday of the month.




Overseas

Belgium

(see:  Religion-specific lists)

 

Germany

Heidelberg and Mannheim
Heidelberg Homeschoolers discussion group in the Rhein-Neckar region, including Bensheim, Lorsch, Lampertheim, Viernheim, Weinheim, Mannheim, Heidelberg and surrounding areas. If you're homeschoolinig, or Unschooling, the main intent of this group is to support homeschooling or home-educating families in the Rhein Neckar Region, to share ideas, plan and promote field trips, organize playgroups in your neighborhood, start on-going clubs. Heidelberg Homeschool. Great opportunity to learn along side your children about Germany's history, get great educational day trips! This group is non-affiliated with the US Military, however Military families are welcome to join our group!!

Membership is open to families from all Walks of Life, all Inclusive!

 

Kaiserslautern area
Kaiserslautern Inclusive Home School Support (KIHSS) welcomes anyone in the KMC (Germany) who is interested in homeschooling, regardless of religion, homeschool style, or parenting style. All we ask is that you join us with an open heart and open mind. We host monthly support meetings, maintain a Yahoogroup and newsletter, coordinate field trips, small classes & activities, and promotion/graduation ceremonies. Membership is free!

For more info contact Sharon or visit our Yahoo web page
 

Guam
Andersen AFB Base Guide education page

Guam Home School Association  Welcome to the GHSA Website. Here is where you can find information on homeschooling on Guam, activities, events, resources, etc.

Guam Homeschoolers
This group is for homeschoolers on Guam. We will share ideas, post field trip information, make announcements about support group meetings, and list items for sale or to buy, as well as encourage one another in our homeschooling lifestyle.

 

Italy
Signonella Sicily Homeschool
We are all Navy families stationed in Italy who homeschool our children. This email list is for sharing information with all homeschooling families stationed in Sigonella, Sicily.
 

Japan
Homeschooling in Japan:  has link at bottom of page for US Military Homeschoolers in Japan
 

United Kingdom
Education Otherwise
A (civilian) UK-based membership organisation which provides support and information for families whose children are being educated outside school, and for those who wish to uphold the freedom of families to take proper responsibility for the education of their children.

 

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Civilian Email Lists

International links

Let's HomeSchool
website with international links

Minorities

Minority homeschooling:  Minority Homeschoolers of Texas
Minority Homeschoolers of Texas Is a non-profit organization that promotes homeschooling among minorities in Texas, validating the fact that homeschooling is indeed for ALL.
Mission Statement: To enlighten, encourage, promote and motivate minority educators across the state of Texas as they nurture and train their children in the way of the Lord and in the spirit of excellence.

 

New to Homeschooling

New To Homeschooling
Are you looking for advice on homeschooling from those who have Been There and Done That? This is the place and some of them even have T-shirts.

Whether you're looking for ways to find out about how to teach subjects you know nothing about, where to find materials that are compatible with your outlook, or if you just need to know that 'real people' have successfully homeschooled, you can find help here.

 

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Tidewater/Hampton Roads
Military Christian Home School Support Group
Welcome to the Military Christian Home School Support Group (MCHS). We are located in the Tidewater/ Hampton Roads area of Virginia. The purpose of our group is to encourage and support each other in our God lead adventure of homeschooling our children.

 

Washington

South Puget Sound, Washington
Christian Homeschoolers of South Sound (CHoSS)
"We are a group of families involved in home education who have come together to support and encourage one another according to Christian principles and biblical guidelines. We agree to work together to plan and organize group activities and provide a forum for the sharing of ideas, resources, methods, and information relating to home based instruction."
 

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Muslim

Muslim email list
As salaamu alaikum!
This is the Muslim Home Educators List. We created this list for Muslims who are homeschooling or are thinking about homeschooling and in need of support. There are issues that are unique to homeschooling and even moreso when one includes Islamic principles.

 

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Overseas -- all Christian as of last update

Belgium
Germany
UK

Belgium

Brussels Christian Homeschooling Association (B.C.H.A.) "The group is active with a mix of military and civilian families. We meet at 7:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of the month. The contact would be Bruce Fox at BrucePatFox@cs.com or Angela at critics_home@operamail.com "
 

SHAPE (Casteau, Belgium)
SHAPE Christian Homeschool Group, BELGIUM—serving all homeschoolers in and around the Mons and Chievres area. We meet monthly for support, fun, and group activities. 
Website
Email

Germany

Heidelberg Homeschooling Group
There is no charge for membership into the group and membership is available to any family that resides in Rhein Neckar Region that expresses interest in home schooling. Heidelberg Homeschooling Group is founded upon Christian principles: the professed acceptance of Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior, and the belief that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. The express intent of this group is to support homeschool families; therefore, membership is open to families of all faiths upon the understanding that Christian principles govern this organization.

 a web page


Kaiserlautern Military Community
Kaiserslautern Military Community Christian Home Educators
Support Group meetings 2001/2002 school year are held every fourth Tuesday, from 7 - 9pm, Faith Baptist Church, Einsiedlerhof, about 10 min. from the Ramstein AB east gate. Directions: Take A-6 to the Kaiserslautern Einseidlerhof exit. Follow the signs to Einseidlerhof. You will pass a Midway Shopping Plaza on your right. Take right on Lichtenbrucher Strasse which is the 3rd street after the Shopping Plaza.

KMC Christian
Kaiserslautern (Germany) Military Community Christian Home Educators

 

U.K.

RAF Lakenheath
Learning In a Family Environment (L.I.F.E.)
L.I.F.E. is a Christian non-denominational support group that offers support and encouragement to ALL homeschool families regardless of their reasons for home-learning, philosophy, or method of instruction.

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Special Circumstance Lists
 

Chinese Homeschoolers
This list is to support those who are Chinese homeschoolers. Members may live in various parts of the world. They may live in areas supportive of homeschooling or they may live in areas where they are persecuted. They may have supportive families and relatives or they may have families that do not agree with their decision to homeschool. The children may be monolingual, bilingual or multilingual as well as biracial or multiracial. Some children may be adopted. Some children may have special needs others may not. This list provides support and discussion of all these issues of homeschooling Chinese children.

Special Needs Homeschooling in California
This group is for families in California that are educating or looking into educating their Special Needs Children at Home. We are a diverse group of families with various religious and educational beliefs, therefore flaming and harsh words will not be permitted. This group is for California families to support each other, learn from each other, share resources and make some like-minded friendships.

 

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Civilian state lists

Nebraska
Nebraska-homeschool
A list for Nebraska homeschoolers, discussing homeschooling,field trips, help finding support groups.

Virginia
The Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers
Local homeschool support groups or networks can be a source of information, resources, activities, and friendship. VaHomeschoolers includes descriptions of groups in order to assist you in finding a group that suits your family. Group descriptions are provided by the individual groups, so questions you may have about the descriptions are best directed to the group.

Massachusetts
Massachusetts Home Learning Association (MHLA)
Massachusetts’ oldest statewide homeschool organization sponsors this inclusive list for homeschooling in Massachusetts. As a homeschooling organization, Massachusetts Home Learning Association represents no specific religion, political party or educational philosophy but acts as an information clearinghouse and advocacy organization. Welcome!