Homeschool Freedom Day is an in-depth advocacy and training event hosted by Family Protection Ministries (FPM). While Hold the Line offers a shorter introduction to homeschooling freedom and advocacy, Homeschool Freedom Day is a larger, more extensive gathering designed to inspire, train, and equip families to actively defend educational liberty in California.
The goal of Homeschool Freedom Day is to motivate and inspire families to stand firm in defense of homeschool freedom.Training is also a crucial part of this event. Parents and students are taught how to effectively advocate and prepare for district office visits. Nathan Pierce and other speakers educate attendees on the current legislative landscape, the life cycle of a bill, and how laws specifically impact family freedoms. And finally, resources are provided to equip families for ongoing advocacy.
This year a local church in San Diego county graciously hosted both FPM’s Homeschool Freedom Day and CHEA’s Leadership Event on August 22nd-23rd. We had amazing staff and volunteers to help us run the event with a strong lineup of respected speakers. We were able to train many new homeschooling moms and families and give them the resources they need to confidently homeschool privately and advocate for themselves in California.
Nathan Pierce opened the event by welcoming families and sharing the importance of how to be engaged in the world we live in today and celebrate the freedom we have. He explained that the purpose of the event is to gain a clear understanding of the threats we are facing so we can become strong advocates and continue to enjoy the freedoms we have. He shared that FPM works to fight against bills that directly affect homeschooling families and the right of parents to educate their children.
We were excited to welcome Darren Jones, an attorney from HSLDA, Dr. Lisa Dunne, the President of Chula Vista Christian University, Kristi Clover, an accomplished homeschool mom, author, and organizer, and Jennifer Avila, our district office coordinator. This variety of voices emphasized the broad impact and value of homeschooling freedom.
Dr. Lisa Dunne has a heart to “reclaim the outsourced generation.” She started the event off strong by explaining today’s crisis of “emotional misattachment.” The younger generation today displays many of these “misattached” behaviors such as anxiety, lack of eye contact, and lack of awareness. She said, “where there is a vacuum of authentic relationship, artificial attachment will fill the void.” The answer to this problem, she urged, was “in this room” – our HFD attendees! She called on the audience to be the change. We must reclaim education! Restore the foundation of truth. Restore parental authority. Restore God-honoring methods of education.
Darren Jones, Esq. followed with a history lesson for our attendees. His presentation was titled The History of Homeschool Battles. Darren explained how homeschooling has evolved over the years and the growing acceptance of homeschooling. After lunch, Darren had another session titled Current Threats to Homeschool Freedom. During this time he provided an in-depth explanation of the Make Homeschooling Safe Act (MHSA) in order to prepare families to respond to emerging threats.
Jennifer Avila spoke on the importance of maintaining relationships with your local legislators. After visiting Senator Ocho-Bogh’s office multiple times, the office started remembering her and asking her more questions. They have even offered to be a “training office” for homeschool families because of the tireless effort Jennifer has put in on behalf of all California homeschool families. She shared why district office visits are important and how to conduct one by handing out packets to all the attendees. The audience was encouraged by her testimony and inspired to do the same!
Kristi Clover is a homeschool mom, advocate, author, podcast host, and professional organizer. She was full of bubbly, contagious energy and spoke on why her family chose private homeschooling. Her take away question for attendees was “Do you want to live above reproach?” When weighing your options to go with a public charter school or privately homeschool, this is the question to consider. Money is often the main draw towards a charter school. However, that question really helps to put the whole picture into perspective. She emphasized why you choose homeschooling is a personal decision, but encouraged parents to really consider the heart behind it. Live above reproach!
This event concluded with a vibrant Q&A panel consisting of Angela Lasch, John McGowen, Jennifer Avila, Nathan Pierce, and Darren Jones. Many attendees were eager to ask questions.
Do you want to get involved and host a Homeschool Freedom Day at your church?
It only requires three simple steps!
- Provide a Facility – A church, community center, or similar space large enough for 40+ attendees.
- Get the Word Out – Promote the event to local families, churches, and homeschool networks to gather a strong audience.
- Coordinate Locally – Optionally arrange for a local homeschool parent to share their story.
FPM provides the speakers, core training, and advocacy resources; the host community provides the venue and promotion.
Please reach out if you are interested. We are happy to provide more information.