Homeschool Project-Based Learning Workshop: How to Grow Your Child’s Passion/Interest into an Impressive, Multidisciplinary Project and Not Burn Out

Saturday, Oct. 14,  10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Class fee: $20 needs minimum of 3 participants 

Presenter: Beth Beyer

How can you channel your child’s passion or interests into a meaningful, interesting, and challenging project that fulfills several academic subjects, and impresses admissions committees at selective high schools? This workshop will teach parents of homeschoolers in grades K-8 how to use the principles of Project Based Learning (PBL). Beth Beyer will share examples of how she and other HSGS families scaffolded the growth of their children’s interests or passions into meaningful projects. She will share ideas you can use at home to construct classes and other learning experiences in a process of shared discovery. These examples are from her own experiences homeschooling her sons as well as the experiences of other homeschoolers. The benefits of this approach are phenomenal: The struggle of homework is no longer an issue because skills such as writing and subjects such as science and history all intermingle in ways that fit more naturally with our children’s cognitive processes. In the same way that toddlers teach themselves to speak, older children are given opportunities to explore and acquire knowledge and skills through a variety of media, which affords them the ability to construct their understandings of the world. Cultural and scientific institutions/communities in and around Chicago are rich with resources that can help further develop these questions into deeper understanding and a growing love of learning. 

So, how would this work for you and your child? The second part of the workshop allows time to reflect and process, and start to lay the foundation for your child’s own project under Beth’s guidance. Beth will customize the experience to the needs of the participants and allow for individual and group time to process and create. She will share with you a packet of materials to help guide your process and spark ideas for what you can continue at home.

This workshop is also ideal for teachers in traditional schools where the school setting has the flexibility to allow student interest to drive the ways in which subject areas are explored and experienced.

Beth Beyer homeschooled her son Matthew through high school and Liam through 8th grade. Matthew is a junior at the University of Chicago. Liam is a junior at Walter Payton High School, a selective high school in Chicago, and pursues his passion for computer programming. Beth has masters’ degrees in both Education and Artificial Intelligence from Northwestern University. She further developed her curriculum design skills while working for what is now Accenture, creating educational materials for an international management consulting office. She spent 4 years working in the field at schools as a Program Associate at Erikson Institute for Early Childhood Education as part of an “Authentic Assessment” grant funded by the Kellogg, Joyce and Annenberg foundations. She worked with K-6 teachers to help them do some of what she teaches in this workshop. She is a 3-year Kellogg Leadership Fellow in which she developed out-of-the box approaches to her chosen question on how ecotourism affects local communities. Relationships from her work experiences formed the basis of local and international core partners of the Coral Reef Regeneration Project, one of her son’s high school marine biology projects.  She most recently completed her certification as a SENG Model Parent Group (SMPG) facilitator at the conference this August as part of her continuing journey to understand and support the needs of gifted and talented children and their families.  She is so grateful for all the help she received while homeschooling her two boys and looks forward to the opportunity to give back to a next generation as they create and co-facilitate wonderful options for their families.

Mindfulness for Gifted Children and Families

Wednesday, Oct. 25, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. 

CGCC Members $3, Non-members $5

Presenter: Dr. Michele Kane, Professor of gifted education at Northeastern Illinois University, author, member of Illinois State Board of Education Gifted Advisory Council

Dr. Kane is an inspiring speaker who has been a long-time advocate for the gifted in Illinois. She has mentored several HSGS members who pursued their own master's in gifted education. Every time I talk to her I leave filled with energy and passion for homeschooling and new insights into myself and my kids.  She will talk about how mindfulness can help gifted children address their social, emotional and creative needs. 

HSGS Grads: Life after Homeschooling

Tuesday, Jan. 9, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. 

CGCC Members $3, Non-members $5

Come hear HSGS grads talk about Life After Homeschooling. As homeschoolers, did they feel prepared for college? What were some of the adjustments they had to make? In what ways did homeschooling prepare them, and in what other ways did they have to learn new skills or strategies? What would they have done differently in their homeschool? For those who chose a different path, how did homeschooling prepare them for life outside of college? What advice do they have for the next cohorts of homeschoolers?  (If you know an HSGS grad who would like to reconnect with other HSGS alums on this panel, please contact Maria Galo at mariatgalo@hotmail.com.)

Secrets of Homeschooling to College: Beyond the Transcript

Monday, May 7, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. 

CGCC Members $3, Non-members $5

What are the secrets to successfully homeschooling for the future?  How do you find programs, mentors, personal projects that help your child take their deep interest to the nth degree?  What programs are out there that will help your student? This panel discussion will address when, why and how to take standardized tests (and which standardized tests);  how to find specialized summer programs that match your child's interests; when and how to take community college courses while a high school student, and how to develop interesting extra-curricular activities. Hear how HSGS families helped their teens get accepted into competitive programs, develop unique projects, and pursue personally meaningful extra-curriculars which-- most importantly -- fed their souls and ---coincidentally --  impressed college admissions officers.