SHAPE 2024!

Experience an enriching day on your homeschooling journey at The Summit Environmental Education Center at Haw River State Park. Join us on July 21st 2024 for a conference uniquely designed for secular homeschooling families like yours, offering a wealth of resources and support.

About

SHAPE (Secular Homeschoolers Association for Progressive Education) is dedicated to fostering an inclusive and supportive community for homeschoolers. Our mission is to bring together like-minded homeschooling families, providing a platform to share resources, experiences, and ideas. Through collaboration and mutual support, we strive to empower each other in creating a diverse and enriching educational environment where our children feel safe and encouraged to express themselves fully.

Our 2024 Conference incorporates our mission and includes the following:

  • Secular Focus: SHAPE ensures an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives are celebrated, making this conference ideal for families who value a secular approach to education.

  • Resource Expo: Explore a diverse array of high-quality secular resources curated to enhance your homeschooling experience.

  • Dynamic Presenters: Engage with thought-provoking and experienced presenters who bring valuable insights to the secular homeschooling community.

  • Network Opportunities: Connect with like-minded homeschoolers, where a community of support and shared experiences will be fostered.

  • Breakout Sessions: Attend interactive workshops where you can collaborate, share ideas, and refine your homeschooling approach.

2024 Presenters

Our panel of experts brings a wealth of knowledge in homeschooling, from curriculum to socialization and beyond. Each presenter is a passionate advocate in their homeschooling communities, offering invaluable insights and perspectives to enrich your experience.


Schedule

Our schedule features a wide array of classes throughout the day, covering topics ranging from curriculum choices to Homeschool 101. Explore, engage, and enrich your homeschooling journey with a multitude of educational sessions tailored to meet the varied interests of our vibrant community.


If you're interested in presenting at SHAPE 2024, please get in touch with us below:

Registration

Tickets will be on sale very soon! Please pre register to be the first to get access to your ticket.

Schedule

Our full event schedule will be posted soon!

Partnerships

Interested in a partnership with us? Would your company like to be a vendor in the resource hall? We have several options and benefits for all of our partners. Please fill out the form below and we'll send you an email to discuss which best fit your needs.


Current Partners

Thanks to our 2024 partners!

Danielle Calhoun is an unschooling mom, blogger, and creative entrepreneur that lives (and learns) alongside her two neurodivergent teens in Tampa, FL.After grappling with the public school system, and then implementing various homeschooling styles, Danielle discovered the power of interest-led learning, which became the cornerstone of her family's educational journey. Through this method, she witnessed not only academic progress but also profound personal growth and restoration within her family.Drawing from her own experiences, Danielle recently launched Nevernaut Learning, a platform dedicated to sharing insights and resources for families navigating the same journey into the unknown. With her background in public speaking and training, she's on a mission to empower discouraged parents in the messy middle of educational pivots to explore their untraditional approach to learning.Join Danielle as she continues to advocate for struggling learners that might need something out-of-the-box entirely in order to thrive, one that prioritizes individual passions and strengths.

Amy Bodkin is a Consultant and Public Speaker serving homeschooling families with needs that fall outside the norm. She is uniquely qualified to help homeschool families with a wide variety of special needs. Amy is an Autistic Adult, has an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in Neuropsychology, a Master's degree in Educational Psychology, and homeschools her two Autistic kiddos. Amy takes a Developmental Approach paired with Charlotte Mason’s Philosophy that “children are born persons” and are worthy of the respect due to persons. You can check out all that Amy does to advocate for the better treatment of children at her website, AmyBodkin.com. It's as easy as ABC: Ally, Boost, and Connect! Ally with Amy through her podcast, “Special Needs Kids Are People Too!” Get a Boost with her Educational Resources. And Connect through her Membership Group and Private Consultations!

Meagan Tauber is a veteran homeschool mom to 3 neurodivergent children and 1 very diligent service dog. She has homeschooled in 4 states as a result of her husband’s hectic transfer schedule and currently lives in Summerville, SC. Meagan has taught over 2,000 learners on Outschool since 2018 and founded the Hub of Curiosity online, secular homeschool co-op. She runs homeschool groups both locally and globally to connect homeschoolers and build community. Meagan vividly recalls feeling like she was “jumping off a cliff without a parachute” at the start of her homeschool journey and focuses on sharing the knowledge she’s gained over the years to support other homeschool parents on their journey.

Vivian Meyers is the writer of Curiosity Chronicles, a secular world history curriculum. Vivian has a master’s degree in Comparative Studies, an interdisciplinary humanities degree, with an emphasis in Classics. She is also a homeschool mom of four children.

Erica draws from her experiences as a former PTA Mom turned Homeschool Educator and Community Leader to inform and guide parents who are new to homeschooling. This will be her fifth year homeschooling her three children ages 7-13. Erica recently created a Beginners Guide for those considering homeschool as an option, uses her podcast, So You Think You Want to Homeschool as well as her Social Media platform and continued support services as Your Homeschool Bestie to communicate the realities of homeschool, ease common fears, and build confidence in parents who are new to the idea or just starting out! She has successfully built up a local, in person Secular Homeschool Group and is excited to share how YOU can do the same!

Neily Boyd is the founder of Counting With Kids and author of the Math Companion program. Neily has worked in math education for 15 years, and most recently, served as the Director of Math for six elementary and middle schools in Nashville, TN. During her tenure, she implemented hands-on mathematics instruction designed to engage students in academic discourse and conceptual thinking. As a result, the schools showed some of the highest math growth in Tennessee, according to both state and national assessments.As the parent of two young children, Neily became passionate about the role that early childhood math plays in setting students up for long-term success in mathematics. She now works with thousands of parents of young children all over the country to help them incorporate math conversation and play into their children’s daily lives.

Julie Soul is the founder and co-owner of Soul Sparklettes Art and the Glitterbombers Membership, with kid-tested, kid-approved art projects and resources for homeschoolers and art teachers. She homeschools her two girls 9 and 12, is an avid espresso-drinker, board game enthusiast, and shenanigan enthusiast.

Amy Sharony is the founder of home/school/life and the author of The Ultimate Homeschool Calendar, The A+ Homeschool Planner, The Homeschool Recharge Workbook, and The Happier Homeschool Day Book. She launched home/school/life in 2014, a couple of years after she started homeschooling her then-in-2nd-grade daughter and became fascinated (some might say obsessed) with all the places where home, school, and life intersect. She believes in secular homeschooling, decolonizing the curriculum, the Oxford comma, and changing her mind.

There are many sites around Greensboro that can accomodate your stay while you visit the area. Our team compiled a small list of their recommendations below.

HotelPhoneRatesDistance
Onsite LodgingContact SHAPE~$1750 Miles
Hotel Denim336-272-4737~$15013 Miles
The Biltmore Greensboro Hotel336-272-3474~$16514 Miles
Proximity Hotel336-379-8200~$32514 Miles

Contact

Feel free to contact us anytime on Facebook or email. You can also submit a question below for a prompt response.