Salmon = kid activities; Yellow = parent education. Click on the day or Scroll down for detailed descriptions and Zoom link.Connect to the Virtual Conference Zoom Meeting.
Meeting ID: 899 7998 7897
Passcode: 641537
DAY 1 - MONDAY 1/15/24
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Heidi Andress, SHG Treasurer and Volunteer Extraordinaire
SOCIAL CHAT FOR EVERYONE
Bring your coffee! Bring your tea! Bring your breakfast! Bring your cat! Ask your questions about the Seattle Homeschooling Virtual Conference, SHG, homeschooling, or just come and say hello! -
Laura Tucker, Outschool Instructor
ACTIVITY FOR KIDS
Gaming Teacher Laura will use Legend of Zelda to inspire you to write poetry!Don't know much about Zelda? That's OK! Join us for some fantastical poetry fun!
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Gaming Teacher Laura offers fun classes in a safe, secure environment for gaming pros and newbs alike! She is an experienced ESL teacher, having given a wide variety of English classes (including grammar, sentence structure, writing, and more) for over 8 years. She loves writing stories and has been coming up with new stories and novels for around 15 years. She offers a Legend of Zelda themed writing class and is also opening an anime and manga fan version of this writing club this year.Gaming Teacher Laura’s Legend of Zelda Weekly Writing Club will help you improve your writing skills with Legend of Zelda themes so you can write stories, essays, paragraphs, fanfic, resumes, and more! Each month we have a certain Legend of Zelda game theme, and each week we have a different writing topic with a fun prompt for you to work on your own.
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Jeni Roberts of Wilderness Awareness School
RESOURCE FOR PARENTS
In this seminar, we will discuss accessible ways to get outside with your kids! Guidance about child’s passions and core routines that will engage your child will be explored. You’ll leave with a toolbox full of fun ways to set goals to be outdoor every day as a family. You will also learn about our style of teaching called Coyote Mentoring, which will help you and your child become more curious about the outdoors.ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION:
Wilderness Awareness School is a nonprofit organization founded in 1983 and is an internationally recognized leader in outdoor education. Our mission is to help children and adults cultivate healthy relationships with nature, community, and self. We are based in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, about 45 minutes outside of Seattle, WA.Jeni Ronald is an experienced Coyote Mentor, having worked with both youth and adults at the school and other youth organizations for the last ten years. She now works as the Marketing and Events Coordinator for Wilderness Awareness School.
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SHG Chess Club
ACTIVITY FOR KIDS
Kids of all ages and skill levels, with a basic understanding of chess rules, are invited to join the club! We’ll play standard chess and a fun variant.** Play will continue through the lunch hour. **
PREPARE IN ADVANCE
1. Please read our Chess Club Expectations.
2. Create a free user account on lichess.org (Consider turning on "kid mode" in Preferences.)
3. Join the SHG chess club on lichess.ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
SHG Chess Club takes place online using both lichess and Zoom. Each Monday at 12:30, participants play a 5-round chess tournament with an optional quick 3-round bonus tournament of all ages are welcome. -
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Ian Farrell and Aiyana Holloway of Washington Business Week
ACTIVITY FOR TEENS AND TWEENS
Dive into a real-world business simulation and compete against other teams as you make decisions in our software, WILE (Washington’s Innovative Learning Environment). The winning team will be announced at the end of the week!** Monday attendance is crucial, as students will learn about the program, find a team, and begin the simulation. **
REGISTRATION REQUIRED
** Click here to register before the event. **ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
Washington Business Week is a non profit organization that holds week long business programs for high school students throughout the summer. The organization’s mission is to provide a dynamic real-world, immersive business experience that builds confidence, sense of purpose, and leadership. With the guidance of a mentor from the business community, students gain a competitive edge in college preparation, workplace readiness, and overall life success. -
Jo Langford of Beheroes
TALK FOR PARENTS
'Tech Talk'/s are loaded concepts because they are intricately connected to the 'Sex Talk'/s. Because so much of the average kid’s sexual information is gleaned from the Internet, it is impossible to talk about tech without talking about sex. There is an app for everything now, except for knowing how much to be involved. Jo will talk about best practices for raising kids who are good digital citizens, in the context of what he calls the Three M’s. A crucial triad of maintenance, monitoring, and mentoring—advice culled from his own meandering experience working with teens for the last 20 years, that is going to help you up your parenting game.ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Jo Langford is a dad, a Master’s-level therapist, author and sex educator for tweens, teens and parents, in Seattle, Washington. For the last 20 years, Jo has worked in the intersection of adolescence, sexuality, technology, and behavior.From working in peer counseling and student outreach programs in high schools, to medical, residential and psychiatric settings, Jo now provides training for organizations and agencies as well therapy to adolescents and families around a gambit of sexuality themes—with an emphasis on LGBT issues, Internet safety, digital citizenship and comprehensive sex education.
Jo is the author of the Spare Me, "The Talk", series—guides to sex relationships and growing up for modern teens and their parents. His latest book, The Pride Guide, is an encompassing guide to sexual and social development, safety and health for queer youth and their families. Covering all aspects of LGBT adolescence, both online and off, this book is the first puberty book written with queer (and specifically trans) youth in mind.
Jo speaks internationally using information, education and humor to help parents and professionals increase their knowledge and self confidence as a proactive defense against the unfortunate consequences that sometimes accompany teen sexuality, behavior, and development.
More about his work to promote healthy, positive and safe sexual and social behavior can be found at his website, Beheroes.net.
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Owen Riggs, SHG Kid
ACTIVITY FOR KIDS
Owen will be hosting a week-long Minecraft build & play (Bedrock Edition). We will collect usernames for all interested players and invite you to play. We will build and design to our hearts' content, from the simple structures and landscapes to the extravagant. On Friday we will open the game up to anyone who would like to come to visit our builds and play. This is a great opportunity to try your hand at building machines, historical structures, fantasy castles, chicken replication houses... the sk-Y 320 is the limit!REGISTRATION REQUIRED
** Click here to register before the event. ** -
Jocelyn Goldsmith, SHG Parent and Adventure-Schooler
TALK FOR PARENTS
Jocelyn will share her experience and tips, after taking her family of five on the road for trips as long as six months.ABOUT THE SPEAKER
The passion to explore and travel has been a part of Jocelyn Goldsmith for as long as she can remember. When she first proposed the idea of selling their house and roadschooling (homeschooling on the road) to her husband Pete, he was not on board. Then covid hit, work changed, priorities changed, and hard family losses and illness led them to reevaluate how they wanted to spend their time. They bought a small pop-up trailer and began using their new work-from-home freedom coupled with their homeschool freedom, to travel. They hiked Mt. Rose on their first trip in the pop-up and she was christened “Compass Rose.” They used their compass to explore the Cascade Mountains, the Oregon and Washington Coasts, and even explored their first National Park, The Redwoods. They loved it!Soon they upgraded the pop-op to a class-c RV. They kept the house. Compromising with six months on, six-months off, the Goldsmiths now have a three-year plan: see all 51 national parks in the lower 48 states.
DAY 2 - TUESDAY 1/16/24
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Bria Bloom of the Alliance for Self-Directed Education
TALK FOR PARENTS
Are you curious about Self-Directed Education (SDE) and the values of youth autonomy, and curiosity can live in your homeschooling journey? In this session we will chat about what SDE is, the underlying values and optimizing conditions for SDE to flourish, the many and varied ways SDE can look in practice, and answer any questions you have about Self-Directed Education, and the Alliance. Join this session if you are looking to learn more about SDE and how it can look for homeschooling families.ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION AND SPEAKER
The Alliance for Self-Directed Education (ASDE) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to increasing accessibility and awareness of Self-Directed Education as a way of living and learning, and connecting the communities and voices of the movement.ASDE values the agency of young people, and joyful and fulfilling lives for all. We steer towards this by destroying obstacles like ableism and white supremacy while holding space for young people’s embodiment of liberation through play and curiosity as much as possible in the here and now. Community is both a practice and a path in this work.
Bria grew up in an unschooling family, and is a parent of two self-directed young people, the Executive Director of ASDE, co-founder of Flying Squads, and a passionate advocate for collective liberation, Self-Directed Education, and young people’s rights. She also loves to engage & play as an SDE facilitator. Bria is a martial artist and a dancer, a happy Portland cyclist, a vegan cooking enthusiast, a writer, and a semi-aspiring YouTube video creator.
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Debbie Reber of Tilt Parenting
TALK FOR PARENTS
In this talk, Debbie Reber shares her story of going from reluctant homeschooling parent to designing a collaborative, thriving homeschooling life for her child, herself, and her family. She shares insights, strategies, and best practices for supporting twice-exceptional homeschooled children in developing their executive functioning and emotional regulation skills, becoming self-driven learners, and fostering their own self knowledge. She also talks about the importance of parents and caregivers doing their own inner work so they can best show up for their children and themselves.ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Debbie Reber, MA is a parenting activist, bestselling author, speaker, and the CEO and founder of Tilt Parenting, a resource, top-performing podcast, consultancy, and community with a focus on shifting the paradigm for parents raising and embracing neurodivergent children. Her most recent book, Differently Wired: A Parent’s Guide to Raising an Atypical Child with Confidence and Hope, came out in June 2018. After living abroad in the Netherlands for five years, Debbie, her husband, and differently wired teen moved to Brooklyn, NY in 2019. -
Ronald Howard of Biggie Ron’s Drawing Club
ACTIVITY FOR KIDS
Join Biggie Ron as we explore the world of Corgis and Dragons! We'll begin our journey by drawing one of its most powerful denizens...a Corgi Wizard!PREPARE IN ADVANCE
Come to this session with paper, pencil, and markers or other coloring implements.ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Ronald Howard, aka “Biggie Ron,” is an experienced Professional Game Designer and Artist, with multiple titles shipped both in the games and movie industries. He is also an experienced teacher of Art—both Classic and Digital—and aims to help cultivate a new generation of game designers, by giving them the tools needed to become successful in the industry if they so choose.Ron has taught for years on platforms including Outschool, offering classes in Digital Art, Pokemon, Monsters, Anime, and everything in between! He believes that no matter who you are, every single person is capable of being a great artist. It just takes time and a willingness to learn!
Not only does Ron bring an enormous amount of experience and expertise to the table, he also loves what de does, and realizes just how big of an honor it is when parents trust him to help educate their children. He always honors that trust with the best classroom experience he can provide :)
Ron is also an experienced teacher of ESL.
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Ian Farrell and Aiyana Holloway of Washington Business Week
ACTIVITY FOR TEENS AND TWEENS
Dive into a real-world business simulation and compete against other teams as you make decisions in our software, WILE (Washington’s Innovative Learning Environment). The winning team will be announced at the end of the week!Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday will be an opportunity for teams to meet with an Advisor and ask questions. Attendance is optional.
REGISTRATION REQUIRED
** Click here to register before the event. **ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
Washington Business Week is a non-profit organization that holds week long business programs for high school students throughout the summer. The organization’s mission is to provide a dynamic real-world,
immersive business experience that builds confidence, sense of purpose, and leadership. With the guidance of a mentor from the business community, students gain a competitive edge in college preparation, workplace readiness, and overall life success. -
Josh Tuininga, Author and Artist
TALK FOR OLDER KIDS
Marco Calvo always knew his grandfather, affectionately called Papoo, was a good man. A first generation Jewish immigrant, Papoo was hardworking, smart, and caring. When Papoo peacefully passes away, Marco is caught off guard by something unusual. Among his close family and friends are mourners he doesn’t recognize—Japanese American families—and no one is quite sure who they are or why they are at the service. How did these strangers know his grandfather so well?Join author and artist Josh Tuininga as he shares his new book, We Are Not Strangers, about a dark period in Seattle's history and how his family and others found ways to create beauty through community.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Josh Tuininga is an author, artist, and designer living in North Bend, Washington. After studying fine art at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, he founded an art and design agency, where he continues to work as its creative director. His work has been published in Communication Arts magazine and HOW design magazine, and he was awarded with the Communication Arts Award for excellence in illustration. Tuininga is the author of two children’s books: Why Blue? (Xist Publishing, 2014) and Dream On (Indiegogo campaign, 2019). We Are Not Strangers, which has been awarded a 4Culture Heritage Grant, is his first graphic novel. -
Owen Riggs, SHG Kid
ACTIVITY FOR KIDS
Owen will be hosting a week-long Minecraft build & play (Bedrock Edition). We will collect usernames for all interested players and invite you to play. We will build and design to our hearts' content, from the simple structures and landscapes to the extravagant. On Friday we will open the game up to anyone who would like to come to visit our builds and play. This is a great opportunity to try your hand at building machines, historical structures, fantasy castles, chicken replication houses... the sk-Y 320 is the limit!REGISTRATION REQUIRED
** Click here to register before the event. ** -
Marty Bereiter of Family Learning Organization
RESOURCE FOR PARENTS
Come join us for a presentation to go over the annual assessment options for meeting Washington’s annual assessment requirement for homeschooled students age 8–18. We will learn about the options available and some helpful tips to help you decide which option is a better fit for you and your family.ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
Family Learning Organization has been meeting the testing and assessments needs of homeschooling families since 1987. Our mission is to support homeschooling families by helping provide assessment options that can be proctored or completed by the Parent Educator. We partner and support other homeschooling organizations who advocate for and support homeschoolers locally and across the country.
DAY 3 - WEDNESDAY 1/17/24
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Kim Kotovic of Seattle Universal Math Museum
ACTIVITY FOR KIDS
Come and play SUMM games with us! During this fun filled hour you will learn a new game, perfect your strategy and graph your successes!PREPARE IN ADVANCE
Come to this session with a printed copy of these Dice Bingo Sheets and graph paper or this printable Graph Paper.ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
SUMM’s mission is to spark each and every person to love math. Math is sometimes called the Universal Language, but math is also a cultural concept and groups have developed mathematical skills to calculate and quantify in various ways around the world. Museums have been transforming into interactive, dynamic spaces over the years—it’s not just history and art on the walls that you cannot touch. There are multiple online options for math education, but what we feel is really missing is a kinesthetic, full-body, immersive experience in the math. Too much of math education is in only two dimensions and black and white (think endless worksheets). We feel that being in the math problem, by experiencing math in 3D and in full color with movement is what will spark curiosity and inspire learning in kids. -
Casey O'Roarty of Joyful Courage
TALK FOR PARENTS
Join Positive Discipline educator and author Casey O'Roarty in a conversation about parenting through crisis and challenges—both personal and global. We will explore the many ways that difficult times in the world and in our lives impact our kids, our parenting, and our personal growth. You will leave the discussion feeling encouraged and empowered to move through whatever difficulties may arise in parenting, homeschooling, and life.ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Casey O’Roarty, M.Ed., is a facilitator of personal growth and development. Her work encourages parents to discover the purpose of their journey, while also providing them with tools and a shift of mindset that allows them to deepen their relationships with themselves and their families. As a Positive Discipline Trainer since 2007 and certified coach, Casey has led countless groups through workshops and classes that have left them feeling empowered and excited about parenting. She also offers an engaging podcast, live and online classes, and individual coaching at www.joyfulcourage.com. Her first book, Joyful Courage: Calming the Drama and Taking Control of YOUR Parenting Journey launched May 20th, 2019. Casey lives in the Pacific Northwest with her greatest teachers—her husband, one teen in his last year at home, and a 20-year-old out of the nest and in the practice of adulting! -
Meg Tucker of Cook with Meg
ACTIVITY FOR KIDS
Let’s make a delicious lunch! Meg will guide participants through each step needed to create a crispy, flaky, savory lunch with just a hint of sweetness as we pile lentils, sausage, caramelized onions and cheese into puff pastry cups. The recipe is modified for vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free cooks. Learn about Meg's cooking classes. including free monthly programs! Class requires some pre-preparation including acquisition of ingredients some and pre-cooking. We are awesome!PREPARE IN ADVANCE
Purchase and prepare ingredients as described in the Recipe Preparation Instructions PDF.ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Meg Tucker has been creating shared experiences through media for over twenty years. Creator of the Shaw TV original kids cooking show Just One Bite, and a top twenty-five finalist on Masterchef Canada, Meg’s catchy enthusiasm for life brings joy to everyone she meets in front of and behind her kitchen counter. Meg holds degree in psychology from St Thomas University and a Professional Cook Certification from Rouxbe. Before opening Cook with Meg, she worked in marketing, TV and radio. Whether it’s baking something yummy, or crafting a savoury dish, Meg’s passion goes far beyond teaching people how to cook—she works to help people relax, develop life skills, practice patience, and build self-esteem by making fun and delicious dishes in the kitchen together. -
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Ian Farrell and Aiyana Holloway of Washington Business Week
ACTIVITY FOR TEENS AND TWEENS
Dive into a real-world business simulation and compete against other teams as you make decisions in our software, WILE (Washington’s Innovative Learning Environment). The winning team will be announced at the end of the week!Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday will be an opportunity for teams to meet with an Advisor and ask questions. Attendance is optional.
REGISTRATION REQUIRED
** Click here to register before the event. **ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
Washington Business Week is a non-profit organization that holds week-long business programs for high school students throughout the summer. The organization’s mission is to provide a dynamic real-world, immersive business experience that builds confidence, sense of purpose, and leadership. With the guidance of a mentor from the business community, students gain a competitive edge in college preparation, workplace readiness, and overall life success. -
Riz Vazir of Scroll By Choice
TALK FOR PARENTS
You are undoubtedly familiar with the phenomena of mindless phone pickups, endless scrolling, and the complexity of managing screentime (from social media to gaming!). Perhaps you’ve tried screentime curfews, app timers, bribes and more! And yet, these last a short while and people often return to feeling concern, guilt, helplessness, or anger related to screen use. Riz Vazir from Scroll by Choice will share empowering strategies beyond putting your phone away.ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Riz Vazir is the founder of Scroll by Choice, a digital wellness company focused on empowering people to reclaim control over their screentime. Previously, Riz held leadership roles at companies such as Microsoft, where he was the Director of Business Strategy and AON, where he led employee health benefits administration programs for Fortune 50 clients. He is a certified Change Management professional, underscoring his commitment to driving positive transformations. Riz has an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and a bachelor’s degree in computer science & economics from Knox College. -
Owen Riggs, SHG Kid
ACTIVITY FOR KIDS
Owen will be hosting a week-long Minecraft build & play (Bedrock Edition). We will collect usernames for all interested players and invite you to play. We will build and design to our hearts' content, from the simple structures and landscapes to the extravagant. On Friday we will open the game up to anyone who would like to come to visit our builds and play. This is a great opportunity to try your hand at bhereuilding machines, historical structures, fantasy castles, chicken replication houses... the sk-Y 320 is the limit!REGISTRATION REQUIRED
** Click here to register before the event. ** -
Austina De Bonte of Smart is not Easy
TALK FOR PARENTS
What predicts success? Do talented kids always become eminent adults? What role do grit and growth mindset play? What does IQ actually predict about later life? This session starts with a 360° research review, starting with Terman, the Study for Mathematically Precocious Youth, Carol Dweck's work on "growth mindset," and Angela Duckworth's research on "grit"—including the original research results as well as more recent meta-analyses and critiques—and pulls it all together with the popular "James and Susie" cartoon. Along the way, we'll discuss the many causes of underachievement, why the smartest kids on average have the least grit, what twice exceptionality has to do with it, and most importantly, how to guide our smart students for whole-child growth and development.** This Keynote is two hours long. **
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Austina De Bonte is President of WA Coalition for Gifted Education, Past President of NW Gifted Child Association, advisor to The G Word documentary, member of the NAGC Public Policy and Advocacy Committee, and a consultant at Smart is not Easy. She received the NAGC Carolyn Callahan Doctoral Student Award (2023), People to Watch by Variations 2e Magazine (2020), WAETAG Advocacy Award (2019), and has won three PTA Outstanding Advocate awards. She is a doctoral candidate at Bridges Graduate School studying twice exceptional education.
DAY 4 - THURSDAY 1/18/24
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Dr. Nancy Franklin, Ret. Psychology Professor, Stonybrook University, Expert Witness on Memory & Cognition
TALK FOR PARENTS
Our brains are exquisite machines, but they don’t come with User’s Manuals. This session will include some tips about how to improve your everyday memory and how to improve your teaching/study style. We’ll also explore the research on eyewitness memory and its flaws, wrapping back around to what that research means for how memory works more generally and why you can’t completely trust even your most vivid and fondest recollections (sorry!).ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Nancy Franklin received her Ph.D. from Stanford in 1989. She was a professor for 30 years in the Psychology Dept. at Stony Brook University in New York, where her research focused on human memory. She has consulted for more than 15 years in the criminal justice system as an eyewitness memory and identification expert and has been involved in the exonerations of dozens of wrongfully convicted people whose cases had involved misidentification. -
Brandon Hendrickson of Science is WEIRD
ACTIVITY FOR KIDS
90 minutes of fast-paced, funny, hyper-interactive, cameras-on evolutionary physiology. Kids’ll learn what their lungs really are, what their ribs really are, and something really, really strange about their heart. (We promise: they don’t already know this.)PREPARE IN ADVANCE
Come with some paper, some colored pencils or pens, and as much curiosity as you can muster.ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Brandon helps kids fall in love with the world.He’s a homeschooling dad who works with homeschooling families—and got his start teaching SHG teens!
He currently runs Science is WEIRD, an outfit that seeks to help kids (and especially 2e kids) fall in love with the sciences, but he’s also been an classroom teacher and curriculum architect at a startup Montessori inspired school in Bellevue. Before that, he and his wife ran a homeschooling enrichment program in Kirkland that taught elementary kids history, philosophy, and cooking. Brandon also writes the Substack The Lost Tools of Learning, where he’s fleshing out a new approach to homeschooling that blends some of the best aspects of classical, unschooling, and outdoor education. His writing on this recently won a book review contest.
In all this, he’s worked with the knowledge that the world is fascinating, and that kids are more clever than is commonly assumed. He has bachelor’s degrees in world religions and history, and a master’s in educational theory from the University of Washington.
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Akiko Amano of Joyful Abacus School
TALK FOR PARENTS
Learn about the abacus structure and how it serves as a powerful tool for mental math. Akiko will discuss the practical applications and benefits of learning abacus-based math, highlighting its capacity to enhance concentration, perseverance, and image processing skills with demonstrations. She will focus on the principal of Joyful Abacus School, emphasizing the crucial aspects that make our abacus learning enjoyable.ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Akiko Amano is the Founder and Instructor at Joyful Abacus School, where she imparts the art of abacusbased mental math to a diverse audience, spanning from PreK to Grade 8 as well as adults. With a
background in electrical engineering, she holds a graduate degree from Oregon Health Science University. Her academic journey, coupled with a passion for education, led her to transition from the research field to establish Joyful Abacus School LLC in 2022. -
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Ian Farrell and Aiyana Holloway of Washington Business Week
ACTIVITY FOR TEENS AND TWEENS
Dive into a real-world business simulation and compete against other teams as you make decisions in our software, WILE (Washington’s Innovative Learning Environment). The winning team will be announced at the end of the week!Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday will be an opportunity for teams to meet with an Advisor and ask questions. Attendance is optional.
REGISTRATION REQUIRED
** Click here to register before the event. **ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
Washington Business Week is a non-profit organization that holds week long business programs for high school students throughout the summer. The organization’s mission is to provide a dynamic real-world, immersive business experience that builds confidence, sense of purpose, and leadership. With the guidance of a mentor from the business community, students gain a competitive edge in college preparation, workplace readiness, and overall life success. -
Luc Travers of Touching the Art
ACTIVITY FOR KIDS
Join Luc Travers for a taste of a uniquely engaging approach to art appreciation, where you'll "read" artworks in a similar way you might read a story. You'll also get a preview of Luc's upcoming, in-person tour at the Frye Museum of Art in February. This session is open to all ages, from 7 to 17.ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Luc Travers is the author of Touching The Art: A Guide To Enjoying Art at A Museum, and Stories in Paint: 50 Moving Artworks from American Museums. He is also the founder of Literature At Our House which provides interactive online classes in literature and art appreciation for students, 1st–12th grade. You can learn more about his books and his art museum tours at TouchingTheArt.com -
Owen Riggs, SHG Kid
ACTIVITY FOR KIDS
Owen will be hosting a week-long Minecraft build & play (Bedrock Edition). We will collect usernames for all interested players and invite you to play. We will build and design to our hearts' content, from the simple structures and landscapes to the extravagant. On Friday we will open the game up to anyone who would like to come to visit our builds and play. This is a great opportunity to try your hand at building machines, historical structures, fantasy castles, chicken replication houses... the sk-Y 320 is the limit!REGISTRATION REQUIRED
** Click here to register before the event. ** -
Linda Love Gorordo of Love HS to College
TALK FOR PARENTS
Whether you are just thinking, just starting, or already in the thick of it, this workshop will give you the information necessary to homeschool on a path to college entrance. We'll cover year-by-year planning for college entrance, credits, diplomas, curriculum, standardized testing (PSAT, SAT, ACT), hybrid options, Running Start, extra-curriculars and special concerns like unschooling and athletic recruitment.ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Linda Love Gorordo brings real-world knowledge and experience into the educational consulting field. When her children were younger, she wrote a successful $500,000 grant for their elementary school, and was hired as a consultant for a magnet program at the school they attended after moving to Washington state. When her children were 5th, 4th and 1st grades, they began homeschooling. Over the subsequent years, she has gained expertise on various forms of school choice, alternative schooling, hybrid schooling, dual enrollment and how all of those things, along with homeschooling can be combined for a successful high school education and college application. Her older children, now 24 and 22 have graduated from prestigious universities, while her youngest, at 20, is finishing his sophomore year at Carleton College in Minnesota. All have followed a non-traditional educational path to university acceptance.
DAY 5 - FRIDAY 1/19/24
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Jen Alderks, Jeremy McCaw, and Megan Riggs, Homeschooling Parents
PANEL DISCUSSION FOR PARENTS
What is Gameschooling? What are the advantages? Is it right for your family? How do you go about it?ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
Jen Alderks is homeschooling parent to three children and four fur-babies. She is a doula and Bothell City Council Member. Jeremy McCaw is a parent to two homeschooled boys and a Software Development Engineer at Microsoft. Megan Riggs is a parent to three different kids who flourish in different educational environments. She is SHG Events Chair and a WHO Advocacy Volunteer. Twice a year she presents SHG’s Introduction to Homeschooling, the next session of which will be on Saturday, January 20th. -
Mariko Smithashima of TeenTix
RESOURCE FOR TEENS
Learn how TeenTix can unlock the arts and culture scene for you to explore! We'll then experience some art together and practice reflecting, discussing and writing about art!ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
TeenTix exists to break down the barriers that prevent teens from accessing art in our community, such as ticket or admission cost, not knowing where to look for events, navigating transportation around the city, and feeling insecure around arts going if there's no one in their lives already championing the arts. We strive to build a bright future for our region by empowering young people to take an active role in shaping their arts community as audience members, critics, influencers, advocates, patrons, and leaders.Mariko Smithashima (she/her) is the Teen Programs Director at TeenTix. She oversees all youth development programs including the TeenTix Newsroom, the TeenTix Arts Podcast, the New Guard: Teen Arts Leadership Society, M-TAC, a Mentorship Program for Teen Artists of Color, and arts writing residencies in schools. She strives to make the arts world a more inclusive and equitable place, to amplify teen voices in the arts, and empower young people to explore and become arts advocates themselves. Mariko is also a dancer, dance teacher, and dance writer. She has taught ballet at many local studios and performed with a variety of choreographers in the PNW.
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Giselle Fuerte of Code Switch Academy
TALK FOR PARENTS
Exposure to media can negatively impact self-esteem for Black people and white girls and women while, on the other hand, it often improves the self-esteem of white boys and men. Having characters that resemble themselves helps Children of Color develop confidence and healthy self esteem, while playing with toys that depict people of different races promotes compassion and understanding. We'll uncover how to make our environment and homeschool reflective of the true, diverse nature of the world to help children grow into compassionate humans with healthy feelings of self worth.ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Giselle Fuerte is author of the well regarded children's book, The Lying Liar Called Racism: A Love Letter, that was mentioned in Washington City Paper as a tool to aid DC students heal after the January 6th insurrection, and is recommended by Boston Children's Hospital as a tool for discussing racism. Giselle is an AfroLatin immigrant from Panama who juggles working full-time as a curriculum developer, operating Code Switch Academy where she develops Black history curriculum, and homeschooling her young children. She holds a graduate degree in education from the University of Southern California. -
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Ian Farrell and Aiyana Holloway of Washington Business Week
ACTIVITY FOR TEENS AND TWEENS
Dive into a real-world business simulation and compete against other teams as you make decisions in our software, WILE (Washington’s Innovative Learning Environment). The winning team will be announced at the end of the week!REGISTRATION REQUIRED
** Click here to register before the event. **ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
Washington Business Week is a non profit organization that holds week long business programs for high school students throughout the summer. The organization’s mission is to provide a dynamic real-world, immersive business experience that builds confidence, sense of purpose, and leadership. With the guidance of a mentor from the business community, students gain a competitive edge in college preparation, workplace readiness, and overall life success. -
Shelley Mastalerz of Seattle Public Library and Rachel McDonald of King County Library System
RESOURCE FOR PARENTS
The library has secrets—and they're here to spill! Join us to learn about some of the best secret programs and offerings that the library has to offer. Teen Services Coordinators Rachel McDonald and Shelley Mastalerz will reveal the "secrets" of the local libraries to help your child(ren) succeed! Learn about how to find books at your child’s reading and interest level, in-person and online tutoring, recreational and volunteering opportunities and more!ABOUT THE ORGANIZATIONS
The Seattle Public Library system consists of 27 branches around the city of Seattle including the Central Library downtown.The King County Library System consists of 50 branches in the greater metropolitan area, outside of the city of Seattle.
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Owen Riggs, SHG Kid
ACTIVITY FOR KIDS
Owen will be hosting a week-long Minecraft build & play (Bedrock Edition). We will collect usernames for all interested players and invite you to play. We will build and design to our hearts' content, from the simple structures and landscapes to the extravagant. On Friday we will open the game up to anyone who would like to come to visit our builds and play. This is a great opportunity to try your hand at building machines, historical structures, fantasy castles, chicken replication houses... the sk-Y 320 is the limit!REGISTRATION REQUIRED
** Click here to register before the event. ** -
Linda Love Gorordo of Love HS to College
RESOURCE FOR PARENTS
Running Start can be a perfect fit for homeschooled teens, but can seem like a mystery for homeschooling parents to unravel. Linda Love Gorordo will make the Running Start path clear and manageable, helping you access this fantastic program for your homeschoolers.ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Linda Love Gorordo brings real-world knowledge and experience into the educational consulting field. When her children were younger, she wrote a successful $500,000 grant for their elementary school, and was hired as a consultant for a magnet program at the school they attended after moving to Washington state. When her children were 5th, 4th and 1st grades, they began homeschooling. Over the subsequent years, she has gained expertise on various forms of school choice, alternative schooling, hybrid schooling, dual enrollment and how all of those things, along with homeschooling can be combined for a successful high school education and college application. Her older children, now 24 and 22 have graduated from prestigious universities, while her youngest, at 20, is finishing his sophomore year at Carleton College in Minnesota. All have followed a non-traditional educational path to university acceptance.
DAY 6 - SATURDAY 1/20/24
10AM: Introduction to Homeschooling
Megan Riggs, SHG Events Chair and WHO Advocacy Volunteer
TALK FOR PARENTS
New to Homeschooling? Not sure where to start? Join us for an Introduction to Homeschooling.
Topics covered will include
• Washington State Home-Based Instruction (HBI) law
• filing a Declaration of Intent (DOI)
• parent qualifications
• 11 required subjects
• annual testing/assessment
• issuing a homeschool diploma
• advantages of homeschooling
• returning to school after homeschooling
• SHG community and resources
• WHO conference and advocacy
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Megan Riggs is a parent to three different kids who flourish in different educational environments. She is SHG Events Chair and a WHO Advocacy Volunteer. Twice a year she presents SHG’s Introduction to Homeschooling.
REGISTRATION REQUIRED
** Click here to register before the event. **