Schedule

GODLINESS (MAIN FLOOR)

It’s easier to boycott bad movies/books/products than to create good ones. How is your family engaging culture, media and business? From the book, “Roaring Lambs”, by Bob Briner, this talk will give you ideas on how your family can create and build culture instead of complain and boycott against it.

Jason Weening has been married to Alli for almost 20 years. They have nine great kids and one they’re not sure about who they’ll meet in April. Jason spent 10 years in agricultural manufacturing, four years working at their church and is now a self-employed content creator at heydads.ca .

RIGHTEOUSNESS (2nd FLOOR - South)

Children are under attack. Satan is messing with children’s identities. Children need to hear the hope of Jesus and find their identity in Christ. And the sooner the better.

As Homeschool parents you know the greatest, most rewarding impact you can have in this world, is on your very own children. As our children hear what we say and see what we do, they watch, learn, and become. As Paul says, “Follow me, even as I follow Christ.”

A summer mission trip to a local bible camp is one way you can impact your own kids, while bringing the hope of the gospel and an identity rooted in Christ to children, many of whom have never heard that Jesus loves them.

For this reason, we at One Hope Canada are looking for mature believers and/or their teenage & young adult children who are growing in their faith, to apply as summer missionaries for a week, or two, or longer at a One Hope Canada Bible Camp.

After graduating from Ontario Bible College with a bachelor of theology in pastoral ministry, Stephen spent 13 years in business, 10 years as a lead solo pastor, ordained with the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches, and 5 years as a director with Focus on the Family Canada. Stephen is entering his 10th year with One Hope Canada. Stephen and Beverly, have 4 adult children and 7 grandchildren. When not traveling to ministry points, Stephen pastors a house church. Stephen and Bev enjoy being empty nesters but are blessed with frequent visits by their children and grandchildren.

FAITH (2nd FLOOR - North)

This session led by Board chair of HSLDA Canada and MACHS Legislative Liaison will review the homeschool legal situation in Manitoba and across Canada. There will be opportunities for you to get answers to your homeschool legal questions and concerns.

Laura Martens is a lawyer and a homeschool mom. She started working with HSLDA in 2023 and feels privileged to have the opportunity to assist homeschool families. Laura and her husband, Christoph have three children and enjoy country living, gardening and camping.

Gerald Huebner, veteran parents of two home educated children, and now grandparents of four home educated grandchildren, from Arborg, Manitoba, Canada. Gerald and Bev have served in home education leadership for 35 plus years at the provincial and national level in Canada and Gerald is the board chair of the Home School Legal Defense Association of Canada (HSLDA) and the Canadian Centre for Home Education as well as MACHS. Gerald and Bev serve to advance parental educational choice broadly and the human right to choose home education internationally as chair of the Global Home Education Exchange Council board. Gerald has extensive experience having worked for over 37 years in senior management in the Government of Manitoba. Although Gerald & Bev started homeschooling with the plan to do it for only one year, they went on to experience the joys and challenges of teaching their two children all the way to high school graduation. All of this life, work, and home experience gave them the credibility to also become involved in homeschool leadership at the local, provincial, national and global level. Gerald and Bev has spoken on home education in ten provinces and more than 30 countries, and have been a great encouragement to many.

ENDURANCE (3rd FLOOR)

This session reveals what the 3 main types of dyslexia are like, how to identify whether a student has it, or not, how to seek testing, and how amendments to the mood, setting, and theme during homeschool teaching can raise motivation in children and teens who want to grow in their ability to grasp all-subject learning without stress.

Bonnie is a Reading Specialist of 33 year’s experience, and former nurse. She works in the Fraser Valley, B.C., to offer diagnostic and rehabilitative assistance to all types of dyslexic (or reading lag) students. To date, she has rehabilitated 370 students in-office across three provinces and moved 18 times to accommodate pockets of dyslexic students where no rehabilitative programs existed. She developed curriculum for two different reading programs, one of which is now used in schools and by trained Certified Reading Practitioners in a course she wrote for them. Her ADRA-funded “train the trainer,” project has resulted in many teachers and para-professionals at work in their own businesses or ministries in North America to alleviate the profound reading struggles of 20% of the population as a result of the seven different kinds of dyslexia.

GODLINESS (MAIN FLOOR)

Lee Strobel commissioned a national survey asking people what question they’d ask if they could only ask God one thing. The Number One response was: “Why is there suffering in the world?”

In fact, it is this very question that causes many to conclude that God must not exist, for if He did; suffering, pain, and evil wouldn’t. Right? The question is: Is it worth it to follow Jesus, or do we click unsubscribe? What if we could prepare our children to think Biblically before they’re presented with the questions that challenge the faith? This session puts some tools in your parental and educational toolbox to help prevent “Unsubscribing.”

Vanessa, a veteran homeschool mom & artist, works developing events and special projects alongside her husband Floyd (CEO) for a ministry called The Voice of the Martyrs. For the past 23 years she has spoken at conferences & women’s retreats across Canada in this capacity. This ministry purposes to create an awareness of the persecution leveled against Christians around the world, while actively providing tools to mentor the Body of Christ both domestically and internationally to grow through adversity.

RIGHTEOUSNESS (2nd FLOOR - South)

Many parents want to provide their children with the tools they need to succeed financially, but how do we teach financial wisdom effectively? In this session, discover the five uses of money and five biblical principles that can be practically applied in everyday living. Learn the importance of good stewardship and how to view money and possessions with an eternal perspective. Join us to prepare your children for a secure future.

Lorne has more than 35 years of progressive experience which includes pastoral ministry and serving clients as a financial advisor. Lorne presently serves as the National Director for Kingdom Advisors in Canada (a network of Christian financial professionals providing advice based on Biblical financial principles) and Executive Director - Canada for Compass - finances God's Way. His qualifications include a Bachelor of Theology, CFP® (Certified Financial Planner), CLU (Chartered Life Underwriter), and CKA® (Certified Kingdom Advisor). This equips him to communicate stewardship more effectively. His passion is to help people find a deeper purpose in their financial dealings and contentment with their lifestyle.

FAITH (2nd FLOOR - North)

Do you feel that having your homeschool graduate gain admittance into university is a monumental task - even bordering on the unattainable? These moms are here to encourage you in that, if they could do it, you can too! Listen as they tell you their stories of success in getting their graduates into university.

Panelists: Larissa MacDonald, Deanna Momtchilov, Tim Lock, Heidi Abott

Moderator: Laura Martens, from HSLDA, will be moderating this session; she will be able to answer any legal questions regarding this whole process.

Laura Martens is a lawyer and a homeschool mom. She started working with HSLDA in 2023 and feels privileged to have the opportunity to assist homeschool families. Laura and her husband, Christoph have three children and enjoy country living, gardening and camping.

ENDURANCE (3rd FLOOR)

The elements of comprehension learned through the right side of the brain for focus and memory are studied in this session. The pictorial representation of facts and figures can become second-nature to you as a homeschool teacher. You will become adept at synthesizing textbook information so that main ideas and facts are retained for long-term memory. This method works for students who may have dyslexia or ADHD.

Bonnie is a Reading Specialist of 33 year’s experience, and former nurse. She works in the Fraser Valley, B.C., to offer diagnostic and rehabilitative assistance to all types of dyslexic (or reading lag) students. To date, she has rehabilitated 370 students in-office across three provinces and moved 18 times to accommodate pockets of dyslexic students where no rehabilitative programs existed. She developed curriculum for two different reading programs, one of which is now used in schools and by trained Certified Reading Practitioners in a course she wrote for them. Her ADRA-funded “train the trainer,” project has resulted in many teachers and para-professionals at work in their own businesses or ministries in North America to alleviate the profound reading struggles of 20% of the population as a result of the seven different kinds of dyslexia.

GODLINESS (MAIN FLOOR)

If there is one subject that most homeschooling parents feel inadequate at teaching, it is science. Most parents don’t know how science should be covered throughout a student’s schooling, and many don’t think they know science well enough to teach it. In this seminar, Dr. Wile gives you an overview of how to teach science at home from the earliest years through high school. He stresses the differences between elementary and high school science and how to use the middle school years to bridge the two. He also surveys the curricula available to homeschooling parents and makes recommendations.

Dr. Wile holds an earned Ph.D. in nuclear chemistry and a B.S. in chemistry, both from the University of Rochester. He has won several awards for excellence in teaching and is an internationally-known speaker, having presented lectures on the topics of Nuclear Chemistry, Christian Apologetics, Homeschooling, and Creation vs. Evolution in several different countries.
He is best known for his award-winning K-12 science textbooks designed specifically for the home school, which have been translated into Korean, Chinese, and Afrikaans. Dr. Wile and his wife of more than 35 years, Kathleen, homeschooled their daughter, Dawn, from the time they adopted her until she graduated high school. Dawn is a Butler University graduate and owns a specialty shipping company (Paws Logistics) with her husband, James. You can learn about Dr. Wile’s curriculum at http://www.bereanbuilders.com.

RIGHTEOUSNESS (2nd FLOOR - South)

Co-Ops have the amazing potential to enhance your homeschooling experience. They add variety, connection, convenience, and fun! This class will teach you everything you need to know about co-ops and how to choose the right one for your family. Curious about whether or not you can start a co-op of your own? We’ll end with a helpful discussion and break down of what that entails.

Heather is a first generation homeschool mom of five with more then ten years experience educating her children from kindergarten through high school. She serves as the MACHS Winnipeg Regional Representative and is the creator and author of the Winnipeg Homeschool Events Newsletter. She is passionate about community and bringing homeschoolers together. Heather loves people, when she’s not home educating her children she’s likely planning some event, at her church, or running a class at a co-op.

FAITH (2nd FLOOR - North)

Do you have a hands-on learner who likes to apply knowledge to the practical, every-day world? You may have a trades-learner on your hands? This panel (which includes a Red River graduate and his mom, among others) will shed some light on how homeschool graduates have been successful in entering the wonderful world of trade schools!

Panelists: Vera Louden, Erika Riley, Heather Teichrib, Brandon Louden

Moderator: Brandon Louden

ENDURANCE (3rd FLOOR)

Let’s be honest, dads. In most of our homes, moms do most of the teaching around the kitchen table or on the living room floor. But dads are part of the team too! Come get some ideas on how you can support and encourage your wife.

Jason Weening has been married to Alli for almost 20 years. They have nine great kids and one they’re not sure about who they’ll meet in April. Jason spent 10 years in agricultural manufacturing, four years working at their church and is now a self-employed content creator at heydads.ca .

GODLINESS (MAIN FLOOR)

Homeschooling parents are often faced with a difficult decision when their children reach high school age. Typically, the parents feel they are just not able to teach the more demanding courses that are required at the high school level. As a result, many parents feel that they must send their children to school for a proper high school education. In this seminar, Dr. Jay L. Wile, a former teacher at both the university and high school levels, will explain why such a decision is not in the best interest of the student.

Using data gathered from many different sources, including his own experiences, Dr. Wile demonstrates that homeschooled students are better academically prepared and better socialized than their publicly- or privately-schooled counterparts. These facts allow Dr. Wile to make a compelling case that the best thing for a homeschooled student is to stay in
homeschool, regardless of the parent’s academic abilities.

Dr. Wile holds an earned Ph.D. in nuclear chemistry and a B.S. in chemistry, both from the University of Rochester. He has won several awards for excellence in teaching and is an internationally-known speaker, having presented lectures on the topics of Nuclear Chemistry, Christian Apologetics, Homeschooling, and Creation vs. Evolution in several different countries.
He is best known for his award-winning K-12 science textbooks designed specifically for the home school, which have been translated into Korean, Chinese, and Afrikaans. Dr. Wile and his wife of more than 35 years, Kathleen, homeschooled their daughter, Dawn, from the time they adopted her until she graduated high school. Dawn is a Butler University graduate and owns a specialty shipping company (Paws Logistics) with her husband, James. You can learn about Dr. Wile’s curriculum at http://www.bereanbuilders.com.

RIGHTEOUSNESS (2nd FLOOR - South)

Choosing curriculum doesn’t start with the right books but with acknowledging your family’s uniqueness. Until you know what you are working towards how can you choose the right tools? When you are ready to assemble your tool kit, you will need both standard tools that are similar to everyone else’s (language arts and math) and those that meet the needs of your particular situation. (Gaelic anyone?) There is no magic bullet for getting homeschool right but there is a way to optimize the plan for your family. This workshop will be full of both big picture planning and ground level preparation tools for getting the right resources to serve you as you travel along on your homeschooling journey.

Cori Dean is a wife, a mom, a teacher, a writer and publisher, and book addict. She and her husband, Mark, have graduated three students from their exclusive all-girls school and have one teenager left at home. Cori enjoys speaking to homeschoolers coast to coast and is the author or editor of several publications including, Working Together: Teamwork Starts at Home Base. The Deans live in Bradford, Ontario where they own and run The Learning House, Canada’s premier homeschool resource provider and publishing house. They are also in full-time ministry with The Shop Vehicle Donation Program, a program of Youth for Christ. Cori loves long days of bicycling as well as camping and boating with the family or mucking in the garden and thinks there’s nothing better than a good book, some dark chocolate, and a cup of tea.

FAITH (2nd FLOOR - North)

With pornography access and screen use at an all-time high how can we lead our sons on a pathway towards strong marriages, families and personal lives? Learn how to successfully navigate this topic and cast a vision for purity to help our sons live strong, healthy lives.

Jason Weening has been married to Alli for almost 20 years. They have nine great kids and one they’re not sure about who they’ll meet in April. Jason spent 10 years in agricultural manufacturing, four years working at their church and is now a self-employed content creator at heydads.ca .

ENDURANCE (3rd FLOOR)

You might be asking- Can I do this? Where do I start? This session will provide encouragement and practical advice for the key challenges often confronting new homeschoolers, including: How do I notify the government? What curriculum do I use? How do I keep records? ....and much more!

Stacy Fraser is a homeschooling mom to four school aged children, one preschooler and three homeschool grads. After having her three oldest children in public and private Christian schools while teaching in public high schools, she and her husband made the decision in 2009 to pull the kids out and have been homeschooling ever since. She brings a unique perspective to the choices parents face of where, how, and why our children should be educated. She is passionate about helping parents to see the eternal implications of their investment in their children’s lives and educations.

GODLINESS (MAIN FLOOR)

This session is for parents who want to equip their children to live godly lives in Christ Jesus despite strong reactions of the world toward Christians. Increasingly the general public is portraying the Church as the oppressor of individual freedom opening her up to persecution in all it’s forms: ridicule, harassment, discrimination, defamation, attack, detainment, torture and martyrdom. However, understanding of God’s purpose in and through persecution has alluded many Christ-followers and has caused confusion within the body of Christ.

This session does not promote a doormat Christianity but rather asserts quite the opposite - a victorious, resilient faith that not only survives but thrives as it encounters the very gates of hell. Points of learning will include strategies to best prepare your kids to resist secular attacks on their faith.

Vanessa Brobbel, a veteran homeschool mom & artist, works developing events and special projects alongside her husband Floyd (CEO) for a ministry called The Voice of the Martyrs. For the past 23 years she has spoken at conferences & women’s retreats across Canada in this capacity. This ministry purposes to create an awareness of the persecution leveled against Christians around the world, while actively providing tools to mentor the Body of Christ both domestically and internationally to grow through adversity.

RIGHTEOUSNESS (2nd FLOOR - South)

We will look at the basics of a Classical education. Determine our Why and see what this can look like in the current world.

Dawna Ferguson has a passion for helping parents “go the distance” in home educating their children. Dawna and Dan have graduated 4 with three more daughters still at home. Working hard and having fun! Dawna is the Country Coordinator for Classical Conversations, overseeing the leaders and communities in Canada. They believe this model helps parents prepare their children to stand firm in the Lord and enter the world as a light for Christ when they leave home as adults. Time is spent between caring for children, grandchildren. Dawna and her family currently live outside Calgary, Alberta.

FAITH (2nd FLOOR - North)

Come hear from the heart of a mom & daughter duo on the joys and challenges of motherhood and homemaking and learn how to pass a vision on to the next generation.

Vera Louden, married to her highschool sweetheart, Jim, for over 30 years. She is a mother to 7 sons and 7 daughters whom they have homeschooled since the beginning. Vera enjoys homemaking, photography and gardening and more recently her title as 'Grandma' to four little ones. She has a heart for mentorship & desires to pass on a vision for homemaking and motherhood.

Rachelle Lawrenson is the oldest daughter of Vera Louden, and the first of 14 children. She lives with her husband Mercer and their two children in Letellier, MB. They enjoy raising their little ones, gardening, and film making. A current film making project that Mercer and Rachelle have on the go is a docu-series called "How Do They Homeschool", following the stories of homeschool families. Rachelle loves being a mother and homemaker and is excited to start homeschooling her own children.

ENDURANCE (3rd FLOOR)

As a teacher, it’s so easy to give the answer, isn’t it? Oh, that’s right... you don’t do that. How long do you allow a child to think before you start helping them?  Sometimes we need to be quiet and let them wrestle with the problem to discover the answer.

Did you know that children will learn better and remember things longer when they discover the solution? The goal is to provide a way for them to learn how to solve problems. How might you go about doing this?

Come to this workshop and find out how to help your child think their way through math.

Leana Kratko and her husband have been homeschooling there children throughout their lives. She is passionate about math, and has been so fortunate to have the opportunity to pass this love for it to her children. They are learning the beauty of it and are now seeing how it relates to everything in life. It is a joy to experience, and knowing she is giving this to her children makes her confident in their futures. Leana likes the opportunity to share her experiences and to encourage those homeschool parents beginning their journey and to help those who are already engaged to finish their educational experience in an uplifting way. Leana and her family live in Calgary, Alberta Canada. When she’s not teaching her girls she can be found outside somewhere shooting archery, camping, gardening, snowshoeing... whatever the weather allows.

GODLINESS (MAIN FLOOR)

Christ loved the church even to death so that he might present the church to himself as his blood-bought bride in all holiness and without blemish (Eph. 5:25-27). What does this have to do with Christian parenting? Everything. Christian parenting is about joining Christ on his mission to build up his body, the church, so that she might become the glorious bride for which he died. Building on the foundation of God’s purposes in Christ, this session will explore what this all means for Christ’s call to raise our children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Mark Reimer serves as a pastor of Grace Life Church. He and his wife Lindsay also home disciple their four children in Beausejour, MB.

RIGHTEOUSNESS (2nd FLOOR - South)

Have you been surprised about the big emotions that explode (or seep) out of your preteen and teen when it's time to write paragraphs and essays? Writing is so much more than writing! 

There is hope! Discover what is going on inside their hearts and minds and how overcoming these battles will allow them to be skilled writers and confident and self-motivated in every area of their lives. 

Remember, Writing is so much more than writing!

Theresa Peters is a mom, prior homeschooler (11 yrs experience), lover of words, The Word, and books!  - "Professionally, I am the mentor behind Discern To Learn and I tutor and teach virtual writing and language arts classes for gr. 5-12. In my "spare time," I edit for a magazine, and try to read all the books I teach! Most of all, I believe that words matter! Words Change the World! Writing and critical language thinking skills are vital for success -not just academically, but in every area of our lives. I love to mentor students: to learn about them and help them achieve their language arts dreams! I want to Support Your Big Dreams!"

FAITH (2nd FLOOR - North)

Don't dread writing a transcript! This is a time to enjoy a walk down memory lane! We hope to encourage and empower parents and students to enjoy the journey of reflecting on their homeschool journey while they prepare a transcript. Come see what we did and how we involved our children in the process.

Phil & Tricia Guse have homeschooled their children, K-12. It was full of adventure - with just a few tears! Learning and growing together was the highlight of our homeschooling journey.

ENDURANCE (3rd FLOOR)

Join me on a journey where we will practically work through a few outstanding books showing how they can be used effectively to teach multiple subjects to multiple ages at the same time in a fun and informative manner involving little to no lesson planning. Research shows that reading aloud to your children is the single best educational activity that you employ in your family.

Linda Karn and her husband home educated their children from birth through to adulthood and they all went on to university or college. Our teaching style was a much more relaxed unschooling environment as we realized that learning in children soars when it is interest based. Reading great books was the mainstay of our educational program. The public library was our favourite place to visit in our city. Linda's oldest child had checked out over 3,000 items and ended up being hired by the library in her mid teens. Linda volunteers as the librarian in her church. She loves children and loves education. She wants all children to have the best possible education which is why she has recently started the West Winnipeg Homeschool Co-op to support and encourage homeschool families and why she ran in the 2022 Manitoba municipal elections and is now a Public School Trustee in Pembina Trails School Division.