Homeschoolers have joined together for yoga classes, singing, gardening, science classes, writing workshops, toothpaste making at Tom's of Maine, sewing, playtime at Children's Museum of Maine, field trips and lots of other exciting events that members have organized over the years.

It grew out of a desire, primarily on my children's part, for more activities and consistent group events with a variety of homeschoolers. The workshops are hosted by people in the group and community who are eager to share their hobby/subject area with others. Teacher certification is not required and workshops are "enrichment" oriented (no grades, etc).

A Gathering Place itself is a participatory and activity oriented resource. It’s about working together and tapping into our rich community of resources and creating opportunities for our children.

If you have an idea for a workshop, know of an opportunity other homeschool families may be interested in, want to offer a class or host a field trip, send it in and we can post it in the next newsletter. Presenters may place a limit on numbers and/or ages depending on the workshop and content. Please list any cost and contact info also.

A Gathering Place newsletter is sent out during the first week of January, September and May with dated updates in between. This network is member-driven and members need to agree upon joining the group (to remain active on list) to either:

• a.) plan an event during the Sept.-June time period to post to the group. or
• b.) Attend an event offered through the group in the Sept._June time period or
• c.)Help out at a planned event during the Sept.-June time period.

For more information, contact Beth Callahan.

Looking forward to sharing the adventure! This is a home school support group.

While many of us here are Christians, it is not an exclusive group to that faith. However, since the majority of the members are Christians, our faith will be openly discussed so if that's not you, you may wish to find a different group.

We do not have an actual set meeting time. This group is mainly designed to share information with other members, facilitate field trip planning, and to help support each other online.

We are a group of homeschoolers who are interested in this lifestyle for some of the following reasons: preserving childhood, academic excellence, open-minded curriculum, simple and natural living, freedom from groupthought, etc. Most of us have not chosen this lifestyle in order to teach a specific religious curriculum. We are open to all faiths and are considerate of our religious differences.

It is our hope that this group will meet at least twice a month to participate in various learning and discovery experiences. All ages are welcome.

This area of Maine offers a great bounty of opportunites for kids to learn, discover and grow. For example: The Maine Discovery Museum, The University Planitarium, various welcoming farms and orchards, playhouse theatres, Penobscot Nation community, The University of Maine, Bangor Public Library (as well as other great libraries), Penobscot Marine Museum, various cultural experiences, (i.e. Folk Festival, Maine Center for the Arts), Fort Knox, the Coast, various hiking trails, etc...etc...

Please join us so that we can create a nurturing, natural-living, open-minded, culturally & spiritually diverse community for our children and families to flourish in! And together, we will explore all the treasures this area of Maine has to offer.

Do you live in the Eastern region of the United States? You are invited to join our online homeschool support group. We invite all parents who want to help their children succeed in school and in life, veteran home educators looking for a fresh start, new family educators searching for help and ideas, and parents just thinking about home education to join us.

Our goal is to support them in their endeavor as well as disseminate information. We welcome anyone not included in another group. Our states include: Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, Michigan. ME MA RI DE CN NH VT OH MI MD NY NJ PA

Free2Learn serves as a virtual "bulletin board" where members can post homeschooling activities, classes, workshops, seminars, conferences, field trips, extra-curricular activities, and gatherings. It is "event-driven," which means that it is not a place for discussions about different homeschooling philosophies, challenges, or concerns, but rather a place to post and find homeschooling resources and opportunities.

Free2Learn is secular and welcomes homeschooling families of varying compositions and backgrounds. Free2Learn is also apolitical. While it is fine to post an opportunity for homeschoolers which is related to politics (i.e., "Candidate X is seeking volunteers to help leaflet and put up signs. Call or email if you are interested in being involved."), it is not okay to espouse or endorse a particular political view or candidate.

Messages containing political opinions or defamatory language of any sort will be deleted, and members who post such messages may be removed from the group.

This group is intended to help you gain the confidence that you want and need, this group is also intended to make each other aware of upcoming activities. So post away! Ask questions, give comments, lend a hand, give praise, and remember that there just might be someone reading your post that needs that one person to offer support in their life today!

HOME is funded by annual conventions, subscriptions to our newsletter, Founding Family supporters, various fundraisers, etc. We depend upon the generosity of individual homeschooling families to finance the ministry of HOME. Our counseling and most other outreaches are free to all homeschoolers.

HOME holds an annual convention each spring. These conventions have grown larger each year. The 2011 convention drew nearly 800 attendees! Our three day conventions include nationally known speakers, workshops, homeschool vendors, a used curriculum clearance sale, and most importantly, the meeting of like minds!

Visit our Homeschoolers of Maine Facebook Page.