Sometimes life is messy. It’s more Pinterest-fail than Pinterest-perfect. Get ready for the adventure of high school with a realistic roadmap and explore the rhythms that can anchor your confidence. In her 25+ years of homeschooling, Jo has navigated medical complexity, starting over, prodigals, seasons of uncertainty, proud-mama moments and deep fulfillment. She’ll share the highs and the lows, and everything inbetween… with the hope that you’ll be filled with encouragement for the journey ahead.

Jo is a part of a second generation homeschooling family. As a mama of 6, she has been teaching for over 25 years. Her house is full of boys and noise and she wouldn’t want it any other way. Coming from a family of hockey fans, she serves her community as the convener for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Hockey Division. In her natural habitat, a good cuppa tea and her latest yarn project are never far from hand.

Jaden Cafazzo, a student entering his second year at Redeemer University will cover topics about a homeschooler’s journey toward university, from preparation to work ethic. He will discuss his own journey, such as how the switch from homeschool to university went as well as some suggestions and advice to upcoming university students.

Jaden Cafazzo is a first-year student at Redeemer University. He was homeschooled all the way through his education, including high-school, and will share how his homeschooling has prepared him for his life entering into university. In his free time, Jaden enjoys skateboarding, card magic, and board games.

Prepare your children to navigate a shifting spiritual landscape with confidence, conviction, and Christ-centered character. Discover why this matters for homeschool families today, Understanding the Landscape, Biblical Foundation for Standing Firm, Practical Strategies for Homeschool Families and Commit to teaching courage and conviction at home.

As a veteran homeschool mom, artist and Colson Fellow, Vanessa works alongside her husband Floyd for The Voice of the Martyrs Canada. Much of her work involves speaking at and developing events, educational and special projects, women’s ministry events and developing monthly VOM magazine Table Talk unit studies for families. For the past 26 years she has spoken at conferences and women’s retreats across Canada in this capacity. This ministry aims 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.

Are you struggling to teach elementary-level science and nature study at home? Science doesn’t have to be daunting! In this hands-on workshop, you’ll explore several fun and exciting science experiments and nature projects using everyday items from around the house. Get ready to engage with easy, accessible activities that make learning science enjoyable for both you and your children!

Mary-Ann Meyer is a homeschool mom, business owner (CuriOdyssey Canada), and nature educator. Her heart is to see children learn more about God as they explore science and nature. She designs and runs workshops for summer camps, co-ops, and homeschool groups. Mary-Ann has a B.A. in English, an Ontario Master Naturalist certificate, micro-credentials in Aquatic Ecology, Wildlife Management, and Climate Change and Sustainability, and is currently working through a Children’s Ministry Leadership Certification course.

J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings is more than an epic adventure—it is a story shaped by a deeply Christian vision of the world. Within Middle-earth, Tolkien explores timeless themes of faith, temptation, courage, and sacrifice, while presenting a striking range of leaders: humble servants & power-hungry tyrants, faithful stewards & tragic failures. This workshop invites homeschooling parents to examine how Tolkien portrays leadership through characters such as Aragorn, Frodo, Gandalf, and Denethor. By tracing these examples, participants will learn how to help their children discern the difference between worldly power and Christ-like servant leadership—and how to form young hearts to follow the Way with humility, courage, and hope.

Jeremy is an educator and homeschool dad, serving as a teacher and adjunct professor of history, classical studies, and English literature at several institutions, including Redeemer University, Heritage College & Seminary, and Hillfield Strathallan College. He is the author of three books: J.R.R. Tolkien: Christian Maker of Middle-Earth (biography, 2023), Undiminished Returns: Poems of a Christian Life (poetry, 2020), and All Things New: Essays on Christianity, Culture & the Arts (a series of essays on art and faith, 2018). He and his wife, Laurie, have homeschooled their four children for over twenty years.

This workshop equips parents with ways to support their child’s development within the home school environment. With home school, we can customize our child’s education to focus on strengths, build up confidence in areas of weakness, and explore and nurture talents. With encouragement and practical ideas, Alli hopes to share resources to help you begin and support you in your home school.

Alli Hunt is a coffee loving, imperfect homeschooling Mom of four (two with identified needs) who navigates a “beautifully hectic” life by relying on God’s grace. She actively advocates for her children’s needs, and desires to encourage and build confidence in other families on this journey.

Have you been home schooling for just a short time or have you been walking this journey for a while? Do you ever get weary and wonder how you can keep going? Join Louise as she shares some insights on homeschooling for the long haul. Louise will share lessons and tips she learned during 20 years of homeschooling her four children and through many years of helping homeschool families find their way in the journey. Find out why there is no win in comparison, how to keep commitments from overtaking your life, and so much more. Come and let your heart and soul be encouraged.

Louise and her husband Harold reside in scenic Goderich, Ontario. In 1994 they founded The Learning House, a homeschool supply company. They home educated their four children from preschool through high school. Three of their children had learning struggles. Since the sale of the company in 2020, to Mark and Cori Dean, Louise has continued working with The Learning House. She counts it a privilege to minister to homeschooling families through curriculum counseling, speaking and encouragement on a one-to-one basis.

The Bible is the true record of human history. But did we all come from Adam? Does the evidence from genetics and archaeology support a real, historical Adam? Can we trust what the Bible says about our ancestry?

Henry was born in Taiwan and grew up an atheist and evolutionist. After moving to Costa Rica at the age of 12 and then to Toronto at the age of 15, he heard the gospel. As his many doubts and questions were answered one by one, the truth dawned on him- there is a God, and He is the God of the Bible. Contrary to other worldviews, Christianity is based on solid scientific, historical, and archaeological evidence. Henry graduated from the University of Toronto Medical School and works as a family doctor. He regularly preaches and teaches apologetics topics at churches, fellowships, schools, and conferences.

What do we do when one or more of our children are considered “outside of the box”? Perhaps your child(ren) has been diagnosed with a serious challenge or learning difficulty. Perhaps your homeschool is tougher because your home is affected by the ramifications of trying to schedule appointments, therapies, and/or navigate ongoing challenging behaviour. You may feel judged, overwhelmed and oftentimes, quite alone in your journey….Whether your child has been diagnosed formally or not, you are wanting to know that there’s hope. Through sharing stories, scriptures, & practical resources, from my special needs parenting and homeschooling journey, I will share how God carries us through each season and that He is faithful through it all- the highs, the lows, & the in-between.

Rachael is a mother of 7 precious children and now a grandmother to 3. She has been married to Jeff for over 20 years. Greatly motivated by a love for teaching children about Jesus and the Word, she serves as a leader and teacher in her church children’s ministry team. Part-time, she is a Forest School teacher. Rachael has a passion for prayer that grew while walking through numerous challenging life circumstances over the past few years, including the diagnosis of various special needs in several of her children, marital challenges, a traumatic joint injury, and seasons of battling severe depression. She remains thankful for God’s continual faithfulness and care.

In this seminar we will look at ways to enrich the basics that you are studying in your math curriculum so that your family can move beyond the theoretical study of a pure science into the realm of everyday life through practical application. Enhancing teaching through the use of games, literature, activities and manipulatives as well as through unit studies, and various subjects, such as science and art, are just starters to helping your family enjoy their math studies.

Cori Dean is an author, speaker, and owner of The Learning House and Maple Tree Publications as well as an NILD Educational Therapist. With over 20 years of homeschool experience, she has traveled the country bringing support and encouragement to thousands of homeschoolers. Having graduated three daughters, she and her husband Mark continue to learn alongside their youngest at home and in the learning nook at their store in Bradford, Ontario. She believes there’s nothing better than a good book, some dark chocolate, and a cup of tea.