LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

The Leadership Conference is designed to help equip those interested in leadership of private home education groups. We hope you can join us!
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CHEA’s 37th Annual Homeschool Leadership Conference

May 19, 2022

Sheraton Park Hotel at the Anaheim Resort
1855 South Harbor Boulevard Anaheim, California 92802

Equipped to Lead

“May he equip you with all you need for doing his will…”

Hebrews 13:21a (NLT )

Sponsored by BJU Press Homeschool

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

8:00 a.m. Registration
8:30 – 9:45 a.m.

Opening Session

  • Town Hall Meeting
10:00 – 10:45 a.m.

Workshop Session #1

  • Marketing Your Group through Email
  • Supporting the Reluctant Homeschooler
  • Homeschool Influencers
11:00 – 11:45 a.m.

Workshop Session #2

  • Legal and Legislative Update
12:00 – 1:45 p.m.

Luncheon

  • Keynote: Leading Through Change in Times of Uncertainty
2:00 – 2:45 p.m.

Workshop Session #3

  • The Power of Motivation
  • Marketing Your Group Through Social Media
  • Dealing with Differences
3:00 – 3:40 p.m.

Closing Session

  • The Results are In! California Specific Homeschool Research

WHERE TO STAY

Sheraton Park Hotel at the Anaheim Resort
1855 South Harbor Boulevard Anaheim, California 92802

There is a discounted parking rate of $12 from $22 for attendees staying on property.

Meet Our Speakers

Dr. Lisa Dunne

Dr. Lisa Dunne

Dr. Dunne is a lifelong homeschooler, author, and president of Chula Vista Christian University. As a GenZ expert, she helps pastors launch homeschool support centers to rescue their congregations from public schools. She is the author of The Multigenerational Marketplace, The Science of Social Influence, Relating through the Lifespan and Outsourced: Why America’s Kids Need an Education Revolution. Her podcast is The Communication Architect, and her radio show MindsetMatters airs weekly on KPraise Radio. She has been married 30 years and has two exemplary homeschool grads who are her true résumé.

Rebecca Kocsis

Rebecca Kocsis

Rebecca Kocsis and her husband homeschooled all five of their children, graduating their youngest in 2006. They are now the proud grandparents of an ever-growing tribe of energetic boys and girls (12 to date). Rebecca served for 15 years as a PSP administrator and for several years on CHEA’s Regional Advisory Board. Today she is still passionate about private home education and helping families homeschool. In addition to serving on CHEA’s board of directors she also serves as General Manager. She is the author of the devotional booklet Let Not Your Feathers Be Ruffled.

John McGowan

John McGowan

John is an attorney with a litigation practice in Los Angeles and is also an allied attorney with Alliance Defending Freedom, the world’s largest legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom and parental rights. He and his wife, Juleene, are homeschooling their two boys, ages 14 and 15. Juleene, likewise, was homeschooled from a young age and became a Registered Nurse after graduating from Biola University. John is especially passionate about CHEA’s mission to protect the God-given right of parents to direct the education and training of their children.  

Tauna Meyer

Tauna Meyer

Tauna Meyer is the founder of ProverbialHomemaker.com and author of the curriculum Sound Words for Kids: Lessons in Theology. Tauna, a homeschooling mom of six, has a passion for helping moms overcome the hurdles that keep them from homeschooling successfully, all while pointing themselves and their children to Christ. She and her husband, Aaron, are board members with OCEANetwork, the Oregon Christian homeschool organization that works to protect and expand homeschool freedoms in Oregon.

Nathan Pierce

Nathan Pierce

Nathan began working at Family Protection Ministries (FPM) in 2002 to protect private homeschooling in California. He was homeschooled himself from kindergarten through high school and received a B.A. in Political Studies from The Master’s College. Currently he serves as Executive Director and Legislative Liaison for FPM. He works behind the scenes at the State Capitol, meeting with legislators to advocate on behalf of homeschoolers. He and his wife Betsy are actively involved in their church and homeschool their own 8 children.

Michaela Roekle

Michaela Roekle

Michaela is a homeschool graduate and has been homeschooling her own children for the past 14 years. Nine years ago, Michaela and her husband Brad founded a nonprofit homeschool organization called Grace and Glory Academy in Southern California, and together they serve as CHEA’s Inland Empire Representatives. When their family is not out adventuring, Michaela enjoys sharing at conferences, teaching workshops, filming YouTube videos and is in the process of writing homeschool eCourses.

Roger & Jan Smith

Roger & Jan Smith

The Smiths hail from Louisiana where Roger is a medical doctor, and Jan manages their horse farm and businesses. All four of their adult children were homeschooled until the college years. They continue to serve in their church as mentors and teachers, as well as serving on the board of their state homeschool organization, and the board of the National Alliance of Christian Home Education Leaders. Dr. Smith has a weekly video blog on parenting (@Parenting Matters Now).

Workshops

WORKSHOP SESSION #1

Marketing Your Group Through Email
Tauna Meyer
One of the most neglected but powerful tools in marketing is the email list. Email can be used to expand your reach, nurture relationships with your email audience, and increase engagement. In the marketing world, it is often said that email is king. Find out how to use email marketing to grow and strengthen your group this year.

Supporting Today’s Reluctant Homeschooler
Dr. Lisa Dunne
The new breed of 2020 homeschoolers did not grow up dreaming of educating their children at home. Instead, they were content to drop off junior at the local school—until that moment when their eyes were opened and they suddenly saw the true colors emanating from their neighborhood public school. These new homeschoolers hopped courageously into the driver’s seat for three key reasons, but they still feel reluctant, disconnected, and unqualified. How can we as leaders use this unique moment in history to help these newbies not just survive but thrive?

Homeschool Influencers: How to Recognize and Utilize Them Today
Michaela Roekle
Influencers on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and your favorite Podcast platform can both help and challenge you as a leader. If you want to stay one step ahead of the young homeschool mommas who follow the latest trends, this workshop can help! You will walk away with some background knowledge and understanding of social media influencing, as well as a practical list of influencers you can use and share.

WORKSHOP SESSION #2

Legislative/Legal Update
Nathan Pierce with John McGowan

Fresh from the battlefront, Nathan will update you on major current legislative battles threatening our private home education and parental rights!  You will learn how God has been working “behind the lines” through FPM this year at the State Capitol and see the necessity of maintaining vigilance for battles that are on the horizon.  As time permits, this perspective will broaden to the underlying worldviews and trends of our culture’s war against the God-ordained family.

LUNCHEON KEYNOTE

Leading Through Change in Times of Uncertainty
Dr. Roger & Jan Smith
New or uncertain situations can cause the paralysis of an organization or reactionary decisions. So leaders must increase the frequency and clarity of communication to establish strength and stability. Never underestimate the value of your team members. We will discuss dealing effectively with different people’s responses to change, working through the idea of who gets the credit (and deciding if that is important), emphasizing courage and vision, and communicating the power of hope.

WORKSHOP SESSION #3

The Power of Motivation
Dr. Roger & Jan Smith
Leaders must create a motivational environment.  There are common reasons why people are unmotivated, but effective leaders can take steps to overcome these reasons in order to move their people to a place of making a difference. While many of these steps are simple, they are key to the success of any organization. We will discuss the importance of mission, training, vision, and attitude; the power of appreciation, celebration, and recognition/reward; and the value of relationship.

Marketing Your Group Through Social Media
Tauna Meyer
With so many homeschool moms on social media these days, we cannot ignore it as an opportunity to reach more families. Learn some tips and ideas for making the most of social media without getting burned out. We’ll discuss ways to maximize social media with little or no budget, which platforms to focus on, simple tools to make it easier, and more.

Dealing with Differences: Three Tools for Turning Contention to Camaraderie
Dr. Lisa Dunne
Homeschooling can bring out the strengths (as well as magnify the weaknesses) in all of us. Having trouble understanding your spouse? Your child? Your homeschool group leaders? Join Dr. Lisa Dunne for an interactive journey through the realm of differences, and discover three tools for turning contention into camaraderie in your home, your church, and your extended realm of influence. Discover your core strengths and create a plan for increasing your understanding of the unique personalities God has given you to steward.

CLOSING SESSION

Breaking News! The Results Are In! California Homeschool Research
Rebecca Kocsis & Nathan Pierce
How do California homeschoolers measure up? We’ve been working on this standardized testing and research initiative for more than a year. Be the first to hear the outcome of this groundbreaking project.

Conference Rates

Regular Rate CHEA Members
Individual
(includes luncheon)
$87 $77
Married Couple
(includes luncheon)
$160 $130
Exhibit Hall Only Pass
Leadership Conference guests who are not attending the Convention may buy an Exhibit Hall Pass in order to attend the Thursday evening Exhibit Hall Grand Opening
$10 $10

Details

Parking is available at the hotel for $22 or at the Convention Center (a short walk) for $20. Guests who are staying at the Sheraton Park Hotel in CHEA’s block of rooms receive a discounted parking rate of $12 at the hotel.

At-the-door registration will be available. However, luncheon is not included as catering requirements dictate that we have a final count for lunch prior to the event. We occasionally have a few spaces available up to a week ahead. If you miss the online registration deadline, feel free to call to see if there are seats available.

The Leadership Conference (including luncheon) is designed to help equip those interested in leadership of private home education groups. If you know leaders who are not CHEA Support Network Members but who may like to attend, please feel free to invite them.

250 and 450 Support Network Members receive entrance to the Exhibit Hall Grand Opening, including the Premium Members Preview, as well as admission for two to the Annual Leadership Conference.

The Leadership Conference is for adults only, please. No childcare will be provided. Nursing infants whose parents are considerate of others are welcome.

CHEA’s 37th Annual Homeschool Convention opens Thursday, May 19, 2022 at 4:00 p.m. Separate registration and admission fees (if applicable) are required for entrance to any part of the CHEA Convention.