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1. Convention registration is open
Save the dates April 23-25, 2026. Don't miss this great event. Our convention will feature Wil & Meeke Addison, Danny Craig, Jeannie Fulbright, Andrew Pudewa, and many more, as well as Project Pathfinder for teens. Make it a weekend all under one roof. Great speakers and exhibit hall vendors ready to inspire and help - don't miss it! Spread the word!
NOTE: the Children’s Program is returning this year, and it fills up fast. First-come, first- served, so don’t delay!
Follow
THIS LINK
to register (
https://masshope.org/convention/
).
2. Speaker spotlights: Andrew Pudewa, Staci Morgan, and Seann Dikkers
Andrew Pudewa
is the founder and director of the Institute for Excellence in Writing. Presenting around the world, he addresses issues relating to teaching, writing, thinking, and spelling with clarity, insight, practical experience, and humor. His seminars for parents, students, and teachers have helped transform many a reluctant writer and have equipped educators with powerful tools to dramatically improve students’ skills. He and his beautiful, heroic wife, Robin, homeschooled their seven children and are now proud grandparents of nineteen, making their home in Northeastern Oklahoma’s picturesque Green Country.
Andrew Pudewa’s online presence:
FB:
https://www.facebook.com/excellenceinwriting
X: @IEW
IG: @IEW
Blog:
https://iew.com/blog
Favorite blog posts or online articles Andrew has written
However Imperfectly: Lessons learned from thirty years of teaching
https://iew.com/support/resource/resource-articles/however-imperfectly
The Four Deadly Errors of Teaching Writing
https://iew.com/support/resource/resource-articles/four-deadly-errors-of-teaching-writing
Staci B. Morgan
, MSN, RN, and her husband, Brett, have been homeschooling since 2010. She says her real education has come as she homeschools her children, who vary in unique gifts and differences, ranging from academic giftedness, learning disabilities, and medical complexities. With two graduated children moved on to college and only two left to homeschool, Brett and Staci try to slow the hands of time, but to no avail. Staci loves speaking at homeschool conferences near and far, sharing practical help and true hope with homeschooling families, especially those with special learners.
Staci Morgan’s online presence:
FB: Staci Morgan
X: @StaciBMorgan
IG: @stacibmorgan
Dr. Seann Dikkers
is a husband and father of two homeschool graduates, with over thirty years of experience in education as a teacher, administrator, professor, pastor, curriculum designer, researcher, and author. His latest book,
Play More: A Case for Play
, presents a biblical framework for understanding play as a God-designed tool for learning.
A passionate advocate for faith-based education, purposeful play, balanced use of digital media, and individualized learning, Seann currently serves as Executive Director of Portals Education—a K–12 curriculum providing project-based (or “playful”) daily lesson plans designed to empower parent educators.
Seann Dikkers’ online presence:
FB:
https://www.facebook.com/portalseducation
IG: @portalseducation
Blog:
https://www.portalsedu.com/blog/categories/featured
Favorite articles/blogs Seann has written
Assessment Without Grades
https://www.portalsedu.com/post/assessment-without-grades-a-relational-approach-to-knowing-they-re-learning
3. Workshop schedule
To plan ahead, check out the workshop schedules on the MassHOPE website for each day of the convention. There are sessions for struggling learners, fathers, children, and teens, as well as dissection and CPR classes, and much more! (The teen program and the dissection and CPR sessions require pre-registration; they will NOT be available to those registering at the door.)
Please note: we will do our best to keep the schedule as posted, but we do reserve the right to make any necessary last-minute changes.
THURSDAY SCHEDULE
FRIDAY SCHEDULE
SATURDAY SCHEDULE
4. Volunteers needed!
You’ve heard it so many times: We need volunteers for the convention! And you’d like to help, really you would, but you’re reluctant. You don’t want to commit to something you’re not sure about. Maybe this will help?
What do our red-apron volunteers do? Here’s what:
Exhibit hall volunteers
make continuous rounds of the hall, bringing help and cheer to the vendors. Offering to fetch coffee, tea, or water, or watching a table for a couple of minutes while the vendor runs to the restroom.
Badge checkers
make sure those who are entering the exhibit hall are registered for the convention, and direct them to Registration if they are not.
Registration workers
hand out name badges to those who are pre-registered for the event, and help others register and pay onsite.
Workshop monitors
DO NOT have to introduce the speaker! They simply help people find seats if the room is crowded. Suggest that folks with noisy little ones step out of the room for a bit. Hold up time cards to let the speaker know how much time is left.
What do you think? We do need you, so consider checking “YES” on your registration when asked if you would be willing to volunteer. Even for one hour! Oh, and you’ll receive four (4) MassHOPE bucks for every hour you help out, spendable in the exhibit hall.
To volunteer, simply check the “willing to volunteer” box on your registration form, OR email the volunteer coordinator, Anne Smith, at
volunteer@masshope.or
g
. Thanks in advance!
5. Ladies dessert fellowship
Enjoy a refreshing evening of encouragement with our speaker,
Meeke Addison
,
sweet fellowship with other moms, and a delicious dessert!
Friday Night | 6:30 – 8:00 PM
Pre-registration required | Additional fee applies
Come be refreshed, refueled, and reminded that you’re not alone on this journey. We look forward to seeing you there!
And
sign up soon!
Spots are filling up fast.
6. Hotel reservations
Although there are many hotels in the area, there’s nothing like staying under the same roof as the convention. MassHOPE has blocked guest rooms with discounted rates at the Sturbridge Host Hotel & Conference Center. Rates are $109 per night.
You must call 508-347-7393 and make your reservation with the front desk staff. Be sure to say that you are with MassHOPE to get the discount rate. Our room block will be lifted on April 2, 2026.
Stay with us at the Host and enjoy the salt water swimming pool, the indoor courtyard, the lakeside waterfront, and much more! Make it a couple or family weekend getaway!
7. Dining options
Opportunities for all types of dining abound in Sturbridge - everything from McDonald’s to fine dining, including many very close to the Host. There will also be onsite concessions offering breakfast and lunch foods.
8. Old Sturbridge Village homeschool programs
Join Old Sturbridge Village on April 15 for Homeschool Day, when they will be celebrating play as part of the village's Family Field Days. Grab a scorecard and chart your progress as you see how far you can hit a 1830s baseball, how long you can balance on a set of stilts, and how many targets you can hit. In our workshops, make your own Jacob's ladder or wooden boat to take home, cook fun food over the open hearth, make seed balls, and more. For information and to sign up, click
HERE
.
There are also a few spaces still available in these upcoming homeschool programs:
March 27 Homeschool Day
: Limited spaces are available for workshops like Simple Strawbraiding, Make a Decorative Floorcloth, and Village Tour: Women in the 1830s.
Homeschool Civics Program: Town Meeting
: In this civics-focused program, students participate in a mock town meeting where they explore the function of local government. The program explores the essential question “How should our town care for its poorest citizens?”
Homeschool STEM Series: Matter Mayhem
: Explore physical and chemical changes by baking bread over an open fire.
9. MassHOPE graduation ceremony June 6 at Holden Chapel
Do you have a child who will graduate from high school this year? Have you given any thought to how you will commemorate this milestone? This year will mark our 21st formal graduation ceremony. It will be held at Holden Chapel on June 6 at 2:00 PM and is an opportunity to invite your family and friends to join in a celebration of both the accomplishments and the plans of your student. If you are interested in learning more, please send an email (including your graduate's name) to Susan Jacobsen at
graduation@masshope.org
. She will be happy to send you the graduation packet providing more info including how to sign up.
But don't wait until the last minute! There is a deadline: you need to have your registration form and payment postmarked by April 1.
10. March speaker vault – Julie Shorey
The MassHOPE website features a
CURATED LIBRARY OF RECORDED WORKSHOPS
from past conventions. Over the years, we have had the privilege of hosting hundreds of inspiring speakers, and we regularly showcase some of their most encouraging presentations in this section. For March, we invite you to listen to an encouraging message by veteran homeschooler Julie Shorey on “doing it alone.”
In this workshop, Julie speaks directly to families whose homeschool journey does not match the “ideal” picture. Drawing from her experience homeschooling eight children — including twelve years as a single mother — Julie offers both heartfelt encouragement and practical wisdom for parents navigating unexpected challenges.
With biblical insight and real-life perspective, she reminds families that God’s grace is sufficient in every season. This session provides hope, reassurance, and tangible strategies for single parents and others carrying the weight of homeschooling in less-than-ideal circumstances, pointing them to faithfulness, perseverance, and the sustaining strength of the Lord.
11. Field trip fun in Grafton
The
WILLARD HOUSE & CLOCK MUSEUM
is located in the Willard family homestead, constructed in the 1700s. Family members made their first clocks in 1766, eventually becoming America's preeminent 19th century clockmakers. There are over 90 Willard clocks exhibited here in the original workshop. BONUS: available on their website are
FREE DOWNLOADS
for teachers and students on pendulums – “the things that make the clocks tick.”
12. For your encouragement: when homeschooling is hard
Here’s some
ENCOURAGEMENT
for when the hard days come. (And that is definitely When and not If.)
13. In the news: Beware!
Published in RealClearEducation,
THE DEPENDENCY TRAP
warns of the dangers of accepting government funding for private education, including homeschooling.
14. Chuckles
For those days when you can only cry or
LAUGH
.
15. Homeschool Day at the New Bedford Whaling Museum
Tuesday, March 31, is Homeschool Day at the New Bedford Whaling Museum. “Learn about art, history, science, and culture with activities designed for homeschool families” with lots of scheduled activities, tours, and access to exhibits - even the Inflatable Whale. Get full details and schedule
HERE
.
16. Free folk song events in April in North Andover
From Jack DesBois:
Dear homeschooling community,
You are invited to
"V is the Valley": a concert-conversation
featuring traditional New England folk songs from the Helen Hartness Flanders Ballad Collection. During the mid-20th century, a time when radio and television were displacing folk culture across America, songcatcher Helen Flanders traveled the New England countryside collecting and preserving field recordings of the old folk songs. Drawing from my backgrounds as a classical singer, folk guitarist, and folk music scholar, I perform my favorite gems from Flanders's collection and invite audiences into a conversation about the enduring role of folk music in our world today. Watch a promotional video for "V is the Valley," read an article about Helen Flanders and her work, and listen to some of the songs
HERE
.
Tuesday, May 5
, 7:00-8:30 p.m. at Nevins Library in Methuen. Free and open to the public. Learn more and register at the Nevins Library website
HERE
. Registration opens April 7.
Sincerely,
Jack DesBois
Singer ~ Actor ~ Storyteller
jackdesbois.com
"V is the Valley" is an educational enrichment program of DesBois Tutoring & Enrichment, a family-run academic tutoring and educational enrichment service based in Topsfield. Learn more at
www.desboistutoring.org
.
ED. NOTE: The concert is free, but space is limited. You need to register in advance in
order to ensure admission.
17. Speaker spotlights: the Addisons, Daniel Craig, and Jeannie Fulbright
Wil and Meeke Addison
are keynote speakers (along with Daniel Craig) for the 2026 MassHOPE Convention. They are the founders of Straight Edge Ministries and Culture Proof, a movement to equip followers of Christ to resist wicked cultural trends by applying God’s Word – the straight edge. As the co-hosts of the Culture Proof podcast, you’ll hear Wil, Meeke, and their hand-picked guests discuss the cultural issues of the day filtered through a Biblical lens. The Addisons are conference speakers with a specific focus on culture and its impact on Christian families. Married 20 years, they are raising six incredible children; equipping them to live for the glory of God. They disciple and educate their children at home – around the kitchen table and on the sofa.
The Meekes’ online presence:
FB: Culture Proof
X: @cultureproofme
IG: @cultureproofme
Daniel Craig
(with his wife Megan) is one of our keynote speakers. He is a host of the internationally-attended Homeschool Summits and has spoken at homeschool conferences around the country. Daniel wrote
Kickstart
as a plan for homeschooled students to think through life calling and launch successfully into adulthood. His passion is to encourage homeschool parents and young people to love and embrace Biblical discipleship. Daniel is a homeschool dad of four children.
Daniel Craig’s online presence:
FB: generationsradio
X: @generations_min
IG: @generations.min
Jeannie Fulbright
is a veteran homeschool mom whose four children graduated from the University of Georgia on scholarship. She is the author of Apologia's elementary science curriculum and the publisher of many other
Charlotte Mason-
style
curricula and tools. For more than twenty years, she has dedicated her life to writing and speaking for the edification of the homeschool community.
Jeannie Fulbright’s online presence:
FB:
https://www.facebook.com/jeanniefulbrightauthor
IG: @jeannie_fulbright
BLOG:
https://www.jeanniefulbright.com/blog
Favorite blog posts or online articles Jeannie has written
How to Train Your Child's Character - The Charlotte Mason Way!
https://www.jeanniefulbright.com/blog/train-childs-character-charlotte-mason-way
Atmosphere, Discipline, Life
https://www.jeanniefulbright.com/blog/atmosphere-discipline-life
Also, please check out our
SPEAKERS PAGE
to learn more about the other speakers and view their workshop topics and descriptions.
18. TeenPact coming to New England in April
TeenPact Connecticut invites you to join them at this year's dynamic leadership camp from April 6-10, 2026 at the Capitol in Hartford. TeenPact inspires youth in their relationship with Christ and trains them to understand the political process, value their liberty, defend the Christian faith, and engage the culture around them. There is a four- or five-day camp for ages 13-18 and one day for ages 8-12. Learn more about all the details and the exciting overnight camp option by emailing jenjen632@yahoo.com, calling (860)779-3999 (home #) or going to
TEENPACT
.
Can’t make it to Connecticut? The same classes (also offering student housing) will be held in New Hampshire on April 20-24.
However,
these dates overlap with part of MassHOPE’s annual convention.
If you sign students up for the New Hampshire class, see if you can arrange for them to get home with a relative or friend, leaving you free to attend the entire convention in Sturbridge. 😊
Register
HERE
for Connecticut and
HERE
for New Hampshire.
Don’t know
what
TeenPact is, and
why
you should attend?
The
WHAT
: here’s a
QUICK LOOK
at what it’s all about. [Bonus for attending a state class: you’re eligible for Alumni Events. My kids loved them!]
The
WHY
: read this
INSPIRING STORY
about the huge impact TeenPact had on one student.
Here is the testimony of an alumnus:
The godliest peers I had growing up were those I knew through TeenPact. Going to TeenPact classes and alumni events strengthened me spiritually, shaped my growth and maturity as a person, and sparked a passion for influencing government and culture and gave me a venue to put that into practice. The educational experiences TeenPact offered were not only challenging and impactful but also loads of fun.
19. February speaker vault – Rand Hummel
The MassHOPE website features a
CURATED LIBRARY OF
RECORDED WORKSHOPS
(to be updated this coming weekend) from past conventions. Over the years, we have had the privilege of hosting hundreds of inspiring speakers, and we regularly showcase some of their most encouraging presentations in this section. For February, we invite you to listen to a thought-provoking message by Rand Hummel, a longtime youth pastor and camp ministry director with decades of experience working with teens and families.
In this workshop, Rand addresses one of the most pressing issues facing Christian families today: how to train children and teens to honor God in a digital, media-saturated culture. He challenges parents and grandparents to move beyond simple rules and instead ground their children in biblical principles that will guide them when they are no longer under direct supervision.
This session is both convicting and hopeful, offering practical strategies, biblical insight, and encouragement for families seeking to raise spiritually mature young people who love God more than the world.
20. Field trip fun in Foxboro
If you’re in the area, consider a visit to
THE PATRIOTS HALL OF FAME
. Now, here in Massachusetts many of our field trip suggestions center around patriots of the American Revolution, but this modern, interactive, and affordable museum centers around football. Located steps from Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots. Looks like
FUN FOR EVERYONE
, but especially a great experience for football fans.
21. For your encouragement: an unexpected gift
“Yet someone had to shepherd the tiny beings my husband and I had chosen to bring into the world.”
Until the pandemic hit and she realized that homeschooling was the only reasonable choice for her family, Danna Zeiger had been a biology professor. This
ENGAGING
READ
is her story.
22. In the news: the shift toward homeschooling
This
ARTICLE
from the Daily Signal lays out the case for homeschooling well, detailing how it is “outperforming expectations” in many key areas.
23. Chuckles
Blessed are we who can laugh at ourselves, for we shall never cease to be amused.
~ Author Unknown
24. Know someone who doesn’t receive the Messenger?
We share important information about MassHOPE, and other items of interest to homeschooling families. So spread the word! Encourage your friends to sign up now to ensure they receive all this, especially upcoming convention info.
All they need to do to receive it is to send full name and email address to
info@masshope.org
.
Help them stay informed!
Also,
while you’re at it, why don’t you start thinking about volunteering at our next convention? We need you!
25. Choose “MassHOPE” when purchasing from Christian Book
MassHOPE has been approved for the GiveBack affiliate program at Christian Book and will receive a 4% cashback donation on any orders that are placed with MassHOPE as the beneficiary! Look for a box at checkout that says to find your church (which actually includes Christian schools and 501(c)(3) organizations as well as churches).
26. 2025 convention recordings
Did you miss a session because there were too many great workshops to choose from? Or, sadly, did you miss the entire convention? No problem. Order session recordings individually, or get the whole set. Just click
HERE
.
27. Social media triple play
We’re on each of the Big Three: X
, Facebook, and Instagram. Our Facebook and Instagram accounts are linked, so you can follow us on Instagram and get some of the same info we post there. Go to our link -
https://www.instagram.com/massachusetts_homeschool/
-
and click “Follow.”
28.
Discounts from SchoolhouseTeachers.com
Homeschooling can be challenging.
It can be expensive, time-consuming, and confusing to choose classes and curricula for multiple students. We are writing to tell you that
SchoolhouseTeachers.com
will provide all the courses you need for homeschooling each of your preschool through graduating 12th-grade students at the discounted annual price of $179 (you save $90)
.
With hundreds of online courses, lesson plans, quizzes, tests, answer keys, certificates of completion, and streaming videos, your annual
SchoolhouseTeachers.com
membership will ensure you have a full-spectrum, non-Common Core curriculum platform to confidently educate your children at home.
Membership is good for your whole family—including grandparents—no matter how many children you have. Because everything is included online, there is no need to buy textbooks. PLUS, there are no per class, no per child, nor any other hidden fees. You can also generate quarterly report cards for each student and access help with transcript creation for your high schoolers.
SchoolhouseTeachers.com contains nearly every subject imaginable—art history, drawing, computer technology, foreign languages, history, language arts, math, music, science, and loads of electives. Let your kids help pick out their own courses!
29. MassHOPE Facebook groups
Did you know that MassHOPE has two private Facebook groups in addition to its main Facebook page? If you would like to join the MassHOPE Massachusetts Homeschool Discussion and Support Group (described in Item #31) or the MassHOPE Massachusetts Homeschool Marketplace and UCS group, or if you invite anyone to join these groups, please note that there are questions you will need to answer in order to be approved. If you don't get approved soon after your request to join, perhaps you didn't answer the required questions.
30. MassHOPE advertising opportunities
MassHOPE has a variety of advertising options available at reasonable rates in several media paths – MassHOPE website, dedicated email, Facebook, MassHOPE Messenger. If interested, please send an email to advertising@masshope.org. All ads are subject to availability and space. MassHOPE reserves the right to accept or reject ads as we must apportion limited space and evaluate relevance to our audience.
31. MassHOPE Facebook discussion group
Connect with us on Facebook at
MassHOPE Massachusetts Homeschool Discussion and Support Group
. This group provides support and encouragement for homeschoolers pursuing privately-funded, parent-led home education. Its purpose is to encourage and equip homeschool parents to disciple and educate their children for the Lord, and to connect families within our state to give them opportunities to gather together for educational and recreational experiences.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/MassHOPEDiscussion/
32.
The MassHOPE Educator ID Card
Educator IDs are available for benefits such as potential discounts at retailers. Order them from our website
HERE
.
33. Your news items wanted
Do you know of an event or activity in or near Massachusetts that would edify or interest the homeschool community? Email Anne Smith at
volunteer@masshope.org
and we will review it for possible inclusion in the MassHOPE Messenger.
34. Remember to "Like" MassHOPE on Facebook
"Like" MassHOPE's
FACEBOOK PAGE
.
You'll be encouraged in your homeschooling journey and will receive all updates for upcoming events.
35. Are you on our mailing lists?
If you are receiving this e-newsletter, you are on our email list! May we also add you to our “snail mail” list to receive occasional information via the U.S. Postal Service? If Yes, please send your full name and complete mailing address to
newsletter@masshope.org
.
36. How to homeschool legally in Massachusetts
This video features Michael Donnelly, formerly HSLDA's designated counsel for Massachusetts:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmELLON4OFI&list=PLe7Gz-9V5xsWzxwNhyZUNrdz0K-tbkz9a&index=21
.
The link referenced for further Massachusetts-specific articles is
https://hslda.org/legal/massachusetts
.
37. Special education resources
Here are two valuable resources for homeschooling parents of special needs children.
FREE DOWNLOADS
provides IEP templates, therapy resources, a Getting Started guide, and more.
EMPOWERING HOMESCHOOL CONVERSATIONS
, which covers a wide range of issues.
38. Videos and webinars from HSLDA
T
hree-part video series on getting started:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVOzkYx2vcA&list=PLe7Gz-9V5xsWAtvLTz1gA1CYyPLBBe-Ke
.
How to Start Homeschooling with Special Needs
:
https://hslda.org/teaching-my-kids/special-needs
.
And many, many more
:
https://hslda.org/community/webinars
.
39. Get started homeschooling in Massachusetts
Check out this MassHOPE site for
getting started
.
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