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The year 2020 was a big year for most people, and my family was not an exception. We had planned a move from California to Georgia at the end of that school year, but then the pandemic hit and schools were closed down. As a the principal of Early Childhood Education at a Preschool - 8th grade school, this meant my teachers and I would be taking the school online for the remainder of the year! And as everyone knows - THAT was an experience no one was ready for! While my teachers tried to Zoom with the littles, I conducted staff meetings online, continued the admissions process for the upcoming school year, and then ventured across the nation to our new home. We chose our home based on the public high school we wanted to attend and had very high hopes that we would love this high school as much as the one my son previously attended. My teens were rising freshmen and juniors, so this was a BIG year for them! My older son loved school and was excited to start into the new environment.

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Unfortunately, like many, we started our school year through a lens of a camera. My older son didn't get any of the classes he wanted and hated the virtual platform. My younger son had never seen the inside of a high school, and yet, was expected to acclimate to this dramatic change with ease, managing a mis-managed online platform that teachers were still struggling to figure out. The teachers tried their best. The students tried their best. And while it may have worked for some, it did NOT work for us! In addition to the high levels of stress, anxiety, and frustration we were experiencing, we were seeing my son's post-high school opportunities slipping through our fingers due to circumstances beyond our control. Something needed to change...and fast!

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After much thought and consideration (okay - not really - I tend to leap and then look!), we bailed out of the new public school that we had NEVER actually stepped foot into, and decided to homeschool. But even with 25 years spent in education, the transition was so overwhelming - looking at curriculum options, state laws, credits, classes, grades, transcripts - it was all so much!

 

But, we muddled through, and by the end of the school year, my junior had taken (and passed) 3 AP courses and exams, took the SATs, applied for dual enrollment, and began looking at colleges. By the end of 2021 (his senior year), he had entered into dual enrollment at the local university and applied to several universities of choice. I say this not to boast, but to demonstrate how simply changing a child's situation to one that is conducive to their needs, can dramatically change the trajectory of their path. I am not sure what would have happened if we had stayed in public school, but I know for a fact that the outcome of homeschooling was to his advantage. He was accepted to the top university in Canada and will head into his freshman year with 25 university credits under his belt. And my younger one? He's thriving as well - in his own way. Unlike my older son, he hated school. BUT, like my older son, the situational change allowed him to explore interests, discover passions, and dig deeper into who is is, and who he wants to become. He's become driven, studious, and passionate about learning.

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I have spent the better part of my life in educational leadership - mentoring teachers; creating communities of learning; and guiding, supporting, and coaching parents through their child's educational journey. After my teens were established in their new journey, I began to delve into the world of homeschooling. I am an educator to the core, so curriculum, instructional philosophies and practices, state policies, and educational resources fascinate me. But what truly captivated my heart and soul was the sheer number of parents calling out, reaching out, and pleading for help as their students drowned in the institutions that were supposed to be helping them, leaving the parents bewildered, defeated, and struggling to stay afloat in an arena they knew nothing about. Time after time, I would read on the forums, "I withdrew my child - now what?!?" I felt compelled to help - as if placed here - in this exact moment, to be the support and voice of expertise that could help them regain control of their child's education, preserve their mental health, and help their teens come alive again. In one year, we literally went through every high school 'process' one could think of! So if you are looking for someone who "gets" it...well...that's me! 

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I have made it my mission to help families understand their options so they can start their homeschools with purpose, passion, and a plan that will help them achieve their child's educational goals. Each child is unique and each family will have their own goals and ideas of what "success" looks like. Finding the right curriculum and pathway to help them achieve those goals is paramount to enjoying and thriving in the homeschool experience. Some will thrive in an online plug-and-play model, while others will want to customize every detail of each class to suit their learner's interests, talents, and abilities; and for others, simply regaining control of their child's confidence, self-esteem, and mental health will be the biggest success of all. But for every single person - the process is about taking control of the learning experience to help their child learn, grow, and flourish in their own way.

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MY SERVICES

First and foremost, I want to help families create an exceptional educational experience, or "educational adventure," for their children. I created EdVentures, LLC to accomplish this goal. EdVentures is about giving parents the tools they need to start their own "educational venture" - their homeschool, learning pod, group co-op, home daycare, or even your small private school - with confidence, purpose, passion, and a well-laid out plan. I provide support, encouragement, resources, tools, and direction in your venture, saving you hours on research and reducing your stress and anxiety about getting started on your new journey. I also offer local children's classes designed to stimulate learning through movement, activity, games, exploration, creativity, and developmentally appropriate practices. I teach in a way that meets the needs of the LEARNERS - not the comfort of the teacher.

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PAST EXPERIENCE

I have over 25 years experience in education, including serving as the Principal of Early Education for 10 years at an award-winning Preschool-8th grade school in Pasadena, California; curriculum development; teacher mentorship; parent guidance; hosting seminars, classes, workshops, and speaking at conventions; teaching preschool and language/literacy classes to elementary students in Taiwan; teaching kindergarten and first grade state-side.