Don’t forget to subscribe for lots of homeschooling support, news, and free resource right here on True Aim!

Major Networks

Christian Homeschoolers of Idaho State – If you’re a Homeschooler in Idaho, you will want to connect with this organization.  They offer a free quarterly online magazine ($10 yearly subscription for physical magazine available), a list of regional support groups, and host a yearly major Homeschool Convention.

Idaho Coalition of Home Educators – Stay up to date on the latest laws affecting your homeschool.  They also offer free standardized testing and tips for homeschooling teens.

Support Groups

Coeur d’Alene (CdA) Homeschool Network – Northern Idaho has a welcoming group of homeschoolers excited to help you navigate your children’s individualized education.

Port Cities Home Educators – A support group for the Lewiston/Clarkston and surrounding areas.

Inland Northwest Christian Homeschoolers – This group offers co-op classes, a curriculum

library, and group field trips.

Eagle Rock Christian Homeschool Association – The Idaho Falls group meets bi-monthly to support and encourage Homeschoolers in the area.

Haven Homeschooler of Mountain Home – Another Christian group offering support for homeschoolers of the Mountain Home area.

Magic Valley Home Educators – Hosting various activities for homeschoolers in the area, this group also promotes biblical principals.

Treasure Valley LDS Homeschoolers – A forum for support and sharing of homeschooling events, struggles, and achievements.

Idaho Homeschooling Mailing List –  This is another forum for homeschoolers to share resources and other homeschooling information via email.

Deseret Homeschool Association – A support group for LDS homeschoolers in the Treasure Valley.

Treasure Valley Homeschool Moms and Dads – A Facebook group where homeschoolers in the Boise, Meridian, Kuna, Nampa, and surrounding areas communicate on meetings, co-ops, independent group lessons and discuss all homeschooling topics.

Co-ops

Foundations Homeschool Co-op – A Christian group for homeschoolers in the Nampa area.  Meets once a week for a variety of classes.

Vineyard Christian Homeschool Co-op – This Co-op is located in Vineyard Christian Church.  It is a collaborative effort between teachers and parents.  Curriculum is chosen by the Co-op.  Classes meet twice a week, Tues. and Thurs., and parents support students.

Excelsior! Homeschool Co-op – Meeting once a week, this Christian group also holds group field trips, parties, and student presentations.

Treasure Valley Academy Co-op – If you are using the K12 program, this co-op meets in West Boise, every Thursday, following the IDVA school calendar to complete K12 Science, Art, and History.

Classical Conversations – If you’re apart of Classical Converstions, this is the community for you.  If you’re interested in learning more about it, monthly information meetings are held all over the state.

Wood River Coop – Serving Blaine, Camas, and surrounding communities in the Sun Valley Area! They offer field trips and extra curricular activities, plus optional classes like science!

Academic Clubs

Idaho 4-H – This organization celebrates it’s 100th year anniversary!  Connect with your local district to help your children learn valuable life skills.

Christian Youth Theater – Their mission is to develop character in children and adults through performing arts.  They produce family friendly musicals and plays the whole family can enjoy!

Treasure Valley Children’s Theater – This theater focuses on plays and workshops for all different ages in southwest Idaho.

Boise Youth Activities & Classes – The City of Boise’s Parks & Recreation Department has organized sports, classes and activities for all ages.  Don’t live in the Boise area?  Look up your local Parks & Rec Dept. to see what they offer.

Idaho Sports Clubs – Soccer, Wrestling, Volleyball, Basketball

Conventions, Free Resources

Major Conventions

Christian Homeschool Convention – This event takes place at the end of May/Early June.  There are Speakers, Workshops, Exhibits, Children’s Program (ages 5-11), a used curriculum sale, and more!

The Inspire! Conference – A Christian Family Conference that covers all aspects of family life including homeschooling.  This is not specifically for homeschoolers, but does include a homeschooling session and separate sessions for young adults.

Free Resources

Idaho Department of Education Home School Website – This page includes important links for homeschoolers in Idaho including a Free Idaho Homeschool Packet, Public Education Content Standards, and information for Highschoolers.

40+ Free Learning Sites for Children and Young Adults – Included in this list are free ebooks, audio books, printables, online learning games and more!

Book It! – Motivate your children to read with free incentives for homeschoolers from Pizza Hut!  Registration is required.  Deadline is Sept 1st.

Free Bikes for Special Needs – This event raises money to give special needs children adaptable bikes.

Free Blank Calendar – Use this calendar to plan your homeschooling activities or anything else!  You can completely edit this calendar to fit any year and any month.

Free BYU Independent Study Online Courses – Even if you are not part of the LDS church, these classes have great information in them!  There are gardening classes, math, spelling, student finance, and more!

Free Curriculum on Homeschool Buyers Co-op – There are hundreds of links to free curriculum on this site.  They also offer great deals on curriculum sets, programs, and supplies.

Free Forest Education Resource Materials – Learn about Idaho forest through free brochures, fact sheets, posters, and more!

Free Home Education Resource Websites – Over 20 of the most popular homeschool resource websites.

Free Past Issues of Children’s Wildlife Newspaper – The Wildlife Express is published by Idaho Fish & Game for Elementary and Middle School Students.  Subscriptions cost $25 for 10 copies, but all past issues are available in PDF form for free online.

Free Science Curriculum – These kits called “Traveling Trunks” are available to borrow for free from the Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge, Nampa ID.  The Refuge also has a free Preschool story time program and environmental education library.

Free Ski and Ride Passes for 5th and 6th grade – More than 15 different ski areas in Idaho participate in this discount and some offer discounts on equipment, classes, and family tickets.

Free Summer Bowling – Participating bowling alleys give children 2 free games of bowling every day, program dates vary.

Free Use of Art Supplies and Equipment – The Idaho Art Lab is located in Anthony Idaho and offers the free use of their Community Art Center including easels, paper, crayons, glue and more!

Homeschool Video Library – These 20 videos explain the hows and whys of Homeschooling.

HSLDA Homeschooling to The Early Years Guide – This guide provides suggestions on how to homeschool, curriculum, organization and more.  Sign up for the monthly newsletter.

Libraries Linking Idaho – An online database of Idaho’s Libraries with access to full-text educational documents like newspapers and professional journals.

Mom’s Library – A weekly blog post that shares hundreds of hands-on learning activities, recipes, parenting tips, and more from Moms for Moms!

Picnic in the Park – (June 3rd – August 16th Boise Area) Free lunches for children 1-18.

Why Public Schools Fail – 30+ videos about the fundamental problems with public schooling.

Educational Supply Stores

Idaho Book & School Supply – Located in Boise, this store is stocked with well known publishers, supplies, games, and educational toys.

The Curriculum Cottage – Offering complete homeschool curriculum packets, individual books, supplies, at-home diagnostics, test prep, and private/group tutoring in math/reading for lower elementary grades.  They are located in Meridian.

Tools for Learning – Educational supplies and books.  Idaho Falls and Pocatello locations.

PCS Edventures – Science, Engineering, Technology, and Math Curriculum supplies.  They also have a learning center that provides hands-on classes that meet once a week.

Fickle Pigs Toy Emporium – An amazing display of timeless toys, educational games, and unique puzzles.  Voted top toy store by North Idaho Business Journal.  Located in Coeur d’Alene.

Penny Lane Kids – Educational toys and books, Downtown Boise.

If you have anything to add to this list, please contact me and I will add it!

More Posts in this Series:

Homeschooling in Idaho: Laws and Requirements

Educational Field Trips in Idaho

Don’t live in Idaho? Starting July 1st, I’m joining homeschoolers across the nation to help bring you resources for all 50 states, plus a HUGE Homeschooling Giveaway with over $1400 in prizes!

Make sure you’re subscribed or following on Facebook so you don’t miss it!

The post Homeschooling in Idaho: Support, Conventions, and Free Resources first appeared on True Aim.

Outdoor Adventures

Yellowstone National Park – Drive a little past Idaho Falls City limits and you can see free roaming bison and bears!  People come from all over the world to see the country’s oldest National Park located in Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana.  It is a nature adventure your family will never forget.

Craters of the Moon National Monument – Roughly the size of Rhode Island, Craters of the Moon is a preserve filled with young lava flows and strange scenic landscapes.  If your children are interested in Geology, this is the perfect place to take them and explore.  Their website has some great resources for homeschoolers including free curriculum materials! (Photo Credit: VisitIdaho.org)

Waterfalls – Idaho boasts 8 different waterfalls – the highest at 114ft and the widest at 250 ft.  Most of them are located in northern Idaho.  Don’t forget to checkout the over 3000 miles of whitewater for unforgettable rafting and kayaking trips.

Idaho Fish and Game – Lots of free and low cost wildlife learning opportunities are offered through Fish and Game.  There are 3 centers with lots of hands-on learning opportunities including fishing classes!

Hiking Trails – Teaching your kids perseverance is so important and it’s easy to do.  Just go on a hike!  There is an estimated 19,000 miles of trails in Idaho for hiking, biking, horseback riding and more.  Some popular trails are located in Bonners Ferry, Bogus Basin, Boise National Forest, and the Boise Greenbelt.

Educational Places and Tours

Idaho State Capitol Building – Learn about the history of Idaho’s government through a tour of this historic building.  There are guided tours daily and a self-guided tour booklet is available for historical details and a building map.

Historic Silver City – One of the oldest mining towns in Idaho.  This city hasn’t changed much in over 100 years!

Crystal Gold Mine Underground Mine Tours – The first hard rock mine in the Silver Valley, this is the only real underground mine tour in the Northwest.

Bird Aviation Museum and Invention Center – Take a look at history’s biggest contributors to aviation and modern technology.  Thanks to Dr. Forest Bird admission is Free!

The Centennial Observatory – Monthly Star Parties and Astronomy talk nights are hosted around one of the world’s largest public telescopes at the Harriet Center for Arts and Science.

World Center for Birds of Prey – All about conserving birds of prey, the center looks to educate people about endangered birds of prey species and save them from extinction.  The campus includes falconry archives, breeding facilities, interactive displays, multi-media shows, and live demonstrations.

Water Treatment Plants – Look up your local water treatment plant to see if they offer tours.  Although they may be small and short, these tours offer lots of valuable information about your local environment and the water cycle.

Local Fire and Police Stations – Call your local police and fire station for an educational tour or see when they are having events.  Many stations host a yearly event where you can learn all about how they protect the community.

Boise Area Activities

Boise Zoo – My favorite exhibits are the Giraffe Encounter, and Butterflies in Bloom.  Make sure you check out some of the unique events and educational programs the zoo offers throughout the year.

Boise Aquarium – We’ve been to the Boise Aquarium several times and it is always enjoyable.  All the exhibits can be seen in about 1 hour so it is perfect for younger children.

Discovery Center of Idaho – Enhance your children’s science lessons by visiting the Boise Science Center.  All 200 exhibits are hands-on.  You can preview some of the exhibits on their website to review those particular science concepts ahead of time.  Plan plenty of time for this attraction because you will love it, maybe even more than your children!

Boise Art Museum, Art in the Park – This special event, hosted by the Boise Art Museum, showcases 260 artists, live entertainment, and a Children’s art tent.

Lucky Peak State Park – There are three parks located close to the Lucky Peak Dam.  Two of them are for swimming, fishing, and picnics.  These parks are connected to the Boise Greenbelt for easy access.  The other park is a full-service marina including boat ramps, long-term docks, and equipment rentals.

The Basque Museum and Cultural Center – Many Basque immigrants settled in Idaho after coming to the U.S. from Spain.  Visit this center to learn all about Basque heritage and customs.

Boise Environmental Education – Public Works and Parks & Recreation provide lessons, field trips, and more to teach the public all about your unique local environment.

To find even more activities and events look up your local newspaper’s entertainment section, search the Idaho Statesman’s website for “Big Calendar”, or go to KTVB’s event page.

Here are some helpful tips for Homeschool Field trips to keep in mind before you plan on going to any of these amazing places.

Do you have a favorite place you like to go in Idaho?

More Posts in this Series:

Homeschooling in Idaho: Laws and Requirements

Support, Conventions, and Free Resources

Don’t live in Idaho? Starting July 1st, I’m joining homeschoolers across the nation to help bring you resources for all 50 states, plus a HUGE Homeschooling Giveaway with over $800 in prizes!

Make sure you’re subscribed or following on Facebook so you don’t miss it!

The post Homeschooling in Idaho: Educational Field Trips first appeared on True Aim.

Idaho is one of the best states to live for homeschooling families.  We enjoy more freedoms than most states, and have a long list of inexpensive homeschooling resources available.  That’s why I wanted to gather all the information in one place!

Idaho Homeschooling Laws

In Idaho, parents are allowed to be parents, deciding what, when and where our children learn.  Although attempts are constantly made to restrict Idaho homechoolers (for our own good, we are told) our freedoms and protections have actually increased in recent years.

As of this date (Aug 15, 2013), according to the Idaho Department of Education, the Idaho Coalition of Home Educators and HSLDA, Idahoans must provide an equivalent public school education beginning when our children reach 7 years of age and ending when they turn 16 (Code 33-202).  As long as Idaho parents comply with this one law we enjoy the freedom to educate our children as we see fit.

Great Freedoms

We are not required to report to anyone that we are homeschooling.  Statutes allow us to determine our own teaching schedule and curriculum.  Idaho law does not specify the number of hours, days or weeks that parents must provide formal instruction.

When it comes to taking standardized tests, home educated children in Idaho have the best of both worlds.  We are not required to take the tests but through ICHE, Idaho is the only state that has a system set up for homeschoolers to take these tests independent of the public system.

Homeschooling parents have a much better feel for how our children are performing compared to administrators, but testing may provide a valuable diagnostic tool and prepares students for college exams.  Also, scores from these tests have a powerful impact on legislation as Idaho Homeschoolers score significantly higher compared to state and national percentiles.

Dual-enrollment

Idaho law guarantees our right to dual-enrollment.  That means that we can use specific public school resources as a supplement to our homeschools.  So, as long as there are openings, our children can participate in classes, sports, band, debate or any other public school activity.

The catch is that once our children are enrolled in the public school system, we must submit to public school standards and requirements.  Our children might need to take standardized tests, health assessments and submit academic records.  So, by dual-enrolling our children we forfeit many of our homeschooling freedoms.

Threats to Our Freedom

While Idahoans enjoy many freedoms, we must remain vigilant.  Many people are very opposed to homeschooling and constantly look for ways to regulate us.  The law states that Idahoans must provide equivalent instruction in our homes.  If someone reports that a homeschool family is neglecting to educate their children, an investigation can be opened and criminal charges can be brought.

Luckily, in Idaho homeschoolers are assumed innocent until evidence of guilt is presented.  That means that accusations and assumptions alone are not enough to get us investigated.  There must be enough evidence to bring a charge against us, just like any other criminal case.

So, if a social worker or policeman shows up at our door, we have the right to ask for a court order or search warrant.  We have the right to remain silent and request a lawyer.  We also have a right to know the “cause” that initiated our investigation.

The second major threat to Idaho homeschoolers is Common Core.  The Common Core Standards were adopted in Idaho 4 years ago, but are just now being implemented.  Idaho was baited by the U.S. Department of Education during the Great Recession in 2009.

The federal government tied stimulus money through a state competition.  States were given points based on a number of factors including adopting the Common Core State Standards.

Like the rest of the country, Idaho signed on but received none of the federal dollars.  The consolation was that Idaho did not have to meet requirements of previous standards set by the No Child Left Behind Act.  This means that Idaho did not have to report any academic failures.

While Idaho Homeschoolers have been told that we will not be affected by Common Core, it is hard to believe.  Already SAT and ACT tests are being rewritten to align with Common Core.  If homeschoolers want to go to college, then they will be indirectly affected by Common Core Standards.

Also, while Idaho has been very open to homeschooling in the past, it will be interesting to see how things pan out now that the federal government is running education in Idaho.  But for now, Idaho homeschoolers are not required to conform to national Common Core Standards because we are not required to take standardized tests.

So future regulation aside, Idaho is perhaps one of the best places to homeschool in the world.  Because of the lack of government intervention, we are free to thrive.

More Posts in this Series:

Homeschooling in Idaho: Educational Field Trips

Homeschooling in Idaho: Support, Conventions, and Free Resources

Don’t live in Idaho? Starting July 1st, I’m joining homeschoolers across the nation to help bring you resources for all 50 states, plus a HUGE Homeschooling Giveaway with over $800 in prizes!

Make sure you’re subscribed or following on Facebook so you don’t miss it!

The post Homeschooling State by State: Homeschooling in Idaho first appeared on True Aim.

My daughters love geography.  I think it fascinates them to learn about how different the world is from place to place.  Most of all, I think they love making the connection of where they are in relation to where loved ones are, or have been.

Most of my family lives in Oregon and California, so when we received our Travels with Charlie book (affiliate link), I was please to see that it was the Way Out West book covering all the western states and not just Idaho.

We loved this interactive geography book from Blue Apple Books because it was a search & find book that gave us lots of fun facts and landmarks to find.  It’s a great book for younger children because it doesn’t give too many details and the pictures are really memorable.

We enjoyed our book out in the fabulous Idaho sun that shines almost everyday.  The girls enjoyed looking for Charlie the dog and talking about the different landmarks on the map.  I had them take turns finding all the things on the map and then helped explain each one to them.  They really liked the picture of Lava Hot Springs and want to make it their first Stay-cation destination.

Kid-Made Maps

After we read all about Idaho, we decided to paint our own map and the things from the book we liked best.  Of course we couldn’t let the good weather go to waste, so we took our painting outside.

I traced a large outline of our state on paper roll paper and taped it to the fence.  The girls used the book as a reference to put the places in the right spot on their kid-made maps.

It’s hard to get all of the amazing things about Idaho to fit in the confines of our little maps, but I think the girls did a great job.

If it wasn’t for the setting sun, they would have worked on their paintings all day.  I love the additions they made for things they love about Idaho like the sun, and of course Audrey’s heart for all the friends and family we have here.

Are you an Idahoan?  I’d love to chat about your favorite place to go in our amazing state!

Do you live in a different state?  What is your favorite thing about it? You can find your state below in the Booking Across the USA blogging series!

Be sure to like us on Facebook or follow us on Pinterest for more geography fun!

The post Booking Across America: Exploring Idaho with Kid-made Maps first appeared on True Aim.