Frequently Asked Home School Questions - Support Groups & Activities

How can I reach a contact person for a support group near me?

DNPE does not gather or provide that information.  Click on North Carolinians for Home Education (NCHE), and then on "Local Support"; or call that private non-profit organization in Raleigh at (919) 790-1100. 

Such information can also be acquired by contacting Families Learning Together (FLT) or Homeschool Alliance of North Carolina (HA-NC).

Is there a distinction between support group activities & academic instruction? 

There are no North Carolina laws governing home school support groups, their meetings or their activities. 

There is, however, a statutory definition of a home school.  It is found in G.S. 115C-563(a).  It is based not on where the school meets but on from whom the student receives his/her academic instruction.  Each home school must adhere to that definition at all times in order to avoid local prosecution for a compulsory attendance violation. 

For that reason and because of potential insurance liability to owners of the buildings in (property on) which support group activities are conducted as well as to support group leaders themselves, DNPE offers these suggested guidelines for support groups: 

(1) Never use support group meetings as vehicles for providing "academic instruction" exclusively and directly to students.  Traditionally, academic instruction includes language arts, math, science and social studies.  Instead, provide student enrichment activities such as sports, music (band, choir), art, computer, drama, stage productions, keyboarding skills, various mechanical or homemaking skill enhancements, photography, contests, field trips, various fun activities, etc. 

(2) Don't call support group meetings/activities "classes."  Instead, refer to them as learning or group "activities", field trips, etc. 

(3) Support group meetings/activities should not be held more than once a week. 

Also, see "Home School Guidebook, Home School Academics ."

Statewide/Regional Conferences, Conventions, Book Fairs, Workshops, Meetings:  Are there any conducted exclusively for home school parents?

Yes, there is a statewide home school convention complete with numerous workshops and a large book fair sponsored each spring by North Carolinians for Home Education. 

That organization also conducts regional workshops each fall for home school support group leaders and disseminates information about various county or area-wide home school book fairs, etc. held throughout North Carolina.  Click on NCHE or call (919) 790-1100 for details about these types of activities. 

In addition, Families Learning Together offers regular family-centered gatherings in camp settings that allow families to informally discuss home schooling with others in a relaxed atmosphere with daily activities planned for the entire family. 

Homeschool Alliance of North Carolina sponsors a Love to Learn Conference which is open to all homeschoolers and provides a variety of speakers and sessions on a wide array of homeschooling topics. Speakers volunteer their expertise and conduct their sessions in an inviting environment for the sharing of home school information.   This organization also offers an on-line forum to facilitate networking and the sharing of information among North Carolina home schoolers; and organizes gatherings for the whole family at various places around North Carolina.