HOMESCHOOL 
DAY AT THE CAPITOL

Friday, March 3, 2023

Celebrate the freedom to homeschool with families from across the state.

Homeschoolers across the state of Arizona gather to meet and thank our legislators for the work that they do for our communities throughout the year. Through the years, this biennial event has led to countless coalitions being built with members of our government that share our vision and has softened many who had been previously opposed to our style of education. Homeschool Day at the Capitol has developed into a half day of learning and activities, while still achieving our goals of exposure to and gratitude for our public servants. Make plans now to join us for Homeschool Day at the Capitol at your beautiful Arizona state Capitol in downtown Phoenix!

High School Civics Workshop

9am-10am

Free workshop for high school students only. Join us to learn about Arizona Government and Citizenship

Speakers: Jeff Davis, Elizabeth Evans

Location: Historic Senate Chamber on the 3rd floor of the Arizona Capitol Museum

The Arizona Wildflowers

10am-10:30am

Enjoy a live performance by The Arizona Wildflowers. Enjoy this band of homeschool siblings who love Jesus, each other, music and rodeo.

Location:Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza

The Main Event

10:30am

Hear encouraging and timely messages from Arizona leaders and influencers about homeschooling, the educational system, and the government

Speakers:
Treasurer Kimberly Yee - State of Arizona
Kate Anderson - Alliance Defending Freedom
Aaron Kushner - Arizona State University
Cathi Herrod - Center for Arizona Policy

Invite Your Legislator
AFHE invites all representatives and senators to attend this event. We encourage you to also write to your legislators, thanking them for their service and inviting them to attend. Here is a link to email your legislators. https://www.azleg.gov/findmylegislator/

What to Bring
Be sure to bring a picnic blanket and/or camping chairs for seating at the event. We ask that those in camping chairs leave room up front for those sitting on blankets. Bring a picnic lunch, sunscreen, and plenty of water as temperatures begin to rise in March.

Where to Park
There are two main parking options. One is the parking lot east of the Capitol and in front of the House and Senate. Take the 7th Avenue exit from I10 and head south and then west on Washington which merges with Adams and the parking lot will be on your left. The other option is behind the Governor’s Tower which can be reached by taking the 19th Avenue exit from I10 and taking 19th Avenue south and then turning east on Washington. Here is a link to a map of parking options.

Kimberly Yee

Arizona Treasurer

Kimberly Yee is the State Treasurer of Arizona. She is Arizona's chief banking and investment officer and oversees the cash management of Arizona's $63.28 billion state budget and payments to agencies, local governments, and schools. Treasurer Yee is also the Administrator of the AZ529 Education Savings Plan and serves as an advocate for financial literacy in Arizona. Treasurer Kimberly Yee is the first Asian American elected to a statewide office in Arizona’s history. She is also the first Chinese American Republican woman to win a major statewide office in United States history. Kimberly Yee was elected to the Arizona Legislature in 2010 and served as the Senate Majority Leader. She was the second woman elected as Senate Majority Leader in Arizona’s history, following U.S. Justice Sandra Day O’Connor who served in the position in 1973. With eight years of experience in the Arizona Legislature, as well as four years working for the Arizona State Treasurer’s Office as a staff member, Treasurer Yee brings a unique perspective to this important financial leadership role for Arizona.

Kate Anderson

Senior Counsel and Director, Center for Parental Rights
Alliance Defending Freedom

Kate Anderson serves as senior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom, where she is the director of the Center for Parental Rights. Since joining ADF in 2015, Anderson has focused on protecting the conscience rights of individuals being unjustly compelled to forfeit their beliefs under threat of government retaliation, heavy fines, or other punishment. In Country Mill Farms v. City of East Lansing, she has defended the constitutionally protected right of a farmer to express his beliefs without fear of losing his license to serve customers at the city’s farmer’s market.

In 303 Creative v. Elenis and Amy Lynn Photography Studio v. City of Madison, Anderson has counseled creative professionals in pre-enforcement challenges to laws that would force them to promote messages contradicting their core beliefs. In R.G. and G.R. Harris Funeral Homes v. EEOC and Downtown Hope Center v. Municipality of Anchorage, Anderson argued that all Americans should be free to rely on what the law says and that redefining “sex” to mean “gender identity” creates chaos and is unfair to women and girls. Her litigation practice also includes Privacy Matters v. United States Department of Education, one of several ADF challenges to the Obama-era federal mandate that denied students, parents, and community members the fundamental right to bodily privacy.

Prior to joining ADF, Anderson was an associate attorney with Ellis, Li & McKinstry, PLLC, in Seattle, where she litigated both civil and criminal cases. She served on the trial team in Stormans v. Wiesman, a pivotal case in defense of freedom of conscience for pharmacists in Washington state. Anderson obtained her law degree magna cum laude in 2009 from Gonzaga University School of Law, where she served on the Gonzaga Law Review. Anderson is admitted to the state bars of Arizona and Washington, the U.S. Supreme Court, and several federal district and appellate courts. 

Aaron Kushner

School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership
Arizona State University

Aaron Kushner is a Lecturer in the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership at Arizona State University. He is also a homeschool graduate. 

Cathi Herrod

President
Center for Arizona Policy

Cathi Herrod has been with Center for Arizona Policy (CAP) since January of 1997 and has served as president since 2005. She is a champion of the pro-family movement, and an award-winning public policy leader. Arizona newspapers have recognized her as one of the ten most influential leaders at the Capitol. Cathi is the recipient of the Family Champion Award from Focus on the Family and the William Wilberforce award from Students for Life of America. Since CAP made its first appearance at the state Capitol in 1996, 200 CAP-supported measures have been passed. 

Jeff Davis 

Program Director of Civic Education
Arizona State University

Jeff Davis is a Program Director of Civic Education in Arizona State University’s Center for Political Thought and Leadership. In this role, Jeff has been hosting professional development workshops for K-12 educators to learn about how the Educating for American Democracy Roadmap can be used in their classrooms to strengthen civic education. Prior to his current role, Jeff taught in the Social Studies department at Mountain View High School in Mesa, Arizona for 18 years, with his classes including government, history, economics, and comparative politics, while coaching the school’s Model United Nations team.

Liz Evans

Program Director of Civic Education
Arizona State University

Liz Evans is a Program Director of Civic Education at Arizona State University with over two decades of experience in civic education and 17 years of classroom experience. Liz works with K-12 teachers to strengthen their knowledge of civics to achieve student success, and does outreach for civic organizations in Arizona and the US.  Her previous work included managing programs in all states west of the Mississippi River for the Bill of Rights Institute. She has a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, Early Childhood Development and a Master’s in Secondary Education, History from Northern Arizona University. She is a National Board Certified Teacher.

The Arizona Wildflowers

The Arizona Wildflowers are a bluegrass band of homeschooled siblings who love Jesus, each other, music and rodeo. Come and enjoy these talented young musicians as they play their way into your hearts with their musical skills and entertaining personalities.  You don't want to miss this.