Phoenix Convention Center South Building
33 South Third Street, Phoenix 85004

You can homeschool! intro session
get started homeschooling w/special needs
ASVAB Career Exploration Test
convention discount
discount parking pass

FREE Mini-Conference for New Homeschoolers

If you are new to homeschooling or thinking about homeschooling, you are invited to join us for a FREE mini-conference the day before the AFHE Convention. Our team will present informative and inspiring sessions designed specifically for those who are considering educating their children at home or are just getting started.
♦ More information about Carrie, Pam, and Heather may be found at the SPEAKERS & WORKSHOPS page! ♦
  • Movement and Learning Go Hand in Hand (Heather Haupt) - Do you have one of those kids who can't seem to sit still? Do your kids or perhaps even you get easily distracted or sidetracked? Despite what the culture says, freedom to move amplifies learning. Come explore the scientific research behind the mind/body connection and how movement can be the key switch to turn your child ON to learning. But more importantly, discover how you can create a home that purposefully allows for movement in ways that maximize your family's learning and focus! 
  • How to Homeschool: Practical Steps for Getting Started (Pam Spinker) - This workshop is designed to answer the questions most moms have when considering and beginning their homeschool journey. Questions like, “How do I choose curriculum?”, “How do I schedule my day?”, “How do I school with littles?”, and more are answered in this interactive workshop. Participants will be writing down and working through their thoughts and ideas as each question is answered in a practical, implementable manner.
  • Homeschooling for Free (Well . . . Almost Free!) (Carrie De Francisco) - Focusing on the “wonder years” (preK-4th grade) but with advice for all elementary and secondary levels, Carrie DeFrancisco shares how to home educate for free (or for almost free), how to keep God and His Word at the center of your studies, how to protect your child's childhood from academic overload, and more. This session will help you keep the WONDER years WONDERful, full of awe and fun, and on a budget! If you are a parent of a primary or elementary student, a family on a strict budget, a parent wanting to have more meaningful experiences with your younger children, or a homeschool mom wanting to simplify her schedule, then this workshop is for you. 
  • AFHE Team - We will make sure you get the nuts-and-bolts information you need to begin homeschooling in Arizona. Learn about the legal definition of a homeschool, legal requirements, connecting with other homeschoolers, getting the resources you need, and other essentials.
Tell your friends who are considering making the switch to homeschooling!

THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2024
9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
No advance registration required.

YOU CAN HOMESCHOOL! is supported by these sponsors

AFHE is grateful for the opportunity to present this FREE mini-conference with the support of wonderful partners like these. These organizations understand homeschooling and want to help you get off to a great start! Please join us in thanking . . .

SEMINAR ADDRESSING SPECIAL NEEDS HOMESCHOOLING

AFHE presents a three-hour seminar focused on assisting parents who are at the beginning of the special needs homeschool journey. You will hear from special needs experts, one of whom has homeschooled her own child with special needs and one who has worked with hundreds of homeschool children in her pediatric diagnostic and therapy clinic. Their sessions will shed light on the realities and great potential of this journey!
important parking information below
Pamela Gates - Pamela Gates is a Certified Learning Specialist in Dianne Craft’s Learning System. She is a popular speaker at homeschool conferences, presenting workshops filled with practical, easily implemented teaching strategies and bringing hope to families with children who struggle with learning. As an Educational Consultant, Pam conducts personal consultations and tutoring services in the Denver area. As a homeschooling mother of six, Pam had a daughter with dyslexia who was unable to remember letter sounds or spell her name. Using unique, alternative teaching methods, her daughter overcame her dyslexia. She now has her master’s degree in early childhood education and development. 
Pamela's workshop: Identifying and Correcting Blocked Learning Gates  If you have a bright, hardworking child who has to work too hard to learn, he is telling you that one or more of his four Learning Gates is blocked. Find out specifically how the brain processes information, and where that processing can break down. A homeschooling mom with a Ph.D. in special education said that she learned more in this workshop about how kids learn and how to make learning easier, than she had in all her university courses! 
Lynn Carahaly, M.S., CCC-SLP - Lynn Carahaly is an accomplished, renowned Speech-Language Pathologist with expertise in apraxia and language-based learning disabilities. Lynn is the Executive Director of Foundations Developmental House, and has more than 20 years of clinical experience.
Lynn's workshops will address the topics of Autism and Twice-Exceptional students in the homeschool context. Session titles and descriptions TBA.
Bring a friend, spouse, relative, or support person to learn along with you!

THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2024
2:00-5:00 pm
FREE! No advance registration required.

PARKING INFORMATION FOR THURSDAY AFTERNOON - coming soon!

ASVAB Career Exploration Program Testing

Parents, this is a valuable opportunity for your high school student (grades 10-12) to take this highly regarded assessment. The ASVAB Career Exploration Program includes a validated aptitude test and interest assessment. As you and your student work on a plan for high school and beyond, you need all the facts about you child's skills and interests, the world of work, and post-secondary options to make informed decisions.

participation in this opportunity is an afhe member exclusive benefit!
details coming soon.

↓ click through the slides below for important event info ↓

CONVENTION ADMISSION NOT INCLUDED

Attendance at these pre-convention events does not include admission to the AFHE Convention Friday, July 12 and Saturday, July 13, 2024. On-site registration for the Convention will be open Thursday from 1:00-5:30 PM for those who wish to register while you're at the Phoenix Convention Center.

When you pre-register for the Convention on Thursday you can pick up your convention name badges, welcome bag (one per family), and convention program—and skip the check-in lines Friday morning!

FIRST-TIME CONVENTION ATTENDEES may be eligible for a discount on admission. Read the details and complete the request form at our REGISTRATION DISCOUNTS page.

CHILDREN

These mini-conferences are geared for training and equipping adults and take place during exhibitor set-up for the AFHE Homeschool Convention. For your child's safety and to allow you to gain the full benefit of these mini-conference sessions, we encourage you to make childcare arrangements, if possible.

Childcare is not provided. Nursing infants are always welcome.

If you bring your child to the Convention Center, he or she must remain with you at all times. As a courtesy to other attendees, we ask that you step out of the workshop room if your child becomes noisy or a distraction to those around you.

EXHIBIT HALL NOT OPEN THURSDAY

The Thursday programming takes place during exhibitor move-in, so the exhibit hall will not be open for shopping on Thursday.
 
Convention registration is required for exhibit hall entry on Friday and Saturday.

Exhibit Hall hours for registered Convention attendees:
Friday 10:00AM-6:30PM, Saturday 10:00AM-6:00PM

RECORDINGS

Recordings of the Thursday mini-conferences will be available for purchase. Take advantage of the on-site purchase price on Thursday or during the Convention, or visit the Resounding Voice website following the Convention at store.resoundingvoice.com.

PARKING INFORMATION

Parking is plentiful near the Phoenix Convention Center. AFHE's negotiated discount rate for the Jefferson Street Garage will be available for prepurchase later this spring on the CONVENTION ESSENTIALS page.

Visit dtphx.org for an interactive map with parking, restaurants, and road construction updates.

Parking garages closest to the South Building of the Phoenix Convention Center:
JEFFERSON STREET GARAGE | 333 E Jefferson Street, Phoenix
EAST GARAGE | 602 E Washington St, Phoenix


Want to attend the full two-day AFHE Convention? 
How does a $35 discount sound?

AFHE would like to welcome first-time convention attendees with a $35 discount for adult admission. Adult admission includes free spouse admission for married couples.

Adults who have never before registered for the AFHE Convention are eligible to request a coupon code. Current AFHE membership is required to receive this special offer.

Visit our Registration Discounts page to learn more and access the request form.
(Form available beginning March 26).