These are the session descriptions for the 2024 APHEA Convention. This page will be updated as we continue to finalize everything! When we have the final schedule, we will post it here on the website too.
Rick Green – Founder of Patriot Academy
Restoring American Exceptionalism One Family At A Time
With passion and humor, Rick outlines the timeless principles of liberty which allowed America to become the most successful nation in history; not perfect, not infallible, and certainly not indestructible, but something exceptional & extraordinary… truly unique in all of history. Rick and his kids will share powerful stories and principles from Legends of Liberty throughout history and then leave the audience with specific action steps for applying those principles to our personal and family lives while preserving them for future generations.
How America Can Again Be One Nation Under God?
In this most popular of Rick’s presentations, Rick shares a look at our founding fathers, our courts, and our founding documents to take a historical perspective on the current debate regarding whether or not our nation was founded on Biblical principles and how that founding should affect current public policy, whether our faith should be part of both our private and public lives, and if so, how to restore us as a Nation under God.
Raising Leaders with Moral Clarity in a World of Moral Relativism
Homeschooling parents are well aware of the shocking statistics of how many of our kids walk away from the faith and values upon which they were raised. The world around them has embraced moral relativism. If the Biblical values that built western civilization are to be restored, the next generation must be equipped to be counter-culture revolutionaries for truth, justice, and the old American way.
Raising Positive Kids in a Negative World
Let’s face facts. There is a culture war going on for your child’s heart and soul. With the internet, on demand entertainment of every variety possible, and online gaming bombarding our children and attempting to make an assault on their minds daily, what are parents to do? In today’s ever-changing economic and social climate, how do parents find the balance necessary to positively raise their children? Zig Ziglar, success coach to multiple generations & mentor to Rick Green, devoted much of his career providing so many golden nuggets and guidelines that we still need today to face life’s parental challenges. Rick & Kara Green give much credit to Zig’s Biblically based, scientifically sound strategies in helping them to raise children who remained teachable through the “teenage” years and now the Greens want to share Zig’s wealth of wisdom with a new generation including YOU! While there is certainly not any kind of perfect, magic formula for raising kids, these strategies will absolutely, positively improve the relationships in your home.
Teaching Civics in a Fun & Purposeful Way (yes, you can do both!)
Government, history, economics…these topics usually put students AND parents to sleep, yet they are some of the most important things we’ll teach if we expect the next generation to be good citizens and preserve the republic. In this presentation, Rick shares tips and methods for bringing history and civics to life, keeping it fun, engaging the students, seeking truth, and making the lessons count for generations to come.
The Power of Purposeful Communication Skills
Regardless of the particular passion God has placed in your child, being successful in any profession depends greatly upon the ability to communicate effectively. As a leader, one must learn how to speak the language of your audience and present your message in a way that allows them to perceive and understand the exact purpose of your communication. In this workshop, Rick will give students and parents specific tools and skills to start them on a road to mastering effective communication skills.
Nathan Macias – Executive Director of Patriot Academy
Let No One Look Down On Your Youthfulness
“Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe” 1 Timothy 4:12. In this powerful workshop, young adults are encouraged to look beyond the limits of their age and strive to be an example of excellence to everyone they meet.
Renton Rathbun – Center for Biblical Worldview at Bob Jones University
How Biblical Worldview IS Critical Thinking
Some view biblical worldview as a nice addition to a curriculum if there is extra time. This fundamental misunderstanding of biblical worldview shaping stems from the idea that critical thinking is possible without biblical worldview shaping. Because of the demands and scope of critical thinking as a discipline, biblical worldview is absolutely inherent in providing real critical thinking skills.
Can the Wrong Textbook Harm my Child? Guidelines for the Right Textbook
The act of teaching is really the act of teaching a worldview. The textbook (which is at the heart of the curriculum) presents a worldview. Sometimes even Christian textbooks present poorly constructed worldviews while secular textbooks present well-constructed poor worldviews. In this presentation we take a hard look at the characteristics of effective textbooks.
Walking Away from the Faith: the Public University and our Children
There have been many news articles about unrest and political activism in the public university. There have also been many stories of students leaving the faith after attending public universities. What are Christian homeschoolers in for when they embark on attending such a place? After numerous years of teaching in public colleges and universities, I will lay out the challenges that Christian homeschoolers will face, as well as biblical strategies for preparing them for those challenges.
Hanna Sims – NETworkers TEC – Children’s Track Speaker
Miracles in the Bible
Are miracles like magic tricks? Why haven’t I see a miracle today like parting the Red Sea? Does that mean that miracles don’t happen? This workshop will teach kids the purpose of miracles like God did in the Bible so they will realize the message He was wanting to communicate through them.
Scripture Memory Tips
Learn over 15 tips that make memorizing easy, fun, and memorable. These tips are taught in the context of memorizing Scripture but can be used in school and beyond. This advice comes from my personal Scripture memorizing journey in 3 different Scripture memorizing programs, helping me memorize over 1,000 verses in less than 6 months.
Science: How to know God is Real
Be a detective and investigate clues that God has given us in the universe that help us know that He is real. Kids will learn how things in science (like the second law of thermodynamics and DNA) show that God is the Creator/Cause of the universe, as well as the Smart Designer.
New Testament Reliability
The Bible is not a book written by old dead guys a long time ago. Learn what kind of testimony the authors of the New Testament left behind that shows that it is true, as well as how the message of the New Testament has been preserved for us to know today.
How we know Christianity is True?
The difference between Christianity and all other religions/beliefs is that Christianity is 100% true. The event that makes Christianity true is the resurrection of Jesus. This workshop will introduce kids to the study of apologetics (defending the faith) and evidence that shows that Christianity is true and that Jesus is God, the risen Savior.
What is truth?
We live in a post-truth culture. Every day our kids hear messages that teach them things like “share your truth”, “feelings are more important than truth”, “you can decide what’s true”, and “it’s truth for you, but not true for me.” In this workshop, kids will learn what truth is, how to recognize and discover truth, and tactics for combating a post-truth culture.
Other Workshops
5 Tools to Help your Children Think Well and Develop Understanding – Come hear about the tools that teach your children how to think well and develop understanding of any subject, topic, or trade.
Calling all future drone pilots! –Come fly a drone and learn some of the laws for flying your drone in Alaska. (flying for ages 12+)
How to Homeschool Free from Regulation –Have you ever asked whether you could graduate your child independently? What about teach a younger child or a child with special needs? Perhaps you’ve wondered whether you could write your transcript? Can I really issue a diploma to my child? Will they still have opportunities when they graduate? Join us as we explore the practical and legal sides of independent homeschooling in Alaska without government oversight, portfolio reviews and teacher meetings. Bring your questions as we explore these topics together.
Yes to Charlotte Mason and Classical From a Former Checked-Out Student –Despite being an avid reader as a child and devouring hundreds of history-related books, Julia Nalle, co-author of BiblioPlan, dreaded history in school. To her, history classes were a barrage of boring lectures and endless dates. Come listen as Julia shares her personal journey and how God changed her heart concerning history. Those changes have influenced her to rethink the importance of not only how we teach history, but who and why? In this session, Julia will offer 10 reasons why she believes studying history in the Charlotte Mason and Classical style of history using living books and engaging textbooks is vital to your child’s education!
How to Write and Self-Publish a Children’s Book –I love books, especially children’s books! Like most moms, I have read hundreds of books to my own kids over the years. I realized that I have stories to share with children too. And last year I was able to self-publish my first picture book! I will share my experience from story idea to book reality with you. You’ll learn about different story formats for a variety of audiences as well as how to make a storyboard with illustrations and text placement. It’s a fun and creative process that I can’t wait to share with you!
How to Teach Ordinary Subjects in Extraordinary Ways Utilizing STEM Kits – We will teach parents how to enroll in the free STEM kit program, order kits and curriculum and use the kits to teach ordinary subjects in fun and exciting ways.
U.S. Flag Folding and Display –Learn how to appropriate display the United States flag and receive hands on instruction on how to properly fold it.
Ladies Only: Encouragement for Homeschooling Moms –Two veteran homeschool moms offer encouragement and wisdom from their experiences. Lori is still in the midst of homeschooling her seven children. Stephanie graduated her fifth child in 2022, completing her 26 year homeschool career. Light snacks provided.
Strong Families, Strong Homeschools – Values and Individualized Learning – Are you tired of trying to piece together your year based on FB posts? Are you worried that the curriculum YOU love won’t resonate with your child? After hours and hours of research is a caffeine headache all you have to show for it? This workshop is designed to help you navigate past the difficulties and frustrations of putting together the best homeschool program for your family. Leslee will take away all the guesswork with 5 steps that will provide you with the confidence and excitement you need to have a spectacular learning year! Whether you are new to homeschooling, or you are a veteran who needs a refresh, learn how you can strengthen the foundation of your homeschool and strengthen your family!
Homeschooling Gen Z: How they Think and Why it Matters – Young people continue to consent to and even affirm culturally acceptable sin. LGBTQ+, Social Justice Theory, and Critical Race Theory are not just movements, they are a unified way of thinking. In this talk, we discover the root of this thought process that has groomed Gen Z into doubting God, redefining Christianity, and ultimately walking away from the faith. We discuss three biblical principles to respond with as we educate, train, and prepare this generation for a world that hates God.
Build an Amazing Homeschool Transcript –Don’t fear the high school years but learn little-known information that can give your student an edge.There is only ONE secret ingredient to giving credibility to a homeschool transcript. If you don’t know it, author Jean Burk will share the answer in this incredible lecture. Discover the insider criteria that Harvard uses to judge applicants and why summer break needs to be more than just a vacation. Learn the differences between AP, Dual Enrollment, and CLEP courses and the pros and cons of adding them to your schedule. Find out about the 3-Tier credit plan, so you can correctly build a portfolio that will impress any admissions counselor. If your kids are planning to go to college, you cannot afford to miss this engagement.
Raising Self-Sufficient Kids –Learn how everyday useful food science and physics principles help your children become self-sufficient now and better prepared for living safe and effective lives with their own families. Strategies for encouraging them to take confidence generating first steps will be presented, along with course offerings Beakers & Bricks offers which are designed for this purpose.
Multi-Age, Multi-Grade? All Together without Mom Losing her Mind! –Are you longing to find ways in your day to bring all your children together around the table? Do you need refreshing tips that show you how to combine subjects in a way that meets the needs of all your children? Are you wondering which subjects you can do together? Spend some time with Julia Nalle as she shares numerous practical helps for teaching history, literature, writing, Bible, geography, art, science and more across multi‐age levels drawing from both a classical style and a Charlotte Mason approach.
Whole Grains 101 Made Simple –All you want to learn about whole grains
1. The incredible health benefits of whole grains rather than conventional commercially milled flour
2. How to bake with freshly milled whole grains
3. How to stretch your grocery dollars with real food, especially grains
4. The long-term benefits of eating from God’s great garden grains
The Secret of the Watermelon –A fun story of a boy who visits his grandfather’s farm and learns an eternal lesson about watermelons!
Bleeding Control and First Aid (11+) – We will be discussing some basic bleeding control skills such as direct pressure, tourniquets, and wound packing. Additionally we will be including some other basic first aid topics such as epi-pen use and then general patient assessment. We will include more advanced topics such as splinting as time allows.
Teaching Special Learners –Homeschooling can seem so simple. You did well in school, and usually behaved yourself well enough, so how hard can teaching be? Buy a whiteboard and dry-erase markers, hang a wall map and some posters in your dining room, and go to work. But then real life intervenes. Your wiggler and your giggler can’t seem to settle; books and worksheets send your struggling reader into orbit; your otherwise complacent children raise the flag of revolt; and you find yourself face-planted before the Lord. What happens when your children don’t fit the mold? Join Julia Nalle, mother to three adopted and two biological kids, co-writer of BiblioPlan and teacher for 35-plus years, as she facilitates an honest and heartfelt discussion for parents who are scratching their heads over their struggling or special needs learners. In this session she will discuss some of the reasons why your child may be struggling and share practical, fun strategies for helping your child.