Advocates for Home Education in Massachusetts, Inc.

News & Events

Introducing Foreign Language Resources

Occasionally AHEM gets requests for resources in other languages. To meet this need, we have created a version of our FAQ in Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and French (with hopefully more languages to come)! You can find these resources  linked from the sidebar on our main FAQ page .

If you are proficient in another language and would like to help us get this information into even more languages, please fill out our volunteer form.

Getting Started Homeschooling Presentations

AHEM is happy to announce not one but two upcoming presentations this February, one in Orange and one in New Bedford. Both are free and open to all.

Whether you are actively homeschooling or are just looking into it, you are invited to join us as we discuss Getting Started Homeschooling in Massachusetts. These workshops will cover Massachusetts homeschool guidelines; writing your education plan; choosing a form of evaluation; dealing with local homeschooling policies and forms; a quick-start guide to choosing a curriculum, and more. There will be a discussion time to follow with opportunities to get individual questions answered.

Both programs will be presented by Roberta Van Vlack. Roberta is the mother of four children who have always been homeschooled and have all gone on to college and beyond. She's a board member of Advocates for Home Education in Massachusetts, moderates the Attleboro Area Homeschool group, and blogs about education at Letters from Nebby.

Presentation #1: New Bedford

Where: New Bedford Main Library, 3rd Floor Meeting Room, 613 Pleasant Street, New Bedford, MA 02740
When: Saturday, February 15, 2025, 10:00 am

This free program is made possible thanks to a generous donation from the Enable Hope Foundation.

Presentation #2: Orange

Where: Moore-Leland Library, 172 Athol Rd, Orange, MA 01364
When: Tuesday, February 18, 2025, 1:00 pm

This program is sponsored by the Moore-Leland Library.

Can't make either of these? Looking for something closer to you? AHEM is happy to come to your homeschool group or local library. If you have a group that would be intersted in having us come speak. you can contact AHEM directly, or if you think your local library would like to arrange a presentation, speak to them about getting in touch with us. If you are a librarian, please see this resource page just for Massachusetts librarians.

Homeschoolers and Library Usage

We love libraries and we hope you do too. We'd love to hear how you use your local library and what programming you'd like to see. Fill out the survey here.  The results of this survey will be shared with Massachusetts librarians via our new librarian page and our newsletter just for librarians. Thanks for participating!

Annual Homeschooling Policy and Practice Survey Results

Every year, AHEM sends out a survey asking homeschoolers across the state about their town’s homeschooling policies and about their interactions with school officials.

We use this information in two ways. As we answer questions through our One-on-One Contacts program, we refer to the database to see the experiences of other homeschoolers in a given town. The responses also give us a snapshot of homeschooling policy and practice trends over time so we can see if there are broad changes that are occurring across the state.

Below are some of the results from this year's questionnaire.

Regarding face-to-face meetings

In the last year, 95.33% of respondents reported that school officials do not ask for face-to-face meetings. Of those asked to meet, 30.77% choose to comply. Usually declining a meeting is as simple as saying “No, thank you,” or even ignoring the request. Read more...

The Year in Review 2024

As another year draws to a close, we at AHEM find ourselves grateful for the opportunity to walk with our own children through these formative years; for having additional time to listen and reflect on life; to learn and grow as families and a homeschooling community. AHEM is driven by the goal of supporting your family to nurture, learn with and support your children during these special years. It is a privilege to walk this path with you and we are grateful for your engagement with us!

Your support is crucial in helping us continue our mission of empowering individuals and fostering connections within our community. Join us in making a difference—every contribution counts!

Please consider AHEM when you are making charitable donations!

Read more ▸

Why and How to Get Connected

by Sophia Sayigh

It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself… - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Not-Back-to-School Picnic at Walden Pond circa 1999

In this day and age, homeschoolers represent a market. There are many businesses catering to homeschoolers’ needs—or perceived needs. When first starting out it can be especially tempting to sign up for a multitude of classes or experiences rather than putting your energy into a grassroots network such as a local homeschool support group. Before you know it, your days are filled with activity and you don’t look back.

The intangibles you’d be missing out on—real connection with other homeschoolers and personal empowerment—might be some of the best kept secrets of homeschooling, as well as what would sustain you on this path in the end. It’s worth putting some time and effort in, and yes, if shy, getting your courage up, to figure out how to insinuate yourself into a group of homeschoolers, rather than filling your day with activities that leave you with a busy day void of meaningful relationships. Read more ▸