Beyond Academics - A Note from HSLDA

There is more to life than algebra! You're preparing your children for life. They're developing enduring friendships, making memories, and building skills and hobbies that will last them for years. You want to make sure your child has the right opportunities and experiences to become a well-rounded adult. What are some of the resources available to homeschoolers?

Extracurricular activities

You can help your child obtain a well-rounded education throughout the high school years by involving him/her in several extracurricular activities. Planning these activities at the beginning of the high school years will maximize possibilities for the student to grow into leadership positions. Opportunities abound for employment, community service projects, church-related ministries, sports teams, orchestra, band, etc.—the list goes on and on. Check out your local support groups and state homeschooling organizations to investigate extracurricular activities that may already be organized. If nothing is currently organized in an area of interest, consider having your child initiate an activity that others may want to join! Choose extracurricular activities wisely, and assist your child in maintaining a healthy balance of academics, outside interests, and work. As your teen participates in extracurricular activities, consider recording them on an extracurricular sheet, and then add to the sheet each year of high school. Keep in mind that many college admissions officers prefer that students be involved wholeheartedly in several activities, rather than minimally involved in many activities.
Character and Leadership Training

* American Heritage Girls
* Awana
Emphasis on Scripture memory and discipleship and leadership training
* Boy Scouts of America
Training in leadership and citizenship
* Pioneer Clubs
Spiritual and personal development, evangelism, and discipleship
* Scripture Memory Fellowship
Scripture memory program and resources for edification and encouragement

Competition and Scholarship Awards

Many contests and competitions are open to homeschool students. Each competition or contest has its own eligibility requirements, so be sure to carefully comply with the stated rules and deadlines. Contests can motivate your student to write an essay, draw a picture, or even build a robot! With most contests offering monetary rewards, they are well worth the effort and offer an opportunity for your child to earn scholarship money. The College Board’s article, “Where the Scholarships Are: How to Develop a Scholarship Strategy,” provides helpful information as you begin to research scholarships.

Finding a scholarship might appear to be one of the mysteries of higher education. But it doesn’t have to be! Starting your search in the right places is the key, and the resources listed here will help you do just that. You’ll be amazed at what you might find—there are scholarships for just about every conceivable category. One HSLDA member family had a daughter who was a swimmer and had asthma. They actually found a scholarship for asthmatic swimmers. You just never know what’s out there. Happy hunting!

To learn more about competition and scholarship awards.
Military

* American Cadet Alliance
* Civil Air Patrol
* US Naval Sea Cadets Corp

Summer Camps

* Generation Joshua Summer Camps
Generation Joshua sponsors a Family/Teen camp during the summer providing lectures and discussions by inspiring and nationally known leaders explaining how your family can impact our nation for Christ in the political and civic arenas. The week includes plenty of time for fun and relaxation with activities such as horseback riding, hiking, rock climbing, fishing, swimming, arts & crafts,etc.
* Homeschool Science Academy’s Anatomy and Physiology weeklong camps
* JH Second Wind Camp
* PHC Teen Camps
Patrick Henry College's Teen Leadership Camps provide leadership training to high school students. Students learn how to apply a biblical worldview to issues of today in fields such as journalism, intelligence, and constitutional law.
* Probe Ministries
Weekend and week long apologetics and Christian worldview training for teens.
* Summit ministries
Teens learn how to understand ideas and answer major challenges to Christianity, develop a Biblical worldview, and are challenged to become leaders.
* Worldview Academy
A non-denominational organization helping Christians develop a Biblical Worldview. Training is provided in evanglism, apologetics and servant leadership.

Sports

* For Homeschool Sports Opportunities in specific states, see the State Resources page
* Homeschool Basketball
* Homeschool Football League.
* Homeschool Sports Network
Sports teams available and to be organized
* How To Start a Homeschool Sports Program
* Interscholastic Equestrian Association
* National Christian School Athletic Association (NCSAA)
Dedicated to promoting "Christ-centered excellence" in Christian school athletic programs, NCSAA is currently working with HSLDA to become a liaison between homeschoolers and Christian school leagues with this twofold objective: to convince Christian school leagues to allow the participation of homeschoolers (either as members of existing school teams or as separate homeschool teams), and to oversee eligibility and other issues that may hinder homeschoolers' participation in these leagues.
* National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
* National Homeschool Football Association
* National Homeschool Volleyball Tournament
* Play Ball! Homeschoolers Take the Field
This HSLDA article from the Court Report provides detailed information on the opportunites for homeschoolers to participate in sports.
* So, You Want to Play College Ball?

Friends

It’s understandable for parents to worry that homeschooling might limit their child’s friendships. But ask yourself, “What kinds of friends do I want my kids to have?” Attending school with several hundred other children rarely results in deep, lasting relationships. Homeschooling gives teenagers the freedom to make many friends, and the chance to cultivate those friendships in a mature way. Even families living in rural, less-populated areas quickly discover that homeschooling actually allows more time to get involved in community and social activities than attending traditional school does.

* The Best Kind of Socialization (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
* “Friends—God’s Gifts to Us”
* Rural Homeschooling and Place-based Education
* The “S” Word

Life skills

Preparing your child for adult life includes training in basic skills beyond the academics. For ideas, see the Life Skills Checklist, along with a list of resources. Also consider providing courses or experiences in some of the following areas.

* Driver's Education
* First Aid
Consider having your child take a CPR Certification course. These courses are usually offered through the American Red Cross or a local hospital.
* 4-H Clubs
* Local Cooperative Extension Courses
Local county governments sometimes team up with universities to offer practical courses to the community, which your student may be interested in taking as electives. Examples of cooperative extension classes include finances, savvy consumer techniques, home economics, Master Gardener certification, and nutrition. It may even be possible for you and your student to take a course together. To find out if such classes are offered in your area, try an internet search using your county's name along with "cooperative extension."
* Personal Financial Management
Have your child learn about setting up a checking account, considerations for buying a car, financing a college education, setting up a budget, and more.
o Money Matters for Teens
by Larry Burkett
o Complete Financial Guide for Young Couples: A Lifetime Approach to Spending, Saving and Investing
by Larry Burkett
o The World's Easiest Guide to Finances
by Larry Burkett
* Resume Writing & Interviews
o Creating Your High School Resume: A Step-by-Step Guide to Preparing an Effective Resume for College & Career
by Kathryn Kraemer Troutman
o Entry Level Resumes
Targets college students and recent grads
o Field Work Savvy: A Handbook for Students in Internship, Co-Operative Education, Service Learning, and Other Forms of Experiential Education
by Joan A. Milnes
o How to Write a Masterpiece of a Resume
o Interviewing Skills
by Tim Hindle
o Jobweb - Resumes and Interviews
o Resume Writing 101
o Say What You Mean on a Job Interview e-Study
o Standard Deviants School, Interviewing Progam 1: Getting Ready, VHS
o Student Resume Formats
o The Insider's Guide to Writing the Perfect Resume
* Resources
o Life Skills for Kids: Equipping Your child for the Real World
by Christine M. Field
o Life Prep for Homeschooled Teenagers
by Barbara Frank
o Survival Training: Life Skills for Young Adults Resource List (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Missions

Cross-cultural experiences will stretch your student physically, mentally, and emotionally and broaden his/her perspective of the world.

* Adventures in Missions
* Teen Missions International
* English Language Institute of China (ELIC)
* Youth With a Mission (YWAM)

Motivation

Help! My teenager doesn't want to do his schoolwork. He won't help around the house. He's so uncooperative. What can I do?

* I Hate School: How to Help Your Child Love Learning
by Cynthia Ulrich Tobias
* Age of Opportunity
by Paul David Tripp
* Romancing Your Child’s Heart
by Monte Swan
* Seven Tools for Cultivating Your Child's Potential
by Zan Tyler

Time Management

How do I squeeze into 24 hours all my high schooler's subjects, her extracurricular activities, time with my other children, attention for my husband, making dinner, and doing laundry? And how do I teach my teenager to manage her time more efficiently?

* Personal Time Management Tool
* Senior High: A Home-Designed Form+u+la
by Barbara Edtl Shelton
* Time Management Tips for High School Students
* Help for the Harried Homeschooler : A Practical Guide to Balancing Your Child's Education with the Rest of Your Life
by Christine Field
* Homeschooling at the Speed of Life: Balancing Home, School, And Family in the Real World
by Marilyn Rockett
* A Mom Just Like You
by Vickie & Jayme Farris
* Flylady.net

Volunteering
The teenage years provide an opportunity for your teen to begin a lifelong practice of serving others. These sites will provide you ideas on where and how to begin.
Work Permits

When children begin working outside of the home, many parents are confused by employers’ requests for permits, especially when told that the work permits must be issued by a public school official. Any homeschooler can go to his or her local school district to get a work permit in any state. Some private schools are issuing officers as well, and in some states a homeschooler can get the permit from the state (Michigan is one of those states). Hourly work restrictions and occupation prohibitions can also be confusing. Most states do not have an exemption for students who graduate early. For more information and details on work permits, see “Getting Permits Might Take Work” by J. Michael Smith, HSLDA President.

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