Homeschoolers love getting together, buying new curriculum, and most of all, learning. A grand homeschool opportunity will soon arrive, because the Chicago Homeschooling Expo will be here from August 5-7, 2010, at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center, in Schaumburg, Illinois.

For those new to homeschooling, there will be a “Homseschooling 101” session. Here you can have all those questions answered that new or potential homeschoolers ask, i.e., “Where do I start?, Will my child(ren) be lonely?, Which curriculum do I chose?,” and so many others.

Randi Dennis, Director of the Home Educators Encouragement Alliance (HEEA), the folks who are hosting the conference, will lead a session on “Bringing Children Home and Decompartmentalizing Your Life.” Randi has homeschooled seven children, six have gone to college and she’s still homeschooling one.

Christine Field, author of “Homeschooling 101: the Essential Guide” will answer the most asked questions for beginning homeschoolers. Christine and her husband homeschooled their four children in Wheaton, Illinois, and two of them have graduated homeschool high school.

Other featured speakers are Susan Wise Bauer, author of “The Well Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home,” an excellent session for those who are giving their children a classical home education, and Todd Wilson, a homeschooling dad, and author of “The Official Book of Homeschooling Cartoons.”

A “Kidzone” will also be available, for children 4-12 years of age, with a story teller, fire safety instructor, and science lessons. Other activities for children are a rock climbing wall and game tables.

Exhibitors will have booths and tables. If you have a Chicago business or a national one and want to reach a large audience, you might want to rent a booth. Many curriculum vendors, bookstores and others with family friendly products will sell their goods at the expo. Details on how to sign up are on the Expo website.

If you live in the Chicagoland area, you may want to get away with your family for a long weekend. The accommodations at the Schaumburg Hotel are affordable and family friendly; amenities include an indoor pool, exercise room, whirlpool, in-room movies and a full business center. A less expensive option is to only attend the day sessions. Children’s admission is free on Friday and Saturday.

Since the Chicago Homeschool Expo isn’t until August, their website is a work in progress; check it often for updates.

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