The Alaska Private and Home Educators Association is a membership-based coalition of parents and others who have banded together for the furtherance of educational excellence through alternatives to the government-operated public schools.

Eagle River Christian Homeschool Association (ERCHA) is a local Christian homeschool support group in the Chugiak/Eagle River area. We offer encouragement, advice and fellowship for families who have made the decision to educate their children at home. We also welcome inquiries from people who are considering the home-schooling option.

We believe the ultimate responsibility for the care, training, and education remains with each child's parents (Deuteronomy 4:9; 6:1-25; 4:1-4). This is an inalienable right given by God, which the State cannot create, destroy, or alter. While others may be delegated to teach at times, the final responsibility and control for education remains with each child's parents.

We believe that as parents carry out the education of their children, it is their duty to do so in a manner that actively works to produce educational excellence, good citizenship, and godly character. We encourage parents to be familiar with and comply with Alaska State Law regarding home education. Click to download a copy of the law and a concise summary written by the Home School Legal Defense Association.

In 1987, the idea of homeschooling was, at best, a novelty relegated to hippies and "religious fanatics." When I mentioned to a group of medical students that I planned on teaching my 5 year old son at home one of them said, "Don’t plan on doing that in New York, you would probably be shot." It was in this environment that Mary McCarley started a homeschool mothers group that met once a month in the basement of the Grace Brethren Church. About twelve women gathered to support and receive support from one another. Education for the group came in the form of books written by John Holt, Mary Pride, Dorothy and Raymond Moore, Greg Harris and a few others. Magazines sprouted up such as Teaching Home and Practical Homeschooling Magazine. Curriculum was a hot topic of conversation. Some of the programs available were Calvert, Christian Liberty, ATIA, KONOS and ACE.

Although, initially, not homeschool-friendly Abeka and Bob Jones were also available. Swimming was the group activity to involve parents and children and the locker room was our other support group meeting place.

Tuesday Clubs are being organized! ERCHA members are invited to begin planning a club now or to sign up for one at the any ERCHA event or meeting. What is a Tuesday Club? They are members sharing with other member families ways to make a particular subject fun. Our clubs are held at Eagle River Grace Church and are run by ERCHA parent volunteers. They can focus on one particular topic of interest such as geography, math, Legos, sewing, Spanish, choir, drama, speech…well, you get the idea; just about any topic that would enhance your child’s education experience.

http://ercha.com/

ERCHA | PO Box 770430 | Eagle River | Alaska | 99577-0430


IDEA is the homeschool support program of the Galena City School District, serving the needs of students throughout Alaska since 1997. We are privileged to partner with homeschooling parents, providing resources and support to committed parents who individualize education for each child.

Join us on the dates above for a wonderful day or two learning about curriculum and homeschooling! If you haven't been to one of these homeschool conferences, it's hard to describe what a great surprise you have in store: inspiring talks, informative workshops, practical tips, supportive community, door prizes, and an exhibit hall of interesting learning materials, many with special Fair prices. This all takes place in a comfortable and stimulating atmosphere filled with hundreds of homeschoolers, all basking in the celebration of this richly rewarding way of family life! The staff at IDEA look forward to seeing you there and to once again serving the Alaskan homeschooling community in this way.

You can start the enrollment process by going to our secure server and entering family and student information. You will be contacted within two weeks for an interview which allows you to get to know us a little and have your questions answered, while we gather the information that we need in order to enroll your children.

In an effort to nurture the homeschooling lifestyle, IDEA has developed a section of the website to provide information related to homeschooling in general. Field Reps and parents contribute to a newsletter called "Homeschool Tips and Quips" that is sent to our families. We provide information on homeschool support groups around the state, and links to helpful information about homeschooling.

Skills Alaska - IDEA is the only state-wide homeschool support program to provide access to Skills Alaska, an online test-prep and skill development program that identifies specific learning gaps and provides tutorials to address those specific skills.

Subscription Sites - We have also purchased subscriptions to online programs for our families such as World Book Online, BrainPop and BrainPop Jr., Let's Go Learn, Enchanted Learning, netTrekker and Discovery Streaming. IDEA families are given the required passwords to access the great information, videos, games, and other resources at these sites.

http://www.ideafamilies.org

IDEA - Fairbanks
2157 Van Horn Road
Fairbanks, AK 99701
Phone: 907-374-2200 or 877-582-4332