Homeschool Conferences

How it Began

In the 1980’s and early 90’s, before the advent of the Internet, Catholic homeschooling was rare and marginalized. Many parents assumed that it was actually illegal. Dr. Mary Kay Clark, along with several homeschooling parents and priests, traveled the country putting on small conferences, sponsored by Seton, where parents could learn about what Catholic homeschooling was and how it was done. The seeds that they planted have blossomed into the robust Catholic homeschooling communities we now see all over the country. The conferences were not merely responsible for the growth of Seton, but also for the growth of Catholic homeschooling as a whole.

At a time when information was scarce and misinformation rampant, conferences were the means by which the fledging Catholic homeschooling movement was nourished and took wing. Even today, when homeschooling has become popular and information abounds online, conferences remain an important component of the success of Catholic homeschooling. Both veteran homeschooling parents and those just discerning whether homeschooling is the right choice can find encouragement, information, and community.

The Heart of the Vendor Area

Seton may no longer host specifically “Seton” conferences, but Seton is still usually the largest vendor at any conference. When you approach the Seton tables, usually the first books you see belong to the Pre-K program. From there, the books for each grade are set out in a large rectangle arrangement of tables with a check out table at one end, and an enrollment table at the other. All of the Seton Press books, and nearly every single book used in the Pre-K through 8th Grade curriculum are present as well as sample lesson plans.

At some conferences (those that are driving distance from Front Royal) have additional tables for Seton used books and a large variety of popular materials from the Seton Educational Media Catalog like Young Scientist Kits, Apologia Science, Bethlehem Books, Saxon Math, saint biographies, atlases, DVDs, Memoria Press Language series, etc. The largest Seton presence each year is at the IHM National Conference where the Seton materials cover 45 tables.

Save When You Enroll

Enrolling their children with Seton has become a very important part of conferences for many families. Many years ago, Seton started to offer a $30 per child discount at every conference. It began as a way to off-set each conference’s admission fee—to make it easier for Seton families to attend the conferences. However, even when conferences offer free admission, Seton has been happy to keep this discount available as yet another way to encourage families to attend conferences and be strengthened and encouraged in their mission to teach their children and pass on the Catholic Faith.