Gregg Harris was one of the key figures involved in bringing the modern homeschool movement to Iowa! He shared the message of delight-directed home education in our state as early as the 1980s, and he has continued to bless countless parents & young adults for decades more as a dynamic proponent of Christ-centered parenting & discipleship. Gregg is Director of Noble Institute, a non-profit study center through which he presents intensive, life changing seminars for entire families. His emphasis is on marriage and family reformation, intergenerational household leadership and management, educational reform, family business strategies, and time management. Gregg’s own household has followed these principles for over 40 years. He is the father of seven children and six grandchildren. Three of his sons are now bestselling authors. [Gregg’s oldest son, Joshua, is the author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye, Boy Meets Girl and Dug Down Deep. His twin sons, Alex & Brett Harris, are coauthors of Do Hard Things and Start Here.] But his family has also been touched by sorrow. His beloved wife, Sono Sato Harris, passed away in July of 2010. In spite of this great loss, he & his children continue on in the work she loved. You may follow the Harris Household at Noble Institute. Gregg was the keynote speaker at the very first NICHE conference in 1993 -- and again in 1996. Now, we're bringing him back to Iowa once more to witness what God will accomplish through Gregg's timeless, life-changing messages!
Gregg Harris
Todd Wilson
Todd Wilson We're excited to bring back another highly popular speaker, Todd Wilson, founder of Familyman Ministries and author of Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe, Help! I’m Married to a Homeschooling Mom, and The Official Book of Homeschooling Cartoons. Todd is a dad, writer, conference speaker, and former pastor whose humor and gut-honest realness have made him a favorite speaker at homeschool conventions nationwide and a frequent guest on Focus on the Family. Todd, and his wife Debbie, homeschool their eight children in northern Indiana and travel around America in the Familyman Mobile. You can visit Familyman Ministries at www.familymanweb.com
Diana Waring Rounding out our exciting 2013 keynote line-up is the effervescent & enthusiastic history expert Diana Waring. She is a popular speaker and author of Beyond Survival, Reaping the Harvest, and a world history curriculum, History Revealed. Diana and her husband, Bill, homeschooled their children through high school -- providing them with the real-life opportunitites to learn how kids learn. Diana has since traveled the world speaking and touring with her husband and grown children to share her passion: the belief that the key to education is building relationships. You can find more about Diana at www.dianawaring.com
Diana Waring
Becky Cooke and her husband Jim homeschooled their three children from kindergarten until college. She enjoys using the skills she learned to equip parents to teach their children through the high school years – and to enjoy doing so! After sending her children off to university, Becky helped develop HSLDA’s Homeschooling Thru High School program, including its high school website. Becky primarily provides personal consultation and friendly advice with a listening ear to HSLDA members who have homeschool questions and concerns about college admission and testing. Becky has spoken to numerous local homeschool meetings and dozens of state-wide and regional conferences. She has co-authored articles on high school topics for homeschool magazines, “how-to” brochures, and monthly high school email newsletters that reach homeschooling families nationwide. Becky and her husband live in Virginia, and their children are now enjoying careers in law, software development, and medicine. http://hslda.org/highschool/
Jan Bedell, was a desperate mom who became a life-changing professional. She once struggled as a mother of a mentally-challenged young daughter, which led her on a life course to become a certified teacher with a master's degree and a Certified Master Neuro-developmentalist. Jan began her professional life with a love for children and a deep desire to give them the best academic start possible. Jan’s mission is best described in her own words, “I’m especially drawn to anyone (children, teens, and adults) who are ‘falling through the cracks’. Children or adults with learning inefficiencies struggle unduly, acquire low self-esteem, rebel, drop out of school and populate our prisons, leaving families anguished and torn apart. My deepest heartaches have been the struggles of thousands of my clients dealing with special needs issues while my greatest joys emanate from the answers the neuro-developmental approach can bring.” She now works with Little Giant Steps: Neurodevelopmental Innovations. http://www.littlegiantsteps.com
Kathie Morrissey, wife to Alan, is the mother of eight children and a homeschooling mom of twenty-seven years. Her heart's desire and passion as a parent is to know God personally and to help her kids develop a love for God. Her goal is to help and encourage other parents, too, as they try to raise their kids to have Godly character and to walk in purity. She also loves to inspire and motivate through her blog and through speaking at homeschool conferences, mother/daughter banquets, and church seminars. Kathie's ministry is called Courtship Connection -- but she offers resources and instruction of a much wider range than that name might imply. http://courtshipconnection.com
Scott Woodruff, a follower of Christ since his conversion in 1971, earned his juris doctor degree from the University of Virginia in 1980. After working for John Ashcroft, and subsequently a major regional insurance company, Scott came to work for HSLDA in 1998. He is a member of the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States, and licensed in Virginia and Missouri. Scott has assisted thousands of home educating families in dealings with social workers, police officers, truant officers, principals, superintendents, and prosecuting attorneys. He has represented HSLDA members in court, and appeared before many state legislatures to fight against repressive homeschool legislation. Scott is a frequent speaker at homeschool conferences and on radio programs across the country, and he currently handles legal issues for HSLDA members in Iowa and eleven other states. Scott and his wife, Jane, homeschooled all three of their children. http://hslda.org
Nancy Bjorkman was once the ultimate homeschool skeptic, but now, after 20+ years teaching her own four children, she has become the resource and information lady for many – and a champion of the cause. She is a certified teacher and has spoken at homeschool conferences in 10 states. Known for her enthusiasm, energy, and encouragement, she loves practical topics such as meal management, avoiding burnout, homeschooling through high school, and using games to make learning meaningful. Though she stays busy as a support group leader and now bookstore owner, her favorite times are spent talking and laughing with her family at the dinner table. Having graduated all four of her children Nancy has found it exciting to have graduated herself from being mentored to being a mentor for other homeschool families. She and her husband own a homeschool resource store and catalog business in Elk River, Minnesota, where they delight in ministering to the unique needs of homeschool families year round. http://www.legacyhomeschool.com/index.php
Jay Seegert, our Teen Track speaker, was raised in a strong Christian home and accepted Christ as his savior while in grade school. His entire family attended a very biblically-sound non-denominational Bible church, where they were all involved in various ministries. He graduated in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics (UW-Whitewater) and an Associates of Science degree in Engineering Technology (John Brown University). His initial interest in apologetics, especially creation science, began while he attended UW-Whitewater in 1985, largely due to the fact that all of his professors were evolutionists and some were atheists. It was there that he wrote his first paper on creation science and gave his first lecture (to the university’s Physics Club). Over the past 26 years, he has spoken in numerous churches, conferences, secular schools, Christian schools, universities and various other venues. Jay has been married to his wife Amy for 19 years. They have a son, Taylor (16) and daughter, Tori (15). Jay and Amy have been members of Spring Creek Church (Pewaukee, WI) for 15 years and are supported as national missionaries. http://www.cecwisc.org
Serving Families Homeschooling in Iowa - Since 1992 Network of Iowa Christian Home Educators - niche@homeschooliowa.org - (515) 830-1614 - (800) 723-0438 in Iowa
