| Concerned about extra-curriculars for your | | | | without attending. Often private schools welcome the |
| homeschooling child? If you plan to continue | | | | opportunity to add homeschoolers to their team |
| homeschooling through high school, you may have | | | | rosters as well. |
| considered your options for how to address sports, | | | | Don't assume your child will be unable to play his or her |
| clubs, graduation, newspaper club, etc. | | | | sport on an organized and competitive team. Take the |
| Before trying to reinvent the wheel, check out your | | | | time to pursue your options. We have seen many |
| local homeschool support groups to learn about | | | | homeschool students go on to college on athletic |
| homeschool activities they may have already | | | | scholarships as a result of a diligent and committed |
| established. Many groups offer homeschool sports | | | | parent. |
| teams, homeschool drama clubs, homeschool choirs, | | | | Choir-many areas have local choirs or chorus |
| homeschool debate teams, etc. Homeschoolers also | | | | opportunities. My homeschool daughter joined the local |
| often establish teams to compete in national math and | | | | public school chorus to gain experience and now can |
| science competitions. | | | | choose to also participate with our county chorus or a |
| But if you are starting from scratch, be sure to spend | | | | local music school choir. |
| some time organizing, pulling people together who can | | | | Band-another one where there can be many |
| help, and setting up your plan of attack before you | | | | opportunities. Look into your local 4-H club, a local |
| jump. This will help to avoid the frustrations that so | | | | music school, private and public schools in the area, or |
| often result in burnout and the end of a great idea. | | | | a county band. Don't hesitate to check into your church |
| With technology where it is today, homeschooling | | | | band as well. Often churches forget to recruit young |
| activities are easy to coordinate and you can create a | | | | members, but welcome them enthusiastically. |
| sense of community among homeschool students with | | | | Leadership-leadership comes in many forms. If you do |
| just the click of a button. Better yet, you can have a | | | | not have a homeschool support group nearby, find |
| newspaper or homeschool literary club with | | | | other ways for your child to take on leadership roles. |
| contributing members from all around the world. | | | | As a high school student, I had the opportunity to start |
| And as technology continues to make our world | | | | a children's choir in my church, to teach Sunday School, |
| smaller, look ahead to ways you can use the | | | | and to serve as an assistant softball coach through |
| developments to your homeschooler's advantage. | | | | our community sports organization. These were all |
| Some great places to start are activities that add that | | | | leadership activities that not only looked great on a |
| element of "setting themselves apart" to your child's | | | | college application, but also served to build my |
| transcript. Homeschool activities list. | | | | character and confidence in my own abilities. And |
| Honor society-the National Honor Society won't admit | | | | working with younger children is an ideal way to build |
| homeschoolers, but a home school honor society | | | | leadership skills in a child who is otherwise fairly |
| exists if you're willing to get one going in your | | | | introverted. |
| community. Check out for Eta Sigma Alpha Honor | | | | Student Government-A student who participates in |
| Society. | | | | student government is one who is seen as a leader. In |
| Yearbook staff-are you part of a homeschool group? | | | | a school setting, this individual helps organize student |
| Take your own pictures and allow your kids to put | | | | events, works with school leadership to make changes |
| together a 'yearbook." A yearbook creates lasting | | | | or improvements in the school, finds ways for the |
| memories and gives your child that sense of belonging. | | | | student body to make a difference in the community, |
| With digital photos and on-line publishing options, | | | | and more. You can achieve this same valuable |
| designing and printing a yearbook is now easy! There | | | | experience with a homeschool support group. And it |
| are a number of other on-line programs (such as and | | | | looks fantastic on a college application. Have your |
| that will allow your group to work from any computer | | | | homeschool student government association take |
| with an Internet connection to contribute to your | | | | charge of planning field trips, finding ministry |
| yearbook. | | | | opportunities, organizing events . . . your kids can do an |
| Sections to include:i) Class picturesii) Sportsiii) Clubsiv) | | | | outstanding job of this and lift some of the burden |
| Field Tripsv) Ministriesvi) Eventsvii) Group Photosviii) | | | | from your shoulders. |
| Friendsix) Awards & Accomplishmentsx) | | | | Another fantastic way to provide student government |
| Community Service Projects | | | | experience is through the Student Governmental |
| Literary journal-If you have a writer in the family, what | | | | Affairs program (sgap.com). With this program, your |
| better way to showcase his or her abilities than to | | | | student receives a monthly legislative newsletter, The |
| write for a literary journal. Check out for your | | | | Student Forum, which contains nonpartisan, non-political, |
| opportunity to contribute to a homeschool literary | | | | factual information about issues under discussion in |
| journal. | | | | Congress. The highlighted topics are geared to the |
| Newspaper-If your student is interested in writing or | | | | interests of teenagers and are age-appropriate in both |
| journalism, check into your local smaller newspapers. | | | | the material presented and writing style. I used this |
| When I was in high school, I was able to secure a | | | | material as a foundation for my student government |
| weekly column in our local newspaper where I had the | | | | class with great success. My students would discuss |
| opportunity to write for an audience every week. It | | | | and debate the issues and express their opinions to |
| was a terrific experience that forced me to think | | | | their elected officials. It was inspiring and opened their |
| critically about the events around me and to do my | | | | eyes to the incredible amount of legislation that is |
| research before writing my article. I am so grateful for | | | | enacted into law every month in this country. Two of |
| my parents' confidence in me and encouragement to | | | | those kids have now gone on to college to study |
| pursue my interests in ways that were meaningful. | | | | political science-one I am convinced will someday |
| Sports-check with your local homeschool support | | | | serve as our president! |
| groups. Many areas have homeschool sports team | | | | There are so many unmentioned activities not listed |
| that compete against one another or against smaller | | | | here. Drama, chess, science, photography, foreign |
| private schools in the area. Be sure to also look in to | | | | language, environmental, nursing, math clubs-you name |
| community sports and premier sports clubs in your | | | | it, you can create it (even with just two members). If |
| area. | | | | your child has a specific interest, find someone willing |
| If you have an aspiring athlete, your local premier | | | | to join them and start your own club. |
| sports clubs are one great avenue as many colleges | | | | With most of these suggestions come tremendous |
| and universities do their recruiting from premier teams | | | | opportunities for scholarship funding. Be sure to |
| and tournaments. | | | | question the financial aid office at the colleges and |
| In many states, public schools will allow homeschoolers | | | | universities you are considering to learn more about |
| to participate in sports-some require your child to | | | | the scholarships they offer to students who have |
| attend at least one class; others allow them to play | | | | been involved in these extra-curricular activities. |