Lee Binz is The HomeScholar, www.thehomescholar.com. Her mission is “helping parents homeschool high school.” Lee and her husband Matt homeschooled their two boys, Kevin and Alex, from elementary through high school. Upon their graduation, both boys received four-year, full tuition scholarships from their first choice university. This enables Lee to pursue her dream job - encouraging parents to homeschool their children through high school. Her free mini-course, “The 5 Biggest Mistakes Parents Make When Homeschooling High School,” (http://www.thehomescholar.com/5mistakessignup.php) is a great introduction to high school essentials. Her free homeschool newsletter provides monthly encouragement and support. Her free homeschool ebook, "7 Secrets to Homeschooling Through a Financial Storm", will help you save money homeschooling. Her e-book “The Easy Truth About Homeschool Transcripts” teaches parents how to create high school transcripts for every homeschool style. You can get a daily dose of high school help at her homeschool blog, The HomeScholar Helper, recently voted as the "best homeschool business blog." For help, please call 1-888-Lee-2Help, or email Lee@TheHomeScholar.com

My Mission Statement

I help parents homeschool high school. I have a three core beliefs about homeschooling that drive my business: 1. I believe that homeschooling provides the best possible learning environment. 2. I believe that every child deserves a college-prep education, whether or not they choose to go to college. 3. I believe that parents are capable of providing a superior education to their children. I am not a certified teacher. I do not judge your homeschool or evaluate your children. I am just an experienced homeschool mom who has been where you are and lived to tell about it! I have the knowledge you need to succeed in homeschooling high school and beyond! Call me (1-888-LEE-2HELP) and let's talk about how I can help you!

Honorarium

Travel expenses, hotel if needed. Honorarium negotiable.

Past Engagements/Seminars

"Washington Homeschool Organization Convention" Puyallup, WA - 6/2009

"OCEANetwork Conference" Portland OR - 6/2009

"Clark County Home Educators" Clark County, WA - 2/2009

"Pacific Northwest Homeschool College Fair" Bothell, WA - 10/2008

"WATCH Conference" Seattle, WA - 8/2008

"Pacific Northwest Homeschool College Fair" Bothell, WA - 10/2007

Presentations

College Scholarships for High School Credit

Find - Filter - Format - Follow through - File How to find private scholarships and filter out the scholarships that won't help you. Learn to format them into an easy-to-use notebook. Hear tips that will encourage your student to follow through with the applications. I'll teach you how to file them into your homeschool transcript. You'll learn the benefits of winning AND non-winning applications, and I'll provide tips on other ways to afford college.

Finding a College

How to search for a college with college fairs, college tests, and internet searches. Why you should visit a college, and what you are looking for. Using college visits to improve your application essay. What are the basics of writing college application essays?

Getting the BIG Scholarships

Colleges as a business: aim low. SAT preparation, plan a rigorous curriculum, documentation from outside sources, finding a college that loves you, specialization and recommendation letters, application essay tips, going “over the top” with record keeping.

Gifted Education

Homeschooling is a challenge, especially when students are academically gifted. Lee discusses the challenges of homeschooling gifted children, elementary through high school. You will learn strategies that will help you plan, as you balance their social and academic needs. Don't be afraid to homeschool your gifted children, as they will thrive in the freedom that only homeschooling can provide!

Grades and Credits

How to give grades when you don't give grades” - how homeschoolers evaluate their children, and how to translate that into something colleges will understand. Many ways of determining high school credit values.

High School Testing

High school level tests: SAT, PSAT/NMSQT, ACT, PLAN, SAT II. College level tests: CLEP, AP (Compass if there is time.) The emphasis is on the advantages of homeschooling in high school tests.

Homeschool High School for Excellence

The secrets of homeschool success explained! How to plan a rigorous curriculum, keep high school records, emphasize specialization, prepare for college admission exams, make a transcript, and document learning from outside sources. Planning for college should begin in middle school. You will receive a handy one-page Planning Guide to take home!

Homeschooling College

Why homeschool college, the pros and cons of community college, CLEP exams, and AP exams.

How to Afford Christian College

Learn the concrete strategies that will help you afford a Christian college. Learn Biblical principles and promises related to the cost of college. Learn to "seek first the Kingdom" - and then seek a Christian college. You will learn where to look for scholarships, both big and small. Find out how you can save money feel confident as you look at the cost of college. Miracles happen every day, they can happen for you, too!

Making a Transcript

Record Keeping, why make a transcript, determining high school credit, what to include, naming courses, assigning grades, general suggestions on how to make a transcript, advantages of a homeschool transcript. How you write course descriptions or a comprehensive course records.

Preparing to Homeschool High School

Do not be afraid, subjects and materials, planning lessons, how to assign grades, record keeping, high school tests, socialization and specialization, independent homeschooling, plan to succeed in college. 3 hours.

Record Keeping

In this course you will learn four record keeping strategies that homeschoolers can choose, and the strengths and weaknesses of each method. . You'll learn what things you need to keep, and why you should keep them. You'll find out what you can DO with records one you keep them; make a transcript, a reading list, and course descriptions. It provides an overview on how to write course descriptions.

Publications

What is a Real Homeschool Transcript?

Your home made homeschool transcript may not be accredited, but it can be all you need to gain admission to colleges.

Bizymoms.com 2009

Nightmare on Math Street?

Do you dream about geometric proofs? Do you love solving complex equations in your head while going about your household chores? Do you get giddy at the thought of integrals and derivatives?

Bizymoms.com 2009

What About College?

It's a common question, often posed by skeptical friends and family. When homeschooling high school, the question "what about college?" becomes more pressing. Intuitively, parents know that if they attempt to homeschool high school – and somehow fail – there will be nobody to blame but themselves.

Bizymoms.com 2009

Nutty Homeschool Parents

After this year’s National Spelling Bee, someone asked me, “What kind of a crazy parent has their child spell nutty words all day?” The great kind of parent! The kind of parent that allows their child to follow their interests, EVEN when it involves spelling nutty words all day!

Bizymoms.com 2009

Facing the Crossroads

Every parent eventually faces the decision on whether to continue homeschooling through high school, or put their child back in a classroom setting. Understand the significance of this choice in this article from Lee.