Small Steps Go Places ®: Check-in Time

Well, tomorrow The Toolbox Conference is happening. All of this thinking, talking on the phone, asking, appreciating and coming up with props will be utilized, happen and chewed on afterward. I really enjoy this process, and I feel great about the experience that both the kids and their parents will have. It is not going to go perfectly, and I have no idea where the loose ends will be. But, the joy, sharing, moments of aha, having to sit still and think at one place, and just go with it at another are well worth it. Hopefully the day will pass with no natural disasters or movie icon deaths; it's nice to have good karma. And, maybe one day in the distant future one of the kids who have then become adults will come up to me on the street and say, "I never would have thought of trying _____________ if I hadn't come to The Toolbox Conference." Unlikely, but a possibility.

This is the schedule. It looks like the cute little pictures of toolboxes didn't make it in the cut and paste, but you can imagine them.

The Toolbox Conference

The Toolbox Conference is an event hosted by Genevieve Griffin, who has homeschooled some or all of her three children, Emma, Margaret and Michael, for the past 7 years. Genevieve teaches Literature at the Upper Westside Homeschool coop that meets on Fridays here at The Church of St Paul and St Andrew. She also worked with two groups of homeschoolers who competed in the New York City History Day project. Before Genevieve and her husband, Michael, were lucky enough to become parents she developed interactive health education programs for The Door and The Trinity School. Genevieve strongly believes in experiential education!

Last year Genevieve hosted a Career Fair, which gave middle and high school-aged homeschoolers the chance to meet people from a wide variety of career areas, such as Screenplay Writer, Documentary Filmmaker, Lawyer and Acupuncturist. Although this seemed a useful and interesting experience she realized that an interactive experience involving skills, life experience and occupations would be more valuable. And, going to a “conference” offers a good experience, too. So, we have The Toolbox Conference!