Education Options held our first two EdOpt Expos at the Richards Free Library in Newport in August. While there are many things for us to learn, we’re off to a good start.
The best part was that all the attendees could point to something that they learned there. I know I was part of a few great conversations.
One multi-generational Newport family told us they are just realizing that their district school isn’t good. Newport academic performance is one of the lowest in the state and has been for a while. This family had no idea that they had any options. One of the survey comments — “So many options!” — may have been from this family.
There were 14 exhibitors across the two expos, with many exhibitors coming to both of them. We were honored that NH Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut joined us for the second expo, and that a few state reps came to one or the other expo: Vice Chair of the House Education Committee Glenn Cordelli, House Education Committee member Margaret Drye, and Judy Aron. Attendees milled around the room and talked with many if not all of the exhibitors. The beautiful Richards Free Library ballroom was the perfect size for this number of exhibitors. See the pictures below!
Statewide exhibitors included:
- Granite State Home Educators
- Educational Pathways (NH Department of Education)
- Children’s Scholarship Fund
- Parent Information Center (with a focus on special education)
Upper Valley regional exhibitors included:
- Upper Valley Homeschool group
- Trail Life
- Camp Constitution
- Micah Studios Learning Center in Newport
- Mount Royal Academy in Sunapee
- Newport Montessori School
- New England School of the Arts in Lebanon
- River View Charter School in Claremont – opening this year!
- 3rd Great Awakening in Newport
- River Valley Community College in Claremont
Five families attended the first expo, while the second one had more than twice that number — eleven! — with a buzz in the room the whole time. Their children spanned the age range, from toddler to teenager. Both parents and grandparents were in attendance.
EdOpt board members and volunteers welcomed attendees, got people signed in, and made sure attendees and exhibitors filled out surveys on the way out so we can improve future expos. They set up the room (some of the exhibitors helped too!), brought snacks and water for all, dealt with IT and other issues, and broke down everything at the end seamlessly. We have such a great team.
The key insights from the surveys include: (1) Weekday evenings work better than Saturday day. (2) All attendees had at least a college degree. We need to figure out how to reach others. (3) Many families have problems with their district schools for many reasons, including bullying, shared values, academic needs not being met. (4) Some families are interested in non-traditional pre-k options. (5) Some families already home educate their children. (6) Everyone learned something new.
We plan to have expos around the state. Stay tuned by subscribing to our email list and following our FB page. Finally, please share EdOpt info with your friends!
About EdOpt
EdOpt is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our mission is to provide information, support, and connections to families who want to explore education options. To do this, we hold expos in different regions around the state, connect people to the resources that will help them, and support families in creating learning environments that are suited to their children. Our board is made up of volunteers who do not take a salary. We accept tax-deductible donations to help us with our mission.
Let us know if you want to talk about education options for your family.
This article originally appeared in the EdOpt blog.
