- removed 217 pounds of pollution out of air,
- saved 62 trees from being cut down,
- saved 14,842 kilowatts of energy from being used to produce new paper,
- saved 7.24 barrels of oil,
- saved 13,394 pounds of lumber from being made into virgin paper,
- saved 86,880 gallons of water, and
- saved 11.6 cubic yards of landfill space.
New Study Shows Homeschoolers Succeed in College
Note: You can view the actual study referred to here.
Contact: Ian Slatter, Home School Legal Defense Association, 540-338-8663
PURCELLVILLE, VA, August 3 /Christian Newswire/ – Last week, a study titled “Exploring Academic Outcomes of Homeschooled Students” was released and showed that homeschooled college students significantly outperformed their peers. “This is great news for the homeschool community,” said Michael Smith, president of HSLDA. “Once again, homeschooling parents have shown they are more than capable of preparing their children for all aspects of life,” he added.
The study covered homeschoolers from 2004-2009 at a mid-sized college in the upper Midwest. Among the major findings:
Homeschooled students earned a higher first-year GPA (3.41) when compared to other freshman (3.12).
Homeschooled students earned a higher fourth-year GPA (3.46) when compared to other freshman who completed their fourth year (3.16).
Homeschooled students achieved a higher graduation rate (66.7 percent) when compared to the overall student population (57.5 percent).
Other research has shown that parents spend on average $500 per child, per year to homeschool. In comparison, the average public school spends over $10,000 per child, per year. Homeschooling is proving itself everyday to be a credible and cost-effective method of educating children.
Other examples of homeschool success can also be found in the college preparatory area. Patrick Henry College Preparatory Academy, which conducts online AP* classes with a Christian worldview, released its results today for the May 2010 United States Government and Politics AP* Exam.
Reported scores for homeschooled students who studied with PHC Prep averaged “3.75″ on a scale of 1-5 (with 3 being a pass). Last year’s national average for the same exam was “2.78.”
As millions of children go back to school in the next few weeks, it’s important to remember the hundreds of thousands of homeschool families (representing over 2 million homeschooled children) who are achieving amazing results on a fraction of the budget.
*Advanced Placement and AP are registered trademarks of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.
Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) is a 27-year-old, 85,000 member non-profit organization and the preeminent association advocating the legal right of parents to homeschool their children.
Blog @ August 10, 2010 | Homeschoolers Did It! | Comments (0)
Virginia Homeschooler Finalist in Rubberband Contest
Benjamin Dabney, a 12-year-old homeschooler from Radford was recently named one of the top two finalists in the Science and Engineering Category of the 2010 Rubber Band Contest for Young Inventors. His invention, the “ElastiBed,” is an easy-to-use framework for mosquito netting he hopes will help prevent malaria and save lives in developing countries. Read more about the contest here.
Below is a pictorial explanation of the “ElastiBed,” followed by a press release with more details.
A hearty congratulations to Benjamin!
A PICTORIAL EXPLANATION BY THE INVENTOR
My invention, the “ElastiBed,” provides a safe sleeping haven for children and infants in developing countries by protecting them from the harmful effects of mosquitoes, the primary carriers of the deadly disease malaria.
When a mosquito net is draped over the cube and tucked under the edges, this invention will keep mosquitoes out so kids have a bug-free place to sleep during the night.
The “ElastiBed” is a framework structure that consists of 12 pieces of PVC piping that fit into specially made sockets with rubber bands strung through, to make a cube. (These PVC sockets provide rigid joints and are the corners of the structure when in use.) The rubber bands are critical to this invention, keeping the cube flexible, allowing it to collapse and expand as needed.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RUBBERBAND CONTEST FOR YOUNG INVENTORS ANNOUNCES RADFORD YOUTH AS A 2010 FINALIST IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Benjamin Dabney (12 years old) from Radford, Virginia, was recently named a finalist in the 2010 Rubber Band Contest for Young Inventors. His invention, the “ElastiBed,” was chosen as one of two finalists in the Science and Engineering Category of this national competition. Sponsored by the Rubber Division of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the Akron Global Polymer Academy, and the University of Akron, this competition encourages students in grades 5-8 to demonstrate their creativity and ingenuity by creating an invention that incorporates the use of rubber bands.
Using rubber bands as a key component, Benjamin’s “ElastiBed” was designed to help fight the spread of the deadly disease malaria among children and infants in developing African countries. Mosquitoes, which attack their victims at night as they sleep, are the primary carrier of malaria in those countries.
The idea for the “ElastiBed” came after Benjamin read an alarming article in Scientific American, which explained that even though a variety of organizations are sending mosquito nets to developing countries by with the intent to provide a safe sleep haven, many mosquito nets are used improperly or simply not used. Beds with high frames and posts are rarely seen among the majority of the population. Roll-up mats or low-framed beds are common. Because of this and the lack of overhead supports in the thatched roofs that dominate the region, there are no convenient locations to hang the nets. In addition, many standard mosquito nets are bulky, making their use in the relatively small homes a time-consuming and laborious task, both during set-up at night and take-down in the morning.
In essence, the “ElastiBed” is a collapsible frame structure, easily put up or taken down, that provides a framework for mosquito nets to be draped over. The contest required rubber bands to be an integral part of any inventor’s design. In this case, the rubber bands serve two purposes: ease of setup and storage, and structural size flexibility, allowing nets of various sizes to be used.
When a mosquito net is draped over the cube and tucked under the edges, Benjamin’s invention, to quote the young inventor, “Will keep mosquitoes out so kids have a bug-free place to sleep during the night.” In the morning, all that needs to be done is to take off the net, collapse the frame, and store it until it is needed again.
More information on the competition can be found on the following websites:
http://www.nmoe.org/rubberband.htm
http://rubberbandcontest.org
Additional information is also available from Gay Evans, Assistant Executive Director, National Museum of Education.
Address: 80 W. Bowery Street, Suite 305, Akron, OH 44308
E-mail: info@nmoe.org
Web: www.nmoe.org
Phone: 330-376-8300
Fax: 330-376-0566
Please feel free to contact Benjamin by email at dcdmail@hotmail.com, or by phone at 540-731-5281, if you would like to talk with him further.
Katherine Loop @ March 24, 2010 | Homeschoolers Did It! | Comments (0)
The Wilds’ Homeschool
Portsmouth, VA – Julie Wilds and her two homeschooled daughters–Gabrielle, age 8, and Meredith, age 6–have a mission: 12 River Star School plaques on their wall by the time the girls go to college.
After seeing Princess Elizabeth of the Elizabeth River Project give a presentation and learning about River Star Schools and the Youth Recognition program, the Wilds were inspired to make a positive impact on the environment and their home river.
Gabrielle and Meredith began collecting recyclable trash and channeling it into the recycling stream. The results are impressive! So far, these two young ladies have
“We started collecting recyclable paper from our neighborhood as a homeschool project. It was also a way to help Gabrielle cope when she saw local trees being cut down, which saddens her immensely. Even if the old tree is a danger to homes or wires, it brought her to tears,’ says Mrs. Wilds.
“Here in Swimming Point, SPSA doesn’t offer us many options in paper recycling as we are clumped together with the business recycling in Olde Towne. They will not pick up cardboard, chipboard, magazines, catalogs (which fill our mail slots daily), etc. So Gabrielle, Meredith, and I started collecting on the first Friday of every month. We take our Jeep with our trailer around the neighborhood and collect whatever anyone puts out for us.” According to Mrs. Wilds, the tiny clean-up crew began in October 2007 and have since collected over 7,200 pounds of paper that would have gone into the landfill. “We take our paper to the Tidewater Fiber Corporation in Chesapeake to add to their fiber piles,” she says.
“We and our neighbors save our paper products throughout the month. Our house alone can fill the large garbage can that our city provides us with each month. No garbage, just paper products,” explains Mrs. Wilds. “We can see our impact on the landfill by each trailer full of paper we take to recycle. There are only about 14 households that regularly donate, so we could do much better–but we are thankful for those who do participate! The project takes only about three hours a month, yet it has made a huge impact on the environment and on how people feel about recycling in Swimming Point.
annemiller @ January 28, 2009 | Homeschoolers Did It! | Comments (0)
Former Homeschooler Tim Tebow Led Florida to the National College Championship!
The Florida Gators, led by former homeschooler Tim Tebow, won the BCS championship NCAA game January 8! The Florida Gators beat the Oklahoma Sooners 24-14.
The commentators loved Tim Tebow! They gave his Christian testimony for him throughout the game! They talked about his strong faith, his good character, his leadership skills as quarterback of the Florida Gators, and the respect everyone who knows him has for him. During the game, they discussed his family’s missionary background, including where he had been on the mission field and how he had served the needy by feeding children in third world countries and living in a leper colony.
The commentators mentioned his homeschool experience several times. They even talked about Florida’s homeschool laws that allowed him to play on a public school sports team, leading to his outstanding college career and winning the Heisman Trophy last year–the first sophomore ever to win the Heisman.
John 3:16 was painted on his face for the world to see. Then at the end during the award presentations, he thanked Jesus Christ for the victory! What a great witness for the Lord!
Homeschoolers are shining! Like the national spelling bees and geography bees, sports are a showcase for the success of homeschooling!
Yvonne Bunn
P.S. Mom’s may wish to read “Mothering Tebow: Scripture & Faith Are Her ‘Secrets’ to Parenting Tim Tebow, Mom Says” for a glimpse at the training Tebow received at home.
Yvonne Bunn @ January 13, 2009 | Homeschoolers Did It! | Comments (0)