To the Editor:
Did you know shampoo originated in India, or that China has only one time zone, or that Tuvalu is the second least populated country in the world? Did you even know Tuvalu was a country? You would if you attended the international fair put on by roughly 30 homeschooled children at the Newport Rec Center. Children ranging from 5 to 16 years of age presented what they’ve learned about 18 different countries, many dressing the part and showing off posterboards, PowerPoint presentations and interactive games of trivia. To top it off, they each served local foods like Turkish delights, Greek baklava, Belgium chocolate and Malagasy deep-fried bananas.
The Upper Valley Homeschoolers is a group of more than 100 active families in the region. Croydon was strongly represented by 10 of the 30 children with nearby towns like Wilmot, Claremont and Bradford also being represented. A couple of families even traveled from Chester and Springfield, VT. Most families practice independent learning at home or in smaller group settings. The larger group meets weekly for extracurricular activities like field trips, coding classes, book clubs, improv sessions or other family-led interests.
The international fair is a great example of how home-led education in the Upper Valley continues to evolve toward a more community-centric model.
— Aaron McKeon, Croydon
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