Here we have archived the speakers, vendors, and schedule for 2014.
This conference is co-hosted by the
Illinois Association of Roman Catholic Home Educators.
FREE ADMISSION!
North Central College – RRC Building
440 South Brainard St.
Naperville, IL 60540
Friday July 25th, 2014 @ 2:00pm to 8:00pm
Saturday July 26th, 2014 @ 9:00am to 4:00pm
This conference is for everyone, not just homeschooling families. All religious are especially welcome.
Our 2013 Conference was a remarkable success having grown by 25%! Making the conference free obviously helped more families to attend, so we are happy to continue offering free admission. Make sure you sign up to receive email updates about the conference by entering your name and email address in the form on the right-hand side of this webpage. We have great speakers like Dr. Ray Guarendi lined up this year, and a special performance by the West Suburban Home School Band (see below). We hope to see you there!
A special performance of “Hymns and American Favorites”
by the West Suburban Home School Band
will occur on Friday, July 25th at 4:30 – 5:00pm.
Please come out to support these very talented homeschool students!
 Mrs. Elizabeth Yank received a B.A. in English from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. A mother of seven children, she has been homeschooling for over twenty years. One of her daughters is a member of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary.Articles written by Mrs. Yank have been published in Faith and Family, National Catholic Register, St. Anthony Messenger, Canticle, mater et magistra and other Catholic and homeschool publications. She also has her own blog at http://coolstuff4catholics.blogspot.com/. In 1991, she founded the Greater Milwaukee Catholic Home Educators. The group continues to grow with over 170 families. Mrs. Yank and her husband Raymond currently reside in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin. |
 Dr. Ray Guarendi is a homeschooling father, clinical psychologist, author, public speaker and a radio host. His experience includes school districts, Head Start programs, mental health centers, substance abuse programs, inpatient psychiatric centers, juvenile courts, and a private practice.Dr. Guarendi has been a regular guest on national radio and television, including Oprah, Joan Rivers, Scott Ross Prime Time, 700 Club, Gordon Elliot, and CBS This Morning. He’s appeared on regional radio and television shows in over 40 states and Canada. He has been the program psychologist for Cleveland’s Morning Exchange, Pittsburgh 2-Day, and AM Indiana. He has written several books, including You’re a Better Parent Than You Think!, Back to the Family and Discipline That Lasts a Lifetime. |
 Mrs. Colleen Billing is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor’s degree in Speech and Interpersonal Communication and a minor in the teaching of English. After teaching high school Speech and English for several years in the city of Chicago, she retired to start her family, and is currently in her 14th year of homeschooling her own 5 children.One of Colleen’s life-long dreams of helping others live a peaceful, clutter-free life, was realized in 2006 when she started her own professional organizing business called, Peaceful Interiors. In addition to helping people organize their homes, Colleen is also a National Conference Speaker who encourages thousands of parents all over the country, and gives tips for organizing every area of their homes and lives. She has also served as a retreat master, workshop organizer, radio-guest on several national radio programs, and has been featured in multiple video episodes for ‘Women’s Forum’, an online community for women featuring tips on parenting, living a healthy lifestyle, and getting organized!. Colleen has been married to her husband Andrew for 22 years, and they are both permanently professed members of the Franciscan-based community, the Brothers and Sisters of Charity. |
 Mr. Everett Buyarski is the Academic Department Director for Kolbe Academy. He grew up in Southeast Alaska, and received his BA in Philosophy from Gonzaga University. While at Gonzaga he spent two years in the college seminary and successfully discerned that he was not called to the priesthood. Before starting with Kolbe in 2008; he taught high school math and science in rural Idaho.In addition to managing the academic department at Kolbe, Everett also handles advising in the areas of theology, math, and science, and teaches 10th grade theology online. Everett speaks on a variety of topics, including Faith & Reason, Science Education, Social Justice, the Principle of Subsidiarity, and Sacramental Theology. Everett and his wife Melissa have 3 young boys, and live in American Canyon, CA. |
 Mrs. Colleen Hammond is the author of Dressing with Dignity, and was a former On-Camera Meteorologist for The Weather Channel, a model, actress and Miss Michigan National Teen-Ager. Colleen lived the “American Dream” and found it to be a nightmare! While working in television, she reverted to the Catholic Faith. The moment their first baby was born, Colleen “saw the light” and abandoned her highly successful career in television to become a stay-at-home-mother. Currently heard as a host of “St. Joseph Radio Presents”—available to 85 million people worldwide on WEWN—Colleen has also been asked to host a television talk show in Dallas, which may soon be syndicated. Colleen is an award-winning writer, radio and television talk show host, educator, comedienne, and mother—all rolled into one! Acclaimed for her versatility, she delivers an enduring message filled with down-to-earth wisdom, inspiration, and humor. Colleen brings a fresh and creative approach to living joyfully, and has helped thousands of people every year to make positive and virtuous changes in their lives. A frequent speaker at conferences, retreats, and parish events, Colleen addresses such timely issues as marriage, children, family, and values and virtues. Groups appreciate her real-life solutions to tough problems—presented with compassion, warmth, and a lively interactive style. Colleen, her husband, and their four children currently reside in North Texas. |
 Mrs. Virginia (Ginny) Seuffert, a native New Yorker and mother of 12, has been homeschooling for over 20 years! While in New York, Mrs. Seuffert lectured, debated, and wrote a number of articles for the Pro-Life movement. After moving to Illinois, she became a founding member of the Network of Illinois Catholic Home Educators, helped establish the “Round Table” (a Catholic home school leadership discussion group), and became a founder and officer of the Catholic Home School Network of America.In addition to appearing on EWTN, she has been a guest on numerous radio shows, lectured at Catholic family conferences all over the United States and Canada, and has authored several articles on such topics as home education, teaching children the virtues, and household management. The Illinois Press Association awarded her first place honors for a column she wrote defending traditional family values in a local newspaper. The Seton Home Study School Newsletter regularly features her columns, and recently Seton Press published her first two books of a series, Ginny’s Gems: Home Management Essentials and Ginny’s Gems: 10 Essentials for Teaching Your Preschooler at Home. |
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IHM accepts vendors by invitation only; if you would like to be considered to be a vendor at the IHM Chicago Conference, please send an email to our Vendor Coordinator at vendors(AT)ihmconference.org
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| Vendor Name and Description | Table Number and Hometown |
| Belmont Abbey College At Belmont Abbey, you will find a campus that is physically beautiful, an atmosphere that is friendly, and classes that will stimulate your mind, cultivate your spirit, and gladden your heart. At the Abbey, your classes will be small. Your professors will know you by name. You will get to know your classmates well and they will get to know you. You become part of the Catholic intellectual tradition that founded the world’s first universities and that continues to animate many of them today. You also partake of the Benedictine tradition of learning and holiness that has been a light to individuals and to nations for 1,500 years. |
1 Table Belmont, NC |
| Elizabeth Yank “Beth’s Books” Homeschooling mom, Elizabeth Yank, will be selling a variety of homeschool materials and books: fiction and nonfiction for children and teens, picture books, easy readers, classics, science, history, religion, saints and more. Many popular series and publishers, Landmarks, Childhood of Famous Americans, Eyewitness, Usborne and many more. |
3 Tables South Milwaukee, WI |
| Christendom College Recognized as one of America’s premier Catholic Liberal Arts colleges, Christendom offers its students a fully Catholic education, integrating Faith and Reason, while immersing them in a vibrant and joyful Catholic culture steeped in the ageless traditions of the Church. |
1 Table Front Royal, VA |
| Colleen Hammond | 1 Table |
| College of St. Mary Magdalen The College of St. Mary Magdalen remains one of only 20 colleges in the U.S. to be named to the Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College. The College offers a classical liberal arts education–through its Great Books Program–that is rooted in Catholic social teaching and is loyal to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church. |
1 Table Warner, NH |
| Dr. Ray Guarendi | 1 Table |
| Illuminated Ink Unique, educational, Catholic games, toys and craft kits. |
8 Tables Colfax, WI |
| Immaculate Heart Books Catholic religious items. |
6 Tables Amherst, WI |
| Kolbe Academy Kolbe Academy Homeschool provides curriculum and books that are CATHOLIC — loyal to the Magistrium, CLASSICAL in approach, IGNATIAN in method, and FLEXIBLE in practice. |
2 Tables Napa, CA |
| Mary’s Books Publisher of “In The Footsteps of the Saints” –many used books– Catholic, fiction and history. As well as other Catholic items. |
12 Tables Amherst, WI |
| Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Recommended by the “Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College”, Our Lady Seat of Wisdom offers an excellent post-secondary Catholic liberal arts education of unmatched affordability in a small, vibrant, and faithful Catholic community. |
1 Table Barry’s Bay, ON, Canada |
| Seton Home Study School Seton is a full-service Catholic curriculum provider and the largest publisher of Catholic textbooks in the English language. Serving around 15,000 enrolled students, Seton assists families by providing books, lesson plans, grading services, counseling services, and a wealth of online resources. At the conference, we are offering a $30 per child discount on enrollment (grades 1-12). |
18 Tables Front Royal, VA |
| St. Augustine Academy Press |
2 Tables Lisle, IL |
| Stone Tablet Press Teach your children to read with the Little Angel Reader Catholic phonics program. Readers and workbooks use proven teaching methods, and include Catholic, Bible, saint stories along with child-appealing folktales and family stories. Over 90 phonograms taught with plenty of practice, grades K-2. |
1 Table Wildwood, MO |
| Teaching Textbooks Math curriculum specifically designed for homeschoolers. Math 3 through Pre-Calculus. Teaching Textbooks is an approved alternative Math course for Seton Home Study School. Certain conditions apply; contact Seton high school counselor for details! |
3 Tables Oklahoma City, OK |
| Thomas More College | 1 Table Merrimack, NH |
| University of Dallas The University of Dallas is a Catholic institution that seeks to educate students to develop intellectual and moral virtues, to prepare themselves for life and work, and to become leaders in the community. Through intensive teaching, interactive discourse, and critical analysis, the university promotes truth, virtue, and wisdom in the liberal arts and professional studies. |
1 Table Irving, TX |
| University of Mary | 1 Table Bismark, ND |
| Usborne Books Usborne Books, the U.S. distributor of Usborne and Kane Miller publishers, provides high quality books for children of all ages. Usborne Books are bright, colorful, and interactive, inspiring students with curiosity and the desire to learn. Kane Miller brings stories from around the world to touch the heart. |
2 Tables Naperville, IL |
| West Suburban Homeschool Band WSHSB membership includes 170 homeschooled students, age 9-18, alumni and parents. Following the model of a community band it includes both winds and percussion. Only homeschooled students may join band for the concert season, plus parents and alumni. It’s time to prepare auditions for the Summer Chair Competition, although one may join anytime with a proviso. |
1 Table Winfield, IL |
| Wyoming Catholic College Wyoming Catholic College offers a combined classical liberal arts and outdoor leadership education that forms the whole person in his three dimensions: body, mind, and spirit. We accomplish this by immersing our students in the beauty of the great outdoors, by introducing them to the wisdom of Western tradition and thought as found in the Great Books of the past millennia, and by making them part of a small, unmistakably Catholic community. |
1 Table Lander, WY |
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Note: Fr. Gibson had to cancel on short notice due to health. Beth Yank will be speaking on Saturday afternoon in his place.
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FRIDAY, July 25
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| Time | Speaker | Talk |
| 2:00pm | Registration/Vendor Area Opens (and remains open for the entire conference) | |
| 2:30pm | Mrs. Colleen Hammond |
Putting Your Best Foot Forward Does it seem that your child can never remember to say please or thank you? How about learning to greet guests politely, or answering the phone? This talk will answer some frequently-asked questions on raising children with manners. |
| 3:30pm | Mrs. Virginia Seuffert |
Six Steps to Homeschool Success The task of teaching our children can seem daunting to parents when they are starting out, or when the crazy circumstances of daily life threaten to turn family life upside down. A simple, common sense formula of what to do and what to avoid will keep every family on track. |
| 4:30 – 5:00pm | West Suburban Homes School Band (with around 30 members performing). | |
| 4:30 – 6:00pm | Vendor Sales/Dinner | |
| 6:00pm | Dr. Ray Guarendi |
Discipline that Lasts a Lifetime Wise insights and sound advice from Dr. Ray will help parents to understand that discipline is an important way to love their children, and that teaching them self-control is a gift that will last a lifetime. His entertaining but no-nonsense approach to discipline is sure to instill in parents the needed confidence to take charge of their children’s behavior, with a smile! |
| 7:00pm | Mr. Everett Buyarski |
Homeschooling for the Survival of the Catholic Church in America Servant of God Father John Hardon once said that homeschooling is necessary for the survival of the Catholic Church in America. Everett will draw on the words of Pope Benedict XVI about needing “islands of spiritual concentration” to discuss this necessity in light of our call to engage the culture. |
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SATURDAY, July 26
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| Time | Speaker | Talk |
| 9:00am | Registration | |
| 9:30am | Mrs. Colleen Billing |
15 Important Things I’ve Learned in 15 years of Homeschooling This will be a high energy talk with everything from teaching our kids how to pray, to mom taking care of herself, to frequenting the sacraments, to saying NO to too many extracurricular activities. |
| 10:30am | Dr. Ray Guarendi |
Marriage: Small Steps, Big Rewards Building a better relationship with your spouse doesn’t mean learning exotic new communication techniques or rearranging your lifestyle. In fact, a few of Dr. Ray’s ten “small steps” are lessons you learned in grade school. Plus, with his “resistance rationales,” Dr. Ray helps you overcome any reluctance you might feel to taking these small steps. |
| 11:30am | Mrs. Virginia Seuffert |
Homeschool to Escape the Common Core Parents are up in arms about the Common Core’s poorly written standards, confusing curriculum, grueling test schedule, and invasion of family privacy. While we should all be working towards throwing the Common Core into the dustbin of history, what can we do to help our children now? Homeschooling offers educational excellence at a very affordable price. You can do it. |
| 12:30 – 2:00pm | Lunch/Vendor Sales | |
| 2:00pm | Mrs. Colleen Hammond |
Teaching Values to Your Children This talk offers ideas and suggestions on how parents can help children’s all-around development. It discusses which virtues to focus on at a particular age in a child’s development. |
| 3:00pm | Mrs. Elizabeth Yank |
Raising a Lifelong Reader Homeschooling isn’t just about training children to pass tests and achieve high academic marks. Our goal as educators is to foster habits and skills that will serve our children throughout their entire lives. Being a lifelong reader will not only help children be successful, but will enrich their lives. How can we foster the habit of reading? How can we help our children appreciate and cultivate the joy of the written word? |
| 4:00pm | Conference Ends | |
Participate in the 2014 Used Book Sale!
Available in PDF format. Share with your friends!
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