Break Outs: multiple meetings occurring at the same time from which only one can be chosen to attend.
- Immersion: a larger portion of the session will be spent modeling a lesson–actually doing what we would be doing in our homes or with a group. It will be “real time.”
- Workshop: though it may include a short example of modeling, the format will follow a more traditional lecture style with the possibilities of group discussion and short activities.
Break Out I

A
Getting to Know “Ourselves”
Workshop Presented by Karen Canon
For Grades 4 and Up
Ourselves presents in an engaging manner ‘the possibilities that lie in human nature, and the risks that attend these.’ In this workshop, we will explore key insights into Mason’s scheme for the education of the whole child and how Ourselves both unfolds and breathes life into her scheme. Though the book was written directly to teens (Mason’s students read this book in middle and high school), she included the book in the educational series for parents and teachers, suggesting an understanding of this rich volume as vitally informing the parents’ role as well.

B
Scheduling
The Humble Time-Table (and more)
Workshop Presented by Dawn Rhymer
For All Ages
[L]et us look in at a home schoolroom managed on sound principles. In the first place, there is a time-table…
(Home Education, p. 142)
I jumped into the philosophies and methods of Charlotte Mason with a 6th, 4th, and 2nd grader and two in tow. Our days were long and arduous. I remember school days approaching 6 PM. I remember single terms stretching out over a whole year. As I read through the Volumes, I knew this was not how it was supposed to be. We were not experiencing the Atmosphere, Discipline, and Life a Charlotte Mason education so beautifully seemed to offer. But what were we doing wrong? In this workshop I will begin by sharing how the humble time-table made all the difference. I will then share other tools we have used to organize our school day.

C
Where to Begin?
Workshop and Immersion Presented by Jennifer Taylor
For Form I (Grades 1 through 3)
A child…must have a living relationship with the present, its historic movement, its science, literature, art, social needs and aspirations. In fact, he must have a wide outlook, intimate relations all round; and force, virtue, must pass out of him, whether of hand, will, or sympathy, wherever he touches. This is no impossible programme.
Charlotte Mason, Vol. 3, p. 161-2
Are you new to Charlotte Mason? Are you wondering where to begin? What should narration look like? Maybe you’re asking, “Can I really do this?” Beginning a Charlotte Mason education can seem overwhelming to be sure, especially with the wealth of information we have at our fingertips. In this workshop you will gain an overview of what Charlotte Mason included in Form I programmes as well as practical ideas to begin implementing these ideals into your family’s homeschool based on your unique needs. An immersion will be included for a hands-on experience.

D
Swedish Drill
Immersion Presented by Niko Lewis
For All Ages
We will spend our time in this immersion session learning about the philosophy behind Swedish Drill as part of physical development in a Charlotte Mason education. In light of the why of Drill, we will then move into the what where I will lead you through the process of learning a drill routine. I’ll also share resources to equip you to teach Swedish Drill to your own students, whether just your own children or in a co-op setting.
Break Out II

E
Educating the Whole Child
Workshop Presented by Karen Canon
For All Ages
If you are new to Charlotte Mason or would like a refresher, this workshop is for you. Setting aside the social-media stereotypes, we will aim for a bird’s-eye view of Mason’s call to delightful living. How does it compare to other approaches? What are the hallmarks of a CM education? And how does one go about the necessary self-education to become intimate with Mason’s method and philosophy? We will wrap up with a few aids to smooth the way to reading her homeschool series in her own words.

F
A Main Course of Heroes
Workshop Presented by Don Rhymer
For All Ages
Charlotte Mason said, “Heroes are not made in a day.” She knew one of the key ingredients to make them were years of feeding the imaginations of children with books. By degrees, feeding the mind and soul of a child with examples of heroes must be central in their regular feast of living ideas. A diet of historical, and fictional literary heroes fortify the child with the nutrients to grow heroes in your home. This session follows the subject of heroes, using both a fictional book, Shane, by Jack Schaefer and a work of non-fiction in The Killer Angels, by Michael Shaara, that can help nourish the young reader with nutrients to feed their insatiable imaginations to think outside themselves.

G
Reading from the Book of Nature
A Devotional Guide for Families
Immersion Presented by Jennifer Taylor
For Parents and Families
…the natural world is the expression of the Creator’s personality in a form that is within the reach of all of us to comprehend in some measure…She is the greatest of all teachers…she draws us on, revealing treasure after treasure…
Walton, M. G., Parents’ Review, vol. 65
It has been said that the natural world is the first book written by God. By spending time reading from the book of Nature herself one can, by degrees, come to an experiential knowing of her Creator. Drawing from years of teaching Nature Study coupled with her role as a Christian spiritual practitioner, Jennifer will take you outdoors to guide you in reading from the Book of Nature as a spiritual practice offering inspiring ideas for personal and family devotions.

H
Picture Study
Developing a Relationship with Art
Immersion Presented by Rebecca Zipp
For All Ages
…every child should leave school with at least a couple of hundred pictures by great masters hanging permanently in the halls of his imagination…he should go forth well furnished because imagination has the property of magical expansion, the more it holds the more it will hold.
Charlotte Mason, Towards a Philosophy of Education, p. 43
Charlotte Mason said that education is the science of relations, and this includes the practice of picture study. Through this simple exercise, we look at art to develop a relationship with each piece, which in turn informs our sense of beauty, exposes us to excellent ideas in different ways, and increases our powers of observation. Though it may seem intimidating at first, including picture study in your homeschool does not have to be complicated (and shouldn’t be)! In this immersion session, we will walk through a picture study lesson and discuss why this component of Charlotte Mason homeschooling is so important.
Break Out III

I
Walter Scott and Charlotte Mason
Workshop Presented by Karen Canon
For Forms III and Up
Walter Scott played a vital role in Charlotte Mason’s awakening to the idea of a living book. As a youth, she experienced the jarring contrast between a classroom history textbook and a Waverley novel by Scott. Living books became a foundational principle of her method, and works by Scott permeated her daily personal reading and school programmes. Learn more about Walter Scott, his works, and his enduring appeal to Mason. Is there still a place for him at a modern educational banquet?

J
Contentment
Calm in the Midst of Schooling
Workshop Presented by Dawn Rhymer
For All Ages
At times, our school days are anything but calm. We end up with feelings of anger, sorrow, and defeat. We cry out to God and wonder, “Why are we unable to say with Paul, ‘I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content?’”
I invite you to join me on the journey of learning contentment, an inward assurance, regardless of outward circumstances. I discuss personal trials, share lessons I have learned, and include applications specific to a Charlotte Mason education. We will leave knowing that tomorrow can be different.

K
The Family Rule
Intentionally Ordering Our Days
Workshop Presented by Rebecca Zipp
For Families
A rule of life allows us to clarify our deepest values, our most important relationships, our most authentic hopes and dreams, our most meaningful work, our highest priorities. It allows us to live with intention and purpose in the present moment.
Stephen A. Macchia, Crafting a Rule of Life
When we talk about “scheduling” in the homeschooling world, we generally refer to the layout of our lesson time and how to fit everything in that we’d like to. Rarely does this planning of time extend beyond our school hours. However, Christians throughout history, including Charlotte Mason, used daily rhythms and schedules to intentionally order their days, allowing them to prioritize tasks, activities, and the nurturing of relationships that might otherwise be pushed aside in a busy schedule. In this workshop, using Charlotte Mason’s daily schedule as inspiration, we will explore how establishing a family “rule” to create a schedule or routine can give us that intentional ordering of our days and benefit us even outside of lesson time.

L
An Open Invitation
Come to the Shakespeare Feast
Workshop Presented by Lisa Hajda
For All Ages
In her Formation of Character, Charlotte Mason describes Shakespeare as “the daily bread of the intellectual life,” an “ample feast of which every one takes according to his needs.” How do we encourage everyone to partake of this Shakespearean feast? In sharing the resources and activities that she utilizes in her Shakespeare camp, at co-op, and at home, Lisa Hajda offers practical, proven ideas for inviting everyone to enjoy this “daily bread of intellectual life.”