PORTLAND, Maine - About 800 people are expected at the Samoset Resort in Rockport today and over the next two days, for the annual Homeschoolers of Maine, or HOME, conference.
Kathy Green founded HOME in 1990 with her husband; this is the convention's 26th year. Green says a lot has changed in that time.
"It's, I think, becoming more mainstream," Green says. "Most people have heard about homeschooling, they realize it's an option, it's a choice for their family. That's certainly different than it was 26 years ago."
The convention will offer speakers, activities and resources for parents currently homeschooling their kids, or considering it. The organization refers to itself as a "ministry," and some of the activities are explicitly Christian. But Green says everyone is welcome.
According to the state Department of Education, 3 percent of students in the state were home-schooled in the 2014-15 school year. That's slightly lower than the 3 to 4 percent national average, but the number has been increasing.
