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Box Tops for Education Goes Digital

Box Tops for Education Goes Digital

by Cindy Duell, October 2019

For nearly a decade, AFHE has been participating in Box Tops for Education (BTFE) as a fundraiser that benefits the Arizona Homeschool Scholarship Fund. Families all around Arizona have clipped and collected these cardboard chits and brought them to support group gatherings, the AFHE Convention, and even mailed them in (sometimes with handwritten notes of encouragement).

This group effort has been a significant way to provide encouragement and support for many deserving homeschool graduates. We have raised more than $7,200 through Box Tops for Education with our community’s participation!

Exciting Time of Transition for Box Tops

This wonderful fundraising opportunity is now in a time of transition. Box Tops for Education has determined that it is time to take the program to a fully digital format. What?!? No more clipping and saving and remembering to take the Box Tops to the next meeting? No more counting and bundling little cardboard squares? No more postage expense? That’s exactly right!

You may have noticed that those product packages which used to have that little dotted outline on the top now have a new logo highlighting this new digital approach. Through the end of 2019 there will still be some packaging with the clippable coupons found in grocery stores. Those Box Tops can still be used, and so can any Box Tops you have at home with expiration dates in the future.

Please do continue bringing those Box Tops to AFHE events and mailing them to AFHE as they can still be redeemed during this transition period.

Scanning Box Tops is Easy and Fun

Moving forward, the new method for participating in the fundraiser is by using their app. Available from Google Play or the App Store, this free app has the redemption mechanism built right in. After making a purchase with eligible items, you simply open the app and scan your receipt! Done! Box Tops are still worth 10 cents each, and in the app you will be able to see how AFHE’s scholarship fund is benefiting in real time!

The new format for the program will be much easier for participants, volunteers, and organizations. The app will also be useful for identifying eligible products and tracking special offers that will benefit our scholarship fund even more. Some of the special offers listed have huge bonus earning opportunities, made so easy with the app!

We hope you will take a look at the app and give it a try. Receipts do need to be scanned and redeemed within 14 days of purchase.

So, no more clipping and collecting for you or counting and bundling for AFHE volunteers—but feel free to go ahead send us a handwritten note anytime!

When you set up your account, search for Arizona Families for Home Education as our school name to make sure proceeds are going to support AFHE. Thanks!

Your Help Makes a Difference!

The Arizona Homeschool Scholarship Fund (AHSF) provides eligible Arizona homeschooled students with financial assistance in pursuing post-secondary education from a college, university, or trade school.

100% of the money raised through Box Tops for Education is distributed to Arizona homeschool graduates in the form of scholarships for college/post-secondary education.

AFHE.ORG/BOXTOPS

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What Makes Grand Canyon University a Great Choice for Homeschoolers?

What Makes Grand Canyon University a Great Choice for Homeschool Students?

2019 AFHE Convention Sponsor – Guest Blog Post
by Sheila Jones, Grand Canyon University

At Grand Canyon University (GCU) we absolutely love homeschooled students! They come in with a missions background, a BIG love for the Lord, and an exceptional work ethic. We are finding homeschoolers flocking to our vibrant campus from all over the nation and we want to do all we can to nurture them. Here are a few big reasons why Grand Canyon University is the best university in the nation for homeschooled students.

COMMUNITY

We have an incredible community! One of the best things about homeschoolers and their families is how well they build community. You often find homeschoolers giving back to the community and each other, worshipping, and taking adventures. This is exactly what GCU does. If you stop any student on GCU’s campus and ask them what their favorite part of being at GCU is, they will likely say “the community.” GCU is a natural fit for homeschoolers because, despite our growing campus, we work hard to keep the community at the forefront, just like homeschooling parents do.

Would you like more information on GCU?
GCU Introduction

SPIRITUALITY

According to Barna Research, roughly 70% of high school students who enter college as Christians will leave with without their faith and we strive hard to fight those odds. GCU has life leaders on every floor of every dorm who lead bible studies, Chapel on Mondays where over 7,000 students voluntarily come to listen to God’s word, and The Gathering on Tuesday evenings where students lead worship together. We have mission opportunities both in the local neighborhood and overseas. It is cool to love the Lord on our campus at GCU!

Would you like more information on our Spiritual Life? 
GCU Spiritual Life

DUAL ENROLLMENT

Our Dual Enrollment is top notch! Dual Enrollment helps homeschoolers get a jump on college and save money. Over 70% of our students graduate in less than four years. GCU understands most homeschooling parents operate off one income, so we have worked hard to make our dual classes extremely affordable or even free for local homeschooled students who attend on our campus. Our dual students save money on the front end of their college career and this helps students reduce their debt load on the back end when they graduate and head out into the workforce.

Would you like more information on our Dual Enrollment?
GCU Dual Enrollment

 

For more details on this homeschool-friendly university …
CONTACT Sheila Jones, Sheila.jones@gcu.edu
FACEBOOK: Ask to join our GCU Homeschool Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/gcuhomeschool/

Sheila Jones, Grand Canyon University

Sheila Jones currently serves as program manager for Strategic Educational Alliances, working closely with homeschool groups within GCU’s Alliance Program for Homeschool Achievement (ALPHA) program. Sheila spent her previous years in admissions at GCU and supplementing education by running and owning a private tutoring company servicing the state of Arizona. Sheila earned her undergraduate degree at Northern Arizona University and completed her Master’s degree in Business Leadership and Grand Canyon University. Sheila’s hope is to explore and learn more about how she can glorify the Lord through her opportunities as a servant leader. She adores working and advocating for homeschool groups and hopes to have a hand in furthering their opportunities for growth through GCU.

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54th Legislature Wraps Up

Sine Die

by Allison Gentala, AFHE Government Affairs

May 28, 2019

As the school year wraps up for many of us, so does the 1st regular session of the 54th Legislature at Arizona’s State Capitol. Much like school years, sessions are exciting and fun, but we’re always ready for a break at the end. This legislative session was largely uneventful for homeschool freedom—which is exactly the way we like it!

A bit of History: The session opened on January 14 and adjourned sine die at 12:58 am on May 28. This year’s legislative session was longer than average, but by no means the longest. In 2013, the 51st Legislature 1st Regular Session lasted 151 days as Governor Brewer pushed for Medicaid expansion. Previously, in 2009, the 49th Legislature 1st regular session ran 170 days due to budget disagreements. As if that wasn’t enough, summer of 2009 was full of special sessions where lawmakers were hard at work for an additional 71 days. But the record for the longest session was set back in 1988 by the 38th Legislature 2nd regular session, which ran 173 days, as the impeachment of Governor Evan Mecham was underway.  

AFHE’s Involvement

The 54th Legislature is closely divided. There are 31 Republicans and 29 Democrats in the House, 17 Republicans and 13 Democrats in the Senate. While AFHE is a non-profit and stays bipartisan, legislators do not. The close vote margin makes it difficult to both pass favorable legislation for homeschoolers and to oppose legislation that jeopardizes homeschool freedom. We are grateful there were no bills limiting or regulating homeschoolers this session and no special situations for homeschoolers requiring legislation to rectify or clarify.

AFHE’s legislative team spent the session watching bills, meeting new legislators, joining school choice coalition meetings, and getting homeschool information packets to all legislators. Additionally, throughout the session, our government affairs team responded to questions from lawmakers about how pending legislation might affect homeschooling.

In addition to legislative work, AFHE’s Government Affairs Team also works to build relationships with elected officials outside the Legislature. This year we have been gradually meeting with county school superintendents and mailed each one a homeschool information packet. It’s important to know that many bills pass or are killed by one or two votes. Although as a nonprofit organization which is bipartisan, AFHE does not support candidates. We do, however, support homeschool freedom and parental rights. If you want to be a part of protecting this freedom and rights, we encourage you to research the candidates and be certain to cast your vote every election cycle in accordance with your views in these areas.

Partner with AFHE

AFHE Membership has benefits for your family and your membership supports the work of a non-profit organization that serves Arizona homeschool families all year long.

Not a member? JOIN TODAY 

Together, we are making a difference to preserve homeschool freedom!

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Homeschool Graduation: Is a Finance Class Required?

by Allison Gentala, AFHE Board Member, Director of Government Affairs

Over the years, Arizona lawmakers have sought ways to ensure that high school graduates are well prepared to face the world that awaits them. In order to accomplish this, bills have been passed adding tests or classes to the graduation requirements of Arizona high school students.

In 2015, HB 2064 was passed requiring all public school students to pass a civics test in order to graduate from high school starting in 2017.

In 2019, SB 1184 is before the legislature and would add the requirement of a finance class to ensure that students know how to balance a checkbook, make a budget, and understand the consequences of debt.

While both of these new graduation requirements are wonderful for preparing students to launch well into adult life—and we would encourage you to equip your students with this knowledge—neither are required of homeschoolers.

Homeschooling is not regulated by the Board of Education

Privately funded education is not subject to oversight by the Board of Education. Arizona Revised Statute (ARS) §15-203, in listing the powers and duties of the Board of Education, says that “the state board of education shall exercise general supervision over and regulate the conduct of the public school system and adopt any rules and policies it deems necessary to accomplish this purpose.” No power is given to the Board of Education to supervise or regulate homeschool.

Homeschooling has its own legal definition found in ARS  §15-802, which states homeschool is “a nonpublic school conducted primarily by the parent, guardian, or other person who has custody of the child, or nonpublic instruction provided in the child’s home.”

Graduation requirements for homeschoolers

The parent sets the graduation requirements for their homeschooled student, creates the high school transcript, and issues the diploma. If a student is college bound, it is helpful to research college entrance requirements for a school your child is likely to attend and plan their high school courses accordingly.

The AFHE Legislative Team is actively watching legislation that may impact Arizona homeschool freedom. We hope updates like this are beneficial to our community.

Learn more about Arizona homeschool law

Do you have questions about homeschooling in Arizona and the law? Check out AFHE’s AZ Law page.

We invite you to send in your questions to homeschool@afhe.org and we may use some of them for future blog posts.

You can support the legislative work AFHE does on behalf of Arizona homeschoolers through a one-time or recurring tax-deductible donation. DONATE HERE

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2019 Legislative Session

Happy new year from AFHE’s Government and Legislative Affairs Team. It’s amazing that we are almost to February!

As most of us are back into our homeschool routines after the holidays, ninety Arizona legislators have convened at the State Capitol, some of them for their first session. The new legislative session began January 14, but most legislators began preparing weeks in advance.

This will be the first regular session of Arizona’s 54th Legislature. Arizona lawmakers will be working countless hours this session, hopefully to further establish Arizona as one of the best states in which to live, work, and raise a family.

As we head into this new session, we remember the legislators who have devoted years to preserving homeschool freedom in our state. A special thank you to President Steve Yarbrough, who recently retired from the legislature. He has served in key leadership roles in both House and Senate, including as President of the Senate. Senator Yarbrough is an incredibly effective advocate of school choice and a dear friend to the homeschool community.

We are proud of the two bills AFHE supported the last two sessions. In 2017, we successfully urged the adoption of HB 2389, which requires government entities in the state of Arizona to recognize a homeschool diploma and transcript in the same manner as a public school diploma for employment. And, in 2018, we supported HB 2536, which extends the same college credits to homeschool students that public school students receive at our JTEDs (Joint Technical Education Districts such as West-MEC and EVIT). Both bills were sponsored by Representative Rusty Bowers, who was selected in November by the Members of the House of Representatives to lead their chamber as the Speaker. Speaker Bowers was the recipient of AFHE’s Friend of Homeschool Freedom Award in 2017, and we are glad to see him continue to lead with a commitment to excellence.

Arizona lawmakers have filed hundreds of proposed bills for the new session. The AFHE Legislative Team is already searching and reading through these bills to ensure the protection of your homeschool freedoms as well as those of the next generation.

We look forward to a wonderful session and want to invite you all to join us in prayer for continued success in our mission to preserve the freedom to homeschool in Arizona.

Allison Gentala
AFHE Board Member
Director of Government Affairs