Copyright 2003 MACHE	Our desire is to help home educators by developing programs and services which will aid them in their roles as educators. Here are some of the activities MACHE provides to help you with your responsibilities as homeschoolers. We hope you will find this information and these services of tremendous value. January and February - Legislative Opportunities The Minnesota State Legislature begins their legislative sessions each year during the months of January or February. Consequently, MACHE is always especially alert while the Senate and House are convening so that home educators' liberties are not infringed as bills are introduced and new laws enacted. In addition, MACHE stays in close contact with Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) in order to alert our members of concerns at national and international levels which may impact the liberty to continue controlling the education of our children. Every other year, in January (immediately after each election), MACHE has organized a Home Educator's Biennial Event at the Capitol. It has been a valuable opportunity for families to teach civics lessons to their children and to introduce homeschooling families to new legislators. This biennial event has been an effective way in which MACHE has been able to enhance homeschoolers' relationships with government leaders. Each year, MACHE organizes Legislative Training Day Sessions for older students and their parents at the Minnesota State Capitol. This training includes interactive opportunities as well as presentations by key government leaders. April - Conference and Curriculum Fair The Minnesota Association of Christian Home Educators (MACHE) sponsors an annual Conference and Curriculum Fair in April of each year. This is the premiere opportunity in this part of the country for home educating parents to convene in order to learn such "how to's" as teaching your pre-schoolers to read, adequately educating your high schoolers in science and math, choosing the "right" curriculum for your children, understanding the different ways children "learn", teaching good character and virtue in your home, working through those unnerving adolescent years, cooking meals which help your children think more clearly, surviving those "special needs" situations, developing good family relationships, and many others. The 2009 MACHE Homeschool Conference and Curriculum Fair will be held April 3 - 4, 2009, at the RiverCentre in St. Paul, Minnesota. Michael Farris of Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) will be the Keynote Speaker for this event. Generation Joshua will be returning with a new Seminar for Teens, iAmend, which will run concurrently with the Conference. In addition, on the preceding Thursday afternoon, April 2, MACHE will present two "Special Sessions" titled "Getting Started 101: The Basics for Beginners" and "Homeschooling Through Highschool". More information about the 2009 Conference will be posted on the Conference webpage in the fall and described more thoroughly in the Conference Brochure, The Paper MACHE and Non-Paper MACHE, which are sent to all MACHE members. May - Graduation Ceremony MACHE offers its members the opportunity to be a part of a statewide graduation ceremony each year in May. Additional information may be found in the MACHE member's handbook. Many Support Groups also sponsor graduation ceremonies in their local areas. MACHE is pleased to provide information to help groups organize successful events. Interested leaders should contact the MACHE office at 763-717-9070 (1-866-717-9070) or info@mache.org for further information. For those graduates who are interested in participating, contact the MACHE Graduation Coordinator at info@mache.org (attention: Graduation Coordinator) or 763-717-9070 (out-state 866-717-9070) before January 1, 2009. September - Support Group Leaders' Retreat The Support Group Leaders' Retreat is a time for support group leaders from around the state to get together for encouragement and networking. The program for the day includes exchanges of ideas, updates on legislative/legal issues, instruction, encouragement, humor, and more. Local support group leaders carry heavy loads, juggling their responsibilities as spouses, parents, homemakers, bread winners, church members, home educators, AND support group leaders. MACHE seeks to provide a sense of respite and inspiration as well as important information for these very special people at this event. Throughout the Year - Considering Homeschooling Workshops MACHE has worked to put together a workshop with reliable information for support group leaders that answers the common questions most families ask when they are considering home education. To learn how you may host a workshop, contact MACHE at info@mache.org Throughout the Year - Available Speakers Throughout the year, MACHE board members and district liaisons are willing to speak to support groups on topics such as Minnesota law, educational issues, encouragement, socialization, etc. Write or call MACHE if your support group would like to invite someone to make presentations for an evening or weekend. Honoraria and travel expenses need to be negotiated individually with speakers. Throughout the Year - Announcements of Events and Resources Many other workshops, seminars, and resources are available throughout the state. We try to include as many of these announcements as possible in the bi-monthly MACHE newsletter (The Paper MACHE) and MACHE's e-mail announcement bulletin (The Non-Paper MACHE). Urgent messages are sent via e-mail under the subject heading: MACHE E-Alert. MACHE is cautious about sending e-mail messages other than the Non-Paper MACHE. Any message which you receive which is noted as a MACHE E-Alert should be taken very seriously. The MACHE Member's Handbook provides additional information and more in-depth detail about these activities and services. Please contact us at: MACHE, PO Box 32308, Fridley, MN 55432; Metro area: 763-717-9070 Greater MN (toll-free): 866-717-9070 Email: info@mache.org