Lunch and learn with us! Author and educator Desira B. Stewart will teach us how to build authentic and mutually beneficial relationships with the diverse and growing homeschooling community. October 15th, 11am-12pm CST $25 premium members, $35 nonmembers REPLAY will be available! You won’t want to miss this 1-hour webinar!
You won't want to miss this webinar!
Beyond the Bookshelf: Engaging the Homeschooling Community
Homeschooling represents a significant and growing part of the U.S. education landscape.
According to the National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI), an estimated 3.4 million school-aged children were homeschooled in the United States during the 2024-2025 school year.
For kidlit authors, this diverse community offers exciting opportunities to extend the life of a book beyond the bookshelf into curriculum, enrichment, family learning, and literacy experiences.
In this one-hour webinar, participants will:
- explore who makes up the homeschooling community
- discover practical ways to find homeschoolers
- reimagine how they can complement the ways homeschoolers learn
- leave with actionable next steps for building authentic and mutually beneficial relationships.
About our Guest Speaker Desira B. Stewart
Desira B. Stewart is a home educator and children’s author.
A former college administrator and middle school teacher, she uplifts underrepresented voices through her stories, helping young readers feel seen and valued. Combining homeschooling and children’s books, Desira created and hosted a popular Soul School Series – a set of conversations with a leading home education expert and award-winning kidlit authors and illustrators. She is the 2024 SCBWI Emerging Voices Award Winner and a 2025 PB Rising Stars Runner-Up. Desira is a member of SCBWI, the PB Collective in addition to her participation in writing conferences and communities. When she’s not writing, Desira enjoys taking long walks, traveling, swimming, line dancing, and spending time with her amazing family in Maryland. Born and raised in New Jersey, Desira earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from Rutgers University, and a Master of Education degree from the University of Maryland.