Engaging the Homeschooling Community - 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 and leave with actionable next steps for building authentic and mutually

beneficial relationships.

Desira B. Stewart is a home educator and children’s author. A former college administrator and

middle school teacher, her stories uplift underrepresented voices, helping young readers to 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 and an active participant in conferences and writing 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.