Local & State Groups
Support groups offer a way for those interested in homeschooling or new to home education to get information and support. They also offer opportunities for social activities, group learning, and networking. Find a support group near you in Maryland.
Resources
Not Back to School Camp

Not Back to School Camp is a non-denominational, non-religious homeschool camp. The camp offers workshops, spontaneous events, and special evening gatherings, bringing together campers who are excited about life and willing to be themselves and to reach out and connect with the others. 

Local & State Support Groups
Bolling Area Home Educators (BAHE)
BAHE is the largest home schooling support group in Washington DC, located in the backyard of our nation's capital on Bolling Air Force Base. Their purpose is to provide support to military home education families in Washington, D.C., Virginia, and the Maryland area. Membership into BAHE is granted to military families that pay annual dues and comply with the EMP (Every Member Participates) in-kind volunteer requirement. They offer classes, field trips, speakers, fellowship, information, and support.
TORCH of Libertytown
TORCH of Libertytown is a chapter of the national TORCH group, a Catholic homeschool group. Offers monthly meetings, boys' and girls' clubs, field trips, a co-op, science fair, and more.
Montgomery County TORCH Homeschool Group
Montgomery County TORCH is a group of faithful families in and around Montgomery County, Maryland, providing for their children's primary education at home. The group's goal is to support the spiritual, moral, mental, and social needs of Catholic homeschooling families. Offers holiday events, girls' and boys' clubs, field trips, family events, and more.
North County Home Educators (NCHE)
NCHE is a support group for families in Maryland who have an interest in home education. Most of the meetings are in the northern part of Anne Arundel County, but membership is open to everyone.
Columbia Homeschool Community (CHC)
The Columbia Homeschool Community (CHC) is an inclusive homeschool support group for Maryland families. This friendly homeschool support group currently has over 60 families and over 150 children (from birth to age 18) from all over Maryland, including Howard, Anne Arundel, Prince Georges, Baltimore, Charles, and Montgomery counties, as well as Baltimore City.
Maryland Home Education Association (MHEA)
Maryland Home Education Association (MHEA) serves and supports families of all religious, philosophical, and ethnic persuasions. They provide information about homeschooling and networking opportunities.
Southern Maryland Homeschool Network
Southern Maryland Homeschool Network serves all of the southern Maryland area including Prince George's, Anne Arundel, Charles, Calvert, and St. Mary's counties. They are network of homeschool groups and individual homeschool families that encourage and support each other's needs and choices through networking, sharing resources, and group activities.
Heritage Home School Association
HERITAGE is a group of homeschoolers meeting once a month to encourage one another toward love, good teaching, and an abundant life in Christ. The term HERITAGE stands for Home Educators Restoring In Truth A Godly Education. This support group serves Montgomery County, Maryland, including Rockville, Gaithersburg, Derwood, and Kensington.
Homeschooling Delmarva
Homeschooling Delmarva serves homeschoolers in Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia's Eastern Shore, sharing homeschool information, events, resources, and general support.
Tri-State Homeschool Network
Tri-State Homeschool Network is a support group that serves the northern Delaware, northeastern Maryland, southwestern New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania region. Their purpose is to further the cause of homeschooling, with emphasis from the viewpoint of Christian families.
Howard County Home Educators (e-HCHE)
Howard County Home Educators is a network of homeschoolers in Howard County, Maryland. The majority of the members live in the Columbia, Clarksville, Ellicott City areas. Provides support, information, cooperative learning experiences, homeschooling advocacy, newsletter, and friendship.
Central Maryland Unschoolers
This is list for unschooling families interested in connecting with other unschoolers in DC and central Maryland (Prince George’s, Anne Arundel and surrounding counties). They have casual monthly get-togethers that offer support, conversation, socializing, and playtime for adults, teens and children.
Unschooling Family Connection
The Unschooling Family Connection is a support group in Montgomery and Frederick Counties in Maryland. It was founded in order to to provide support for unschooling parents, along with activities, socialization, and fun for the children. They offer field trips, park days, celebrations, and online support.
SPIRIT ed. Homeschool Group of Maryland (SPIRIT_ed)
Operating out of Waldorf, Maryland, SPIRIT ed. is an inclusive group of homeschooling families encouraging and supporting its members through monthly support meetings, networking, resource-sharing, and group activities.
Teens, Tweens, & Company of Northern NJ
Teens, Tweens, & Company of Northern NJ is a group that facilitates older activities aimed at middle/high schoolers. This is a network aimed at teens and their siblings. They aim to engage all of the children, but are particularly focused on the older ones, who, many times, get lost in the shuffle. Everyone is encouraged to meet up whenever, not just on meeting days. Teenagers are a social breed & they are hoping to fill this need, as well as get them involved in more formal activities. Members are also encouraged to plan their own activities & events.
Culture at Home
Culture at Home is an African American homeschool support group in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area with an emphasis on the older homeschooled student. Culture at Home is a support group for families concerned with the healthy well-being and academic guidance of the African-American child. The purpose of this group is to provide an educational outreach support program and to supplement the curriculum of homeschoolers with children ages 10-18 (grades 5-12), but they also provide some resources for homeschooled children ages 6-10.
J-LIFT
J-LIFT stands for Jewish homeschoolers--Learning Is Fun Together! This is an activity based list, dedicated to notification of activities for Jewish homeschoolers in the Baltimore area. The goal is to provide opportunities for Jewish homeschoolers and their parents to get together on a semi-regular basis, through trips, outings, and activities.
Capital Area Homeschooling Community
The Capital Area Homeschooling Community is a homeschooling support community which connects homeschoolers of color throughout the Washington, D.C. area.
Appalachian Regional Cooperative
Appalachian Regional Cooperative is an inclusive group of homeschoolers in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Local & State Online Groups
Southern Maryland Homeschool Network (SMHN)
Email list for SMHN, Southern Maryland Homeschool Network, a network of homeschool groups and individuals home educating in Maryland.
FAMILIES News
This is a large group of over 600 homeschool families who want to encourage each other and share information, events, curriculum, fieldtrip, and homeschooling resources, and ideas. This is a Christian group but all who homeschool are welcome to join. Most members are from the Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia area (Delmarva).
Homeschooling Delmarva
Homeschooling Delmarva serves homeschoolers in Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia's Eastern Shore, sharing homeschool information, events, resources, and general support.
Tri-State Homeschool Network
Tri-State Homeschool Network is a support group that serves the northern Delaware, northeastern Maryland, southwestern New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania region. Their purpose is to further the cause of homeschooling, with emphasis from the viewpoint of Christian families.
Baltimore-Washington African American Homeschoolers (BWAAH)
This group was created for African American homeschoolers in and around the Baltimore/Washington DC/Northern VA area to connect with one another. This is a central place where members of various support groups and/or individual homeschoolers in the area can learn from and help each other.
Marylandhomeschool
This is a mailing list for people who home school or are thinking of homeschooling in Maryland, kids and parents alike. Here you can exchange ideas, support each other, and share resources and information.
Howard County Home Educators (e-HCHE)
Howard County Home Educators is a network of homeschoolers in Howard County, Maryland. The majority of the members live in the Columbia, Clarksville, Ellicott City areas. Provides support, information, cooperative learning experiences, homeschooling advocacy, newsletter, and friendship.
Baltimore-Washington Home Educators (BWHE)
This list is designed for Baltimore-Washington-Northern Virginia homeschoolers as on-line community for open-minded homeschoolers in the region who are interested in participating in a community that represents a diverse range of religious, political and philosophical beliefs.
Central Maryland Unschoolers
This is list for unschooling families interested in connecting with other unschoolers in DC and central Maryland (Prince George’s, Anne Arundel and surrounding counties). They have casual monthly get-togethers that offer support, conversation, socializing, and playtime for adults, teens and children.
Unschooling Family Connection
The Unschooling Family Connection is a support group in Montgomery and Frederick Counties in Maryland. It was founded in order to to provide support for unschooling parents, along with activities, socialization, and fun for the children. They offer field trips, park days, celebrations, and online support.
CM-LowerEasternShoreMD
This group is for the members of the Charlotte Mason Study Group of the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland.
Harford, Cecil and Baltimore Homeschooling (BaHaCeHS)
This list is for homeschooling families from Harford and Cecil Counties in Maryland and surrounding areas to join together to provide support, share resources, and ideas.
North County Home Educators (NCHE)
This list is for members of North County Home Educators - a homeschooling support group based in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
SMHomeschool
This group is for those living in Southern Maryland that homeschool or are thinking of homeschooling their child/children.
SPIRIT ed. Homeschool Group of Maryland (SPIRIT_ed)
Operating out of Waldorf, Maryland, SPIRIT ed. is an inclusive group of homeschooling families encouraging and supporting its members through monthly support meetings, networking, resource-sharing, and group activities.
Teens, Tweens, & Company of Northern NJ
Teens, Tweens, & Company of Northern NJ is a group that facilitates older activities aimed at middle/high schoolers. This is a network aimed at teens and their siblings. They aim to engage all of the children, but are particularly focused on the older ones, who, many times, get lost in the shuffle. Everyone is encouraged to meet up whenever, not just on meeting days. Teenagers are a social breed & they are hoping to fill this need, as well as get them involved in more formal activities. Members are also encouraged to plan their own activities & events.
Delmarva Unschoolers
Unschoolers on Marylands Eastern Shore. This is a secular discussion list and a list for posting activities and get togethers. This group focuses on communicating and getting together with other unschoolers on Delmarva for socialization, support, and information.
Culture at Home
Culture at Home is an African American homeschool support group in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area with an emphasis on the older homeschooled student. Culture at Home is a support group for families concerned with the healthy well-being and academic guidance of the African-American child. The purpose of this group is to provide an educational outreach support program and to supplement the curriculum of homeschoolers with children ages 10-18 (grades 5-12), but they also provide some resources for homeschooled children ages 6-10.
J-LIFT
J-LIFT stands for Jewish homeschoolers--Learning Is Fun Together! This is an activity based list, dedicated to notification of activities for Jewish homeschoolers in the Baltimore area. The goal is to provide opportunities for Jewish homeschoolers and their parents to get together on a semi-regular basis, through trips, outings, and activities.
Delaware Classical Home Educators Network Discussion Group
This is discussion loop is intended as an on-line extension of the classical network group forming in the DE-MD-NJ-PA area. This group is for those following the classical homeschooling education model, such as described in "The Well Trained Mind" (Jessie Wise and Susan Bauer) or similar method.
Home-Schooling the Only Child
Homeschooling an only child can be quite challenging at times. This group is open to anyone for support, enrouragement and ideas for those who choose the home-schooling road for you and your child. Although they are based in NC, anyone can join for support. They have a database that you can access to see who is in your state to get together with.
Capital Area Homeschooling Community
The Capital Area Homeschooling Community is a homeschooling support community which connects homeschoolers of color throughout the Washington, D.C. area.
Appalachian Regional Cooperative
Appalachian Regional Cooperative is an inclusive group of homeschoolers in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
National Forums
Special Needs Homeschooling Forum at vegsource.com
A message board for parents who are homeschooling special needs children.
Community Homeschooling Forum at vegsource.com
This is a general message forum at vegsource.com designed to discuss all general homeschooling topics.
Single Christian Homeschool Parent Message Board
Single Christian Homeschool Parent Message Board offers discussion with other parents, widowed, divorced, or legally separated, who are homeschooling solo.
Encouragement Forum at vegsource.com
If you are feeling burned out or need encouragement, this forum is for you. Share your struggles and get help, ideas, and support from those who have walked in your shoes.
Adoptive Homeschooling Parents Forum at vegsource.com
This forum at vegsource.com focuses on parents with adopted children who choose to home educate.
Unschooling Forum at vegsource.com
Unschoolers meet to talk and share ideas at this vegsource.com message board.
Charlotte Mason Forum at vegsource.com
Discuss Charlotte Mason's ideas and find new way to implement those ideas at the forum sponsored by vegsource.com.
Black Homeschoolers' Network
Black Homeschoolers' Network is intended to facilitate a network among African American homeschoolers across the country. Here you will also find a message board for general communication as well as an email pal listing for homeschooled kids.
Unschooling.Info Forum
This message board is designed for unschooling parents to connect, ask questions, share information and ideas, and get support.
Homeschool Christian Solo Homeschooling Parents Message Board
This message board is designed for single homeschooling parents to support each other and get ideas and information on homeschooling as a solo parent.
National Online Groups
Catholic Charlotte Mason
Online support group for Catholics interested in the Charlotte Mason method.
Tons of Kids
This mailing list is set up for parents of large families. Large for this list is defined as having five or more kids. They welcome everybody who has at least that many of any religion, or even no religion.
BVI-Education
The BVI-Education mailing list is a list for the discussion of all aspects related to the education of blind, partially sighted and deaf-blind students, as well as visually impaired students with multiple disabilities.
Pregnant Again
This is a list for all who are pregnant for the third or more time and are having a large family by choice. Discussions include the difficulties of having several at home when dealing with sickness and fatigue, homeschooling, and more. This is a supportive list where people believe that large families are wonderful.
Homeschooling Boys
Boys... whether you have one, two, three or more---this is the spot to discuss their special needs. This is a group of mostly homeschool Moms who are devoted to their sons and are on a constant search for resources and wisdom for raising young men with character, integrity, preparing them for life.
Always Learning
Discussion for homeschooling fans of John Holt, whose books Learning All the Time, Never Too Late, and Teach your Own have made unschooling an option for thousands of families.
HEM-Unschooling
This list is for the broad-ranging discussion of unschooling. It is sponsored by Home Education Magazine.
Families of Color Utilizing Home Schooling (FOCUHS)
This list is for Christian families of color who've opted to home educate their children. They exist to offer support, fellowship and to share resources with other African American and bi-racial Christian homeschooling families.
Homeschooling on a Budget Email Group
Raising a family on a single income is tough. When you're a homeschooling family, it may seem like another added cost. But that doesn't have to be the case. This list is for homeschoolers to get together and discuss ways to cut the cost of homeschooling without cutting on the educational and learning experience for our children. This is the place to share all kinds of ideas and tips on budgeting homeschooling costs.
Blind Homeschoolers
This email group is for families who are homeschooling/parenting a blind child. Teachers of the Visually Impaired who would like to share tips and suggestions are also welcome.
Secret Society of Unschooling Dads (SSUD)
This group is for Unschooling Dads, Granddads, and Dads-to-be who have attended one of the past 3 Live and Learn Conferences OR who have spouses who attended one of these conferences. Other unschooling fathers (et al.) can also join the group through invitation. Our intention is to keep a running dialog and passion for unschooling our children between conferences.
Magnum Opus
Raising a large, Catholic, homeschooling family is a great work (Magnum Opus) and a great deal of work! Hopefully this email discussion group will be a place for parents of four or more to help each other with the nitty-gritty details of raising and educating a large, Catholic family.
Homeschooling while Single Parenting
This is a board for homeschooling single parents of all religous and secular beliefs. Members are free to discuss topics related to homeschooling and single parenting.
Catholic Robinson Curriculum Homeschool
This is a homeschool email group for Catholic families which will revolve around the Robinson Curriculum.
1 Parent HS
This group is for support, advice, friendship and educational helps for single parents who are homeschooling.
AHSA-USA Email List
This list is an opportunity for homeschoolers to contact homeschooling attorneys and experts about homeschooling legal and litigation issues. It is an informal network of attorneys and legal experts that are concerned with litigation pending and threatened against homeschoolers. Its primary purpose is to exchange legal information within the profession, and to educate and support attorneys and experts involved in homeschool litigation.
Classically Eclectic
This loop was created for homeschoolers interested in presenting school materials, real books, and/or purchased curriculum in a manner consistent with Classical Education philosophy. Specifically, Classical Education refers to educational models (such as the Trivium) described by Laura Berquist, the Bluedorns, Dorothy Sayers, Doug Wilson, Jessie Wise, Susan Wise Bauer, and others, in which material is presented to children according to their stage of development (i.e., Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric stages). The purpose of this loop is practical in nature: to share resource suggestions, reviews, schedules, ideas, and encouragement, in order to help one another provide Classical Education within the homeschool environment.
CMSeries
This list is designed for anyone wishing to learn more about the Charlotte Mason method of education from reading her own books and engaging in discussions of a philosophical nature.
Afrocentric Homeschoolers Association (AHA) Yahoo Group
A discussion group for pro-Black African and/or African Diasporan, Black homeschoolers, unschoolers, deschoolers, home-based educators everywhere. It is also open to non-homeschoolers and non-Blacks who are trying to teach their children about Blacks.
LDS Classical Education
A list for LDS homeschoolers seeking a classical education.
HomeSchooling Singletons
Homeschooling families with singletons have issues that are very unique. Join in to offer support and encouragement to other single child homeschooling families.
TheHomeSchoolMom In The Kitchen
TheHomeSchoolMom In The Kitchen is an e-mail group designed to provide economical, balanced meal ideas that are quick and easy for busy moms. Provides dinner tips, recipes, and resources that help take "piranha hour" and turn it into calmer and more peaceful time.
Literature Alive
Literature Alive! is an email group list for the literary website of the same name. This list seeks to encourage and support parents who have a love for literature and a desire to share good wholesome books with their children. Its purpose is to develop the art and excitment of using great living literature in a learning lifestyle. This group will share information on how to turn a living book into a cherished book within the home. Different literature study methods enhanced by Charlotte Mason's writing will be discussed: lapbooks, notebooks, journals, book clubs, reading settings, etc.
Homeschool Family Businesses
This group is for the discussion of all things related to running a business while homeschooling. This list is for you if you homeschool and run a business (from home or elsewhere) or are thinking of starting a business. You'll get ideas on businesses that the whole family can participate in. If you are single and homeschool, and are looking for ways to be the sole wage earner while homeschooling, this list will also be helpful.
CM Curricula
This list is for the buying and selling of resources (biographies,poetry and art books, teacher resources, etc.) that are in conformity with the Charlotte Mason "twaddle-free" philosophy. This is strictly a buying and selling list.
Large Families Home School
This list is to encourage and support those who homeschool many children. How many? To some 3 is a lot! If you have a large family (whether natural, adopted, foster or blended) and homeschool, you know that there are a lot of unique challenges ranging from orchestrating family harmony, dealing with multiple ages, trying to homeschool in a sometimes chaotic environment, keeping up with the never-ending laundry, transportation, cooking, chores, and more. This is a Christian list.
African-American Single Parent Homeschoolers
African-American Single Parent Homeschoolers is a discussion group designed to lend support and resources to parents who are home schooling alone.
Unschooling Basics
A list designed for those new to the philosophy of unschooling. Ask experienced unschoolers all those niggling questions, and find out how unschooling works in real families. If you're familiar with John Holt's work, but unsure of how to begin or what an unschooling day really looks like, this is a place for you to discuss, question, ponder, and become deeply familiar with natural learning and how it affects our entire lives. From parenting issues to learning from the whole wide world and beyond, come explore the issues that unschooling families have dealt with in the past and how to get beyond "school-think" to a joyful unschooling lifestyle.!
Living Book Reviews
Living Book Reviews offers reviews of books considered "living" books for children which are useful for acquiring a love of learning.
Christian Solo - Parent Homeschools
A place for Christian single-parent homeschoolers to find encouragement and support.
Christian Unschooling
Christians can and do unschool. Here you'll find support and more.
Living Math Forum
This is an on-topic list dedicated to the discussion of "living math" - mathematics education using living books and materials, as opposed to traditional curricula as the primary learning tool. Discussion applies to mathematics learning from birth to adult self education, with the understanding that arithmetic is only one feature of mathematics as a whole. Math history topics will apply as well. Educators using Charlotte Mason, Thomas Jefferson Ed (relaxed classical), Montessori, Waldorf and unschooling methods may benefit from the exchange of ideas.
Single Parents and Homeschooling
A single mom started this email group to provide a means of sharing the unique problems and solutions a single, working parent faces in their homeschooling pursuits.
Homeschooling Your One And Only
This group is for parents who are currently (or are considering) homeschooling their only child.
HEM-Networking
This list is sponsored by Home Education Magazine (HEM) for networking and communication within the online homeschooling community.
Radical Christian Unschoolers
Feeling like you must be the only radical unschooler in the Christian faith? Tired of hearing those who claim to be Christian unschoolers discuss curriculum or how to make their kids do chores? Tired of hearing secular unschoolers say that you couldn't possibly exist? Look no farther! On this list there will be no talk of curriculum, spanking, chore charts, coercive limitations, forced respect, or anything else that doesn't jive with radical unschooling. This list is for discussing radical unschooling by people who already "get it" and want to connect with other radically unschooling Christian families.
Teach Art at Home
A monthly newsletter that delivers free art projects and lessons that are contained on www.teachartathome.com - the home of Masterpiece Art Instruction. Join the group and be the first to receive the new projects every month along with drawing lessons and fun ideas for using art to teach other subjects such as history and science.
Classical~Charlotte Mason Material Swap
The Classical Charlotte Mason Swap list is for home schooling families to exchange living books and curricula that are used with the classical (Trivium) method or the Charlotte Mason method. This list does not support one particular way of implementing classical education, but rather is open to methods and materials as recommended in the many books and websites on the subject. Curricula, books, manipulatives, videos, and audios may be posted.
Catholic Homemaking and Homeschooling
This discussion group/email list is focused on the rich Catholic heritage and how to incorporate the Liturgical year into your daily life as a homeschooling family.
Mother of Divine Grace Families
This list is for families using the classical approach to education as outlined in Laura Berquist's independent study program, Mother of Divine Grace (MODG), and in her book Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum (DYOCC). The discussions on this loop primarily revolve around the implementation and use of resources which are recommended in the MODG syllabi and in DYOCC. Additionally, they always welcome conversations about the classical methodology of MODG/DYOCC.
Featured Resources

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Morning by Morning : How We Home-Schooled Our African-American Sons to the Ivy League
Home schooling has long been regarded as a last resort, particularly by African-American families. But in this inspirational and practical memoir, Paula Penn-Nabrit shares her intimate experiences of home-schooling her three sons, Charles, Damon, and Evan. Paula and her husband, C. Madison, decided to home-school their children after racial incidents at public and private schools led them to the conclusion that the traditional educational system would be damaging to their sons’ self-esteem...
Right-Brained Children in a Left-Brained World: Unlocking the Potential of Your ADD Child
Understanding your child's learning style can help with challenges in learning, improving outcomes in reading, writing, and behavior. This book offers strategies for understanding your child's learning style and presents tools that you can use to become more successful in your homeschooling. 
Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling
This radical treatise on public education has been a New Society Publishers' bestseller for 10 years! Thirty years of award-winning teaching in New York City's public schools led John Gatto to the sad conclusion that compulsory governmental schooling does little but teach young people to follow orders as cogs in the industrial machine. In celebration of the ten-year anniversary of Dumbing Us Down and to keep this classic current, we are renewing the cover art, adding new material about John and ...
100+ New Jersey Drivers Licensing Exam Facts That You Need To Know: Quick Review for the Written Test
Prepare for the New Jersey's Driver's Written Exam. Know the 100+ important facts for the test. Be prepared to ace the exam!
A Child's Story of America
This text reads like a story book more than a history textbook. This book has a decidedly Christian bent. Students are given a comprehensive overview of U.S. history from Columbus to the present. Review questions are included throughout, as well as helpful maps. The text contains numerous pictures and large print. An optional test packet and answer key is available.