*Ideas are evaluated based on their merit, not based on who offered them.
*The “Group” belongs to all who embrace it, not to a board or individual.
*More than anything else, what most homeschoolers need is a family in which to belong.
*If we, as individuals, give with a right spirit when we see a need, in the long run we will reap more than we sow.
*On some very important items, we can accomplish much more by working together than we can by working as individuals.
*All “activities” to be undertaken must be more value adding than the lost schooling and energy caused by the activity.
*We must vigorously protect our right to home educate our children.  We should hold ourselves accountable to act only in ways that are above reproach.
*If the product is good enough, unique enough, and stays around long enough, people will eventually buy it.

There are many different types of support groups, and each one develops its own unique focus and purpose.  Heart and Home Educators organized in New Bern in the fall of 1995.  The name was chosen because it represents our goals of educating the hearts as well as the minds of our children in the home environment.

As to the audience we hope to reach, the group exists to serve all local home educators while operating under Christian principles.  Heart and Home Educators’ main goal as a support group is to help equip parents to teach their children at home, with a focus on emotional and educational support rather than simply providing activities for our children (see principle on activities above).  This focus is more of a parent focus rather than a child focus.

A committee of volunteers guides this group, known as the steering committee.  The steering committee serves to see that the group stays within the guidelines of this vision.  The group, and not the steering committee, must act and make the decisions to see that this happens. The steering committee functions only in an advisory capacity, not as the activity organizer and provider.

In the past, support meetings, yearly kick off events, new homeschool packets, the website, e-mail loop, directory, an annual book sale, group achievement testing, and the newsletter with its helpful articles and information all reflected the core vision of equipping parents to homeschool.  Other activities have been offered as individuals decided to organize them.  Due to changes in the families of the leadership of H&HE, a number of these past opportunities will not be repeated in 2007-2008 unless others step forward to organize them.

Only through your active participation can the fulfillment of the vision of H&HE continue to come to fruition. If, after careful consideration, you decide that you would like to serve your fellow homeschoolers through H&HE, please inform the steering committee of what you would like to do.

H&HE in 2007-2008:  A number of people have asked if H&HE will still exist in the coming year.  The answer is YES.  We will just look a bit different.  H&HE will exist as a Yahoo! Group on the internet, and the group will offer achievement testing in the spring. If you have questions about homeschooling or need further information, please contact us at heartandhomeeducators@yahoo.com.  If you'd like to join our group/email loop, please send an email to HandHeducators@yahoogroups.com.