The post Nurturing Growth in Homeschooling: Lessons from South Africa appeared first on Classical Conversations.

Classical Conversations International had a wonderful year of growth and firsts.

About the Classical Conversations International Team

My name is Keith Denton, VP of International Business for Classical Conversations, and I would like to share with you what CC International is doing around the world.

The CC International team consists of myself; Jennifer Martin, Sales Manager; Shelly Stockton, Academic Liaison; and Marlene Bos, Project Manager/Administration. The entire Classical Conversations home office supports us, and we are truly blessed to have them helping us grow.

We thoroughly enjoy serving the international CC community and love helping our leadership and Christian Families in fifty-nine countries and on every continent (except Antarctica, of course!).

The CC International Team also supports many CC Communities with United States military families who are serving overseas.

A Brief Overview of CC International

Classical Conversations began investing in translating its core curriculum into additional languages in 2018. We lead the market in providing classical Christian homeschool curricula in Russia (Russian) and Brazil (Portuguese.) Many families are joining CC communities in countries across Central and South America with our Spanish translation of our curriculum. In CC Connected, we currently translate assets for business and parent support.

To grow our communities worldwide, we support many strong country leaders whom we call Country Coordinators, who manage all the activities in their country. We also continue to look for Christian homeschool leaders in additional countries worldwide.

Our Country Coordinators set up their own country bookstores outside the United States to support countries with CC resources.

There are also 22 Academic Advisors worldwide supporting our Team Leaders and Directors with translation interpretations and curriculum questions to maintain the quality and integrity of the curriculum.

CC International in 2023

Because CC International supports CC Communities worldwide, we manage two different Academic Calendars with our curriculum.

The United States is in the world’s Northern Hemisphere (above the equator) and operates in an academic year that is usually August to May, bridging two calendar years.

The Southern Hemisphere academic year, which countries like Brazil, Australia, and South Africa use, usually meets from February to November in the same calendar year.

Growth across the Globe

CC International follows the same cycle-specific curriculum and has surpassed over 11,000 seats for student enrollments and 1750 programs this year.

The number of Foundations programs increased by 387 alone, with Brazil leading the way in percentage of growth.

CC Connected Launches

The new CC Connected was launched for community management and information in international countries.

CC Connected has been well received internationally, and many countries that do not have the ability to receive print materials have been able to receive digital files through CC Connected.

The Learning Forum Draws Multitudes

CC International participated in the Learning Forum in Orlando in October this year and hosted its first Learning Forum in Asia in November. Leaders represented nine countries and four continents.

The commitment level for helping parents and learning their leadership role with Classical Conversations is amazing. Three attendees had never been away from their families before and made the trip to the CC Learning Forum to learn and share together.

The feedback from the event affirmed that we achieved our goals and became a closer CC International Team with our Asia region. International leaders from Canada, Chile, and the United Kingdom participated in the Orlando Forum.

The Global Representative Initiative Kicks Off

Another first this year, we began our Global Representative Initiative, in which we are able to support mission-based persons going abroad. We support parents supporting many mission initiatives away from the United States.

Please email international@classicalconversations.com to learn more about this opportunity.

A New Community Takes Root in Ethiopia

Our Africa region had its very first practicum for its first Ethiopian community this year. The family and community commitment is outstanding.

Here is a story of the mom who led worship, Simone Billson, Country Coordinator, Africa:

The momma leading worship in Ethiopia began her day traveling by horse and cart to a hired motorbike, then walked for a while, where she met another hired taxi to get her to the practicum 1.5 hours away. She arrived . . . on time . . . with joy in her heart . . . and led worship for the practicum! What a testimony to how far some travel, in adventurous ways, to attend these encouraging events!

New Training with Classical Tools

Academically, we had two groups of international leaders successfully go through our International Classical Tools Training led by Shelly Stockton and Jody Battley, UK Academic Advisor, where we dug deeper into developing the skills of using the classical tools of learning.

We are also now referring to the International Classical Cohort or ICC, which is only available in International Regions.

Here is one of the testimonials from attending the ICTT sessions:

This was going to be my exodus year. 2023 was going to be the end of my short journey of 6 years directing the Challenge program in Singapore. But somehow, when ICTT came up, I said yes without a second thought and just rolled along with all the meeting times. And like the ice cube in the palm that Janine spoke about—God was changing my mind.

He was changing my mind about my role in Classical Conversations, changing my mind about all the toxic conversations and feedback that I have received about CC in Singapore, and opened my mind to behold truly the gift that CC has been to me and my family.

And something clicked in me. It took three semesters of reading, discussing, and listening . . . and more listening. I could not get away from the truth that GOD had blessed us. And if God had blessed us, then I want to be used by Him to bless others, too. They do not know that they need His Gift yet . . . and so my rhetoric must get to them . . . .that CC is a gift from God to families and can be a gift to them too.

I do not know which part exactly it was. How do you know which part of the ice cube started melting first? But there was praise to God, testimony of God at work . . . and so my heart was changed.

I loved the choice of books and the accessibility and practice of classical tools, and I hope to bring this to more families for God’s Glory. And so—thank you.

First Graduates in Canada, Brazil, and the UK

To close out our lists of firsts for 2023, CC International had our first Challenge graduates in Canada, Brazil, and the United Kingdom.

What a difference our CC Graduates will make in this world!

Our Very Own Podcast

One of the wonderful marketing items we have been producing for a little over a year is the Global Homeschool Minute podcast.

The Global Homeschool Minute Podcast is a wonderful place to go and listen to some interesting interviews with Global Homeschool leaders. Some of these leaders work with Classical Conversations, and other guests make a difference by advocating for home education in many countries. Every time I host one of these podcasts, I hear many impact stories that these leaders are having worldwide.

I encourage you to take a listen.

CC International in 2024 and Beyond

For 2024, we have a lot of events planned in each country where we have CC Communities. They host Parent Practicums, Information meetings, and open houses.

We will have our first Spanish-speaking Learning Forum in Panama City, Panama, in February 2024 for our Spanish-speaking country leadership.

Classical Conversations supports many events around the world to promote global home education. Classical Conversations Inc. supported events in Africa and Croatia for regional Global Home Education Exchange events. I had the pleasure of attending and speaking at the one in Nairobi, Kenya. We also had representation at the Croatia GHEX event.

In 2024, a Global Home Education Conference will be sponsored by GHEX in Manchester, England. Over 1000 people are expected to attend. There will be many interesting breakout sessions and panels where homeschool leaders from around the world share and comment on different homeschool movements and research track sessions.

Anyone from around the world is welcome to attend, and you can find the event information on the GHEX website.

Thanks from CC International

CC International is truly thankful for the support Robert and Leigh Bortins give us and the many prayers and homeschool leaders that have gone before us. Thank you for reading this blog, and we do appreciate all your support and any new opportunities in countries you wish to pass our way. We will do our best to help them start a CC Community.

Visit the CC International website.

Grace and peace to you all.

The post Classical Conversations International: Looking Back at 2023 appeared first on Classical Conversations.

I recently had the opportunity to travel to many of the Classical Conversations communities in South Africa, Kenya, and Ethiopia. The privilege of seeing how CC has impacted mothers and children across Africa is something that is often difficult to explain to others.

Mama was my greatest teacher, a teacher of compassion, love, and fearlessness. If love is sweet as a flower, then my mother is that sweet flower of love.

—Stevie Wonder

The Heart of a Mother

No matter where I go, one thing that I find stands out is the heart of a mother for her children. There is just something about a mother knowing she has the ability and privilege to impact generations to come.

A mother who knows that serving in the smallness of her own home—who knows she can raise leaders that will impact the world—strikes me as one of the most powerful forces on earth,  and every time, that scene moves me to tears.

The mother’s heart is the child’s schoolroom.

—Henry Ward Beecher

We have all seen photos of Africa: some are magnificent and breathtaking, and some are just plain heartbreaking.

And when you step into the midst of this, you realize just how much some mothers sacrifice and how there are no worldly measures of how much they love their children.

Having the opportunity to offer their children a better education means more to these moms than can be described in words.

In the midst of having very little, something as precious as classical education is a currency of immeasurable value.

Read: “Classical, Christian Education: A Brief Overview”

Homeschoolers in South Africa

It is easy to become very complacent in the comfort of our homes and even complain about the disruption of comfort.

In South Africa, we are experiencing rolling blackouts up to twelve hours a day.

Over the last ten years, this was a reality that ebbed and flowed, but for the last year, it has become a permanency. Moms plan meals, school times, shopping, driving, and so much more around the times they will have power or not. Just being able to print something, cook a meal, or charge a phone becomes a matter of timing it right. And more often than not, the outage schedule changes without prior notice, making it even harder to plan!

We often say that we have become resilient and can face anything, but lighthearted platitudes do not make it less stressful or difficult or, at times, just plain worth crying over.

I have seen how a mother’s heart becomes a child’s schoolroom in the midst of these times. Being faced with constant difficulties grows a mother’s character, her faith, and her ability to teach more than just the book in ways like no fancy schoolroom ever can.

Our kids are watching all the time, and this is true no matter where we live. We must choose what we teach in these times and what we model to our kids. Many families now use nighttime without power for family games, family read-alouds, and sharing stories.

In many ways, these challenges force us to go back to basics or stick in the sand, as CC calls it. We learn that it is not by the wealth of the materials we use that our children are educated well but by the love and wisdom a mom shares in the midst of difficulty and struggles.

Homeschoolers in Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, we had a Practicum for the moms in the community I visited.

I remember there was one mom who traveled to Practicum by horse carriage, then in a baja, then by taxi—and she also walked part of the way. She made it to the Practicum on time and with a smile on her face, ready to serve the rest of us and lead us in worship.

I was moved to tears knowing what she had to go through to just meet us on that day and so many other days. It is difficult to comprehend the lengths some people must go through to join a community.

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. —Nelson Mandela

The reality is that in Africa, there are often times when even water and electricity become a luxury. For many, these are basic necessities, and we give them little thought. For others, these are luxuries. And all of this does impact how we see life and why and how we teach our kids to become better leaders for our communities and societies.

Read: “9 Reasons to Attend Practicum”

 Homeschoolers in Kenya

In Kenya, I met with moms from different parts of Nairobi for our Practicum.

Though the circumstances were not quite as hard as in Ethiopia, these moms still face many challenges. However, the gratitude they share in being able to share in a community that offers a world-class education to their children cannot be transcribed by mere words.

There is a sense of community amongst those moms that can only be felt with your heart, and when you do, it fills you with deep, deep gratitude to God and all His mercies and grace towards us.

The Hands of a Mother

I came home from all my travels with my heart overflowing.

I left on these trips knowing I would go to offer them a CC practicum sharing tools, but I came home with lessons in having joy in the midst of extreme difficulty and knowing God is and stays our provider, no matter what. These lessons I carry with me, knowing that no matter what I face, gratitude and a mother’s love do make a world of difference.

And now, one thing I know for sure: no matter who you are and where you live, as mothers, we can and will change the world one CC community at a time.

And in the end, no matter where you live or what you have, when there are no worldly riches to give, it is in the joy being shared and the grace we can tangibly feel that truth is shared with words, beauty is seen through the eyes, and goodness is felt in the hands of a loving mother . . .

That best academy, a mother’s knee.

—James Russell Lowell

The post Classical Conversations in Africa appeared first on Classical Conversations.

In celebration of World Homeschooler’s Day this June 2, 2023, we would like to highlight one South African mom’s experience as a homeschooler. Although it’s spring in the United States, it’s winter in South Africa. While we’re enjoying warmth and sunshine, let’s remember also that our brothers and sisters on the other side of the equator are experiencing cold and gloom.

And so, as you read, please keep all those in need of God’s light and warmth in your prayers—for some winters are winters of the heart.

Summer’s Ease, Autumn’s Leaves

For as long as I can remember, winter has held a special meaning for me. I love the often-slower pace, warming up under a blanket, hot chocolate, and good books.

“How many lessons of faith and beauty we should lose, if there were no winter in our year!” —Thomas Wentworth Higginson

Not many people share this sentiment, and I often get stares when I reveal this secret love of mine. For many, winter holds long, dark nights and feeling cold, afraid, or even just restricted.

As a homeschool mom, my heart often goes through seasons.

At times, I find myself in summer: things are going well, we are making steady progress, and for the most part, my heart is at ease.

But just as the seasons change around us, summer does not last.

I head into autumn. In my home school, this would be the time we are scrambling to finish our last lessons. I am often walking with some restlessness in my heart about what we did not finish or accomplish.

But, as in autumn when trees lose their leaves, this is also often the season of having to let go of certain expectations, surrendering control of our perfect plans and accepting the invitation of our Heavenly Father to hear what is on His heart.

Read: “Homeschoolers: 5 Things Not to Do This Summer”

A Season of Growth, A Season to Let Go

I remember so clearly how in the early days I thought that if I had the perfect plan, schedule, and space, our home school would be, well, “perfect” . . .

That did not last long. I had to learn to let go of my perfect plans and make sure that my roots were growing deeper in the places it mattered and that I wasn’t just ticking off certain boxes.

“All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost.” —J. R. R. Tolkien

The reality is that when God invites us into the journey of motherhood and homeschooling, He knows it will entail many seasons of growth and the letting go of habits and ideas which will not bear fruit. And He always extends the invitation to more of Him, the invitation to settle into the warmth of His embrace so He can cover us with His love like a warm winter coat.

Winter brings with it a time for reassessment, because it is in the heart’s winter season when we doubt what we do as moms and homeschool teachers and when it feels like the difficult stretches might not come to an end.

Yet, if we turn our faces to our heavenly Father and ask Him to place in us the seeds for something beautiful, He reminds us the problems we encounter bring with them an invitation of growth. Difficult times grow character, and they can force us to change our perspective of where we are headed and the real reasons we chose to homeschool.

When we choose to embrace the hard times with His grace, the mundane routines and the never-ending battles to complete work become more bearable and easier to handle.

“Grace grows best in winter.” —Samuel Rutherford

Winter’s Grace, Spring’s Embrace

In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul quotes Jesus, who said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (NIV).

It is during the winter seasons of our hearts that this passage really come alive. As we pass through winter and allow Father to pour more of His grace into our days, the difficult becomes easier to deal with. And as winter passes and the first buds make their way in the announcement of spring, so do our hearts become lighter.

I learn during the winter times that I need to offload the heaviness, despite wanting to be in control and needing to force my own plans. It is in this time that I learn that even when it seems like nothing is happening, God is working. My children and I grow in perseverance and character.

And I am reminded that—just as flowers all bud at different times and fruit trees all have different times for growth—in the same way, each of my children grow and develop differently. But in the end, they will all be like trees planted and growing fruit in their due season. And I need to be faithful in watering them, enriching the soil, and filling them with the truth, goodness, and beauty God offers us through His Word while adding some wonderful stories and watering them with encouraging words and love.

If we are faithful in these things with our eyes turned toward Him, our heart’s winters will make way for yet another spring season, and if we allow Him, God will be able to do His work in the depths of our hearts.

Maybe this is the reason I love winter so much: because during the coldest of nights, there always lies the promise of the most beautiful spring gardens . . .

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.” —Anne Bradstreet

Each month, we plan to bring awareness to our wonderful international community and highlight our fellow homeschoolers across the globe.

In the United States of America, homeschooling has been legal in all fifty states since 1993, and we sometimes take our freedom as a given. But in many parts of the world, homeschoolers—and especially Christian homeschoolers—still face distinct challenges and significant obstacles.

Yet, where difficulty arises, grace abounds, and classical homeschoolers around the world are redeeming education victory by victory. We’d like to honor these pioneers in education, share their unique voices, and learn from their much-needed perspectives.

Stay tuned for more International Spotlight articles!

Read more articles from our South African community.

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