Homeschoolers Shine in Competitions
At a recent high school science Olympiad in Colorado, the winning team consisted of a group of homeschooled students.
Homeschool Competition Winners
For decades, homeschool students have dominated the headlines by winning National Spelling Bees, Speech and Debate tournaments, Robotics competitions, and more.
I’ll even make a homeschool-parent-humble-brag by noting that our own children excelled in similar ways. One of our kids won a Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom competition and represented North Carolina with an all-expense-paid trip for him and Rachael to the San Diego Zoo. When our second son was sixteen years old, he entered an international animation competition (MassAnimation). Of 50,000 entries from over 100 countries, he was one of 50 whose work was chosen to be part of the final product. The folks in England who organized this undertaking liked his work so much that they sent a team around the world to visit five of the winners in order to make a documentary. Our son was one of two individuals in the United States who were featured in this promotional video.
Masters in Their Fields
Here’s the point: homeschooling is a great way for students to become masters in their fields of interest. They can spend a disproportionate amount of time studying their craft and fine-tuning their skill. And we’re seeing many budding scientists emerge from the community of homeschoolers.
Christian Worldview
Here’s another encouraging word: If these students are using creation-based curriculum as part of their education, then they will most likely also have a Christian worldview as they explore God’s world, discover the beautiful way nature works, and gain knowledge and understanding of the many scientific disciplines. As the #1 publisher of creation-based science, math, and Bible curriculum, I am thrilled to see homeschool students win a science competition. I’m also optimistic that we’ll see more stories like the one in Colorado.
Natural Scientific Curiosty
Just taking a moment to look at the world around us is enough to pique our curiosity about God’s glorious creation and how it all works. In fact, it’s a healthy exercise to stop and ponder the universe and its many wonders occasionally. Most kids—and their parents—have asked these questions at one time or another.
- Why is the sky blue?
- Why does the sun rise on one side of the sky and set on the other?
- Why do some trees lose their leaves for the winter and others remain green year-round?
- How do fish breathe underwater?
- Why is blood red?
- Is static electricity the same as electricity that illuminates a light bulb?
- And how in the world does a caterpillar turn into a butterfly?
Folks, that’s science. Science almost always starts with making an observation and asking a question. Observations and questions lead to a hypothesis, which is then tested by way of one or more experiments. That’s the scientific method in a nutshell. Curiosity about God’s handiwork is perfectly natural, and exploring the world using the scientific method has taught us much about creation.
A science textbook should pose the kinds of questions that your child is probably already asking. A good textbook will inspire observations, offer facts and evidence in a conversational style, and provide fun and engaging activities that lead to real understanding. Discovering the answer to a problem through hands-on experiments is exciting and highly satisfying.
Warning: This kind of learning can light a fire in the heart and mind of your young student and result in requests for chemistry kits, robotic mechanisms, or computer components. Your kids might even ask to enter a science competition. And don’t be surprised if you find your child taking their flashlight and science book to bed for a little late-night reading!
Apologia Curriculum
We have full confidence that Apologia offers the best science curriculum on the market, and here’s why: Apologia is far more than a product. Every course is open-and-go, visually appealing, adaptable to multiple learning styles, and written from a Christian worldview (i.e. they are creation-based).
Our elementary, middle, and high school textbooks are technically reviewed by professionals in their fields of scientific study because we understand that no one author can be an expert in everything. Each curriculum is tried and tested in multiple home and co-op settings. And we go above and beyond the textbook to meet the needs of many learning styles by publishing companion student notebooks for independent learners, audiobooks for auditory learners, and streaming video instruction for visual learners. We even offer live online classes for social learners!
If all you are looking for is a biology or chemistry textbook, there are plenty of options from which to choose. However, if you prefer to buy award-winning resources from a company with a longstanding and proven track record, a trusted name in the homeschool community, and a real commitment to home education, then we believe Apologia is the publisher for you.
Thank you for making us the #1 publisher of science, math, and Bible resources for homeschoolers. We know that this distinction is only earned by producing high-quality resources and providing top-notch customer service. We are committed to serving you and the homeschooling community with integrity for many years to come. May God be honored in all we do and how we do it.
We pray that you and your family thrive in your home education journey and enjoy exploring all of God’s creation. I’m praying for more scientists to come from the homeschool community—scientists who have a Christian worldview and who rise to the top of their profession, pointing people to the one true Creator, God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, all that is, visible and invisible.