Graduation suggestions for parents with a student graduating in 2021.

With the exception of this year (2021), NTHEN has hosted graduation exercises and commencement ceremonies for graduating homeschool students since 1992 and has assisted numerous homeschool support groups over the years in developing their own graduation events.

Following are suggestions for you to consider in terms of a proper graduation event for your 2021 graduating student.

1. As with all things, gather together and pray about this situation and seek God's direction concerning it.

2. Obviously, if your church has a homeschool group that it hosts, or you know of a church that does, contacting that church and group is a good first step. Even if they have not sponsored a graduation event in the past, they may be inclined to do so this year.

3. Additionally, homeschool groups constitute a great forum for knowing what's going on in the homeschooling community locally, and elsewhere. Ask them for help. They may not have all of the answers you seek, but maybe they have enough answers to at least move the needle forward.

4. If you have homeschooled very long, you probably know other homeschooling families. Some of them may also be investigating their options for conducting a God-honoring graduation ceremony. Network with them to create a ceremony yourselves that will be a quality event, but with just with 2, 3, or 4 graduates. Creating a quality event is not rocket science; but, like rocket science, it does take leadership and planning!

5. Many homeschoolers graduate singularly at an event at home surrounded by family and friends. "Pomp and Circumstance" can be played on a piano or downloaded off the internet and played from a variety of devices. Someone can sing; someone can pray; someone can lead in the pledge of allegience to the flag of the United States of America; someone can bring a brief message of challenge and encouragement; someone can make the pronunciation of graduation and present the graduates diploma to them; someone can prepare snacks or a meal for an after-the-ceremony time of honoring your graduate! Parents, you can do this!

God bless you as you face this new challenge. ("For God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." II Timothy 7).

 View excerpts from Graduate's  "Table of Honor"

View excerpts from a Graduation Ceremony

View excerpts from a Graduation Reception