FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

IOWA SENATE DECLARES SECOND WEEK IN JUNE HOME EDUCATION WEEK

Iowa Senate Works with NICHE to Recognize Home School Achievement

Des Moines, IA  June 6, 2008

The Iowa Senate officially acknowledged the efforts and successes of home schooling in Iowa.  Senate Resolution 114, introduced and adopted by the Senate on April 14, 2008, designated the second week of June in 2008 as Home Education Week in the State of Iowa and invites the citizens of Iowa "to recognize the contributions to education excellence made by home educators."

The resolution notes the importance of family participation and parental choice in academic excellence and the growing numbers of parents choosing to educate their children at home.  The resolution also acknowledges the importance of home education in American history, including well-known home-educated students ranging from George Washington to Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Home Education Week is June 8-15, 2008, and coincides with the 16th annual Home Educators' Conference sponsored by the Network of Christian Home Educators.  The annual two-day conference will be held at First Federated Church in Des Moines, Iowa, June 6-7, 2008, and will feature speakers and vendors from around the United States to educate and equip parents who currently home school their children or are considering home schooling as an option.

Formed in 1992, NICHE is Iowa's only state-wide organization providing support and information to home educating families across the entire state of Iowa through its annual conference, a monthly newsletter to its members and a website, www.homeschooliowa.org providing resources on home education in Iowa.  NICHE exists to provide Christ-centered events, communication, and resources to better equip, inform, and encourage Iowa home educators to the glory of God.