LeaderLife will be held at
Holiday Inn Newport News-Hampton by IHG
980 Omni Boulevard
Newport News, Virginia 23608
Register for the pre-conference only here.
Registration for the full conference is closed, but you may still attend the preconference workshops, which run from 10 a.m. to noon on Friday, March 6.
Grow into the Leader Your Homeschool Community Needs
Grow Your Leadership Confidence & Skill in a Two-Day Training for
Homeschool Leaders, Co-op Organizers, and Emerging Founders
✔ Learn how to lead teams without burnout
✔ Navigate conflict, communication, and decision-making with confidence
✔ Build healthy, sustainable homeschool organizations
Not a Member? Join now and save.
Member $139 • Non-Member $159
Designed for Leaders at Every Stage
Stop leading alone.
Build confidence, clarity, and community with leaders who get it.
Whether you’re just stepping into leadership or carrying the weight of years of responsibility, this conference meets you where you are—and moves you forward.
This conference is for you if you are:
- A homeschool leader juggling vision, volunteers, and very real limits on your time
- A microschool or hybrid program leader navigating growth, policies, and parent expectations
- An emerging leader sensing a call to step up—but unsure how to lead well without burning out
- A seasoned leader who wants fresh perspective, sharper tools, and renewed confidence
You don’t need a title.
You don’t need everything figured out.
You just need a willingness to grow.
Leadership Unboxed is for leaders who want to lead with clarity, humility, and purpose—without losing themselves in the process.
Practical Tools You Can Use Immediately
This isn’t abstract leadership theory or motivational fluff. You’ll leave with tools you can put to work Monday morning.
At the LeaderLife Conference, you’ll learn how to:
- Lead with confidence instead of second-guessing—even in complex or emotionally charged situations
- Communicate clearly and set healthy boundaries with parents, boards, and volunteers
- Build and sustain strong teams without carrying everything yourself
- Navigate conflict wisely while protecting unity and mission
- Make decisions with clarity and conviction, grounded in purpose rather than pressure
You’ll gain:
- Fresh perspective from leaders who understand homeschool communities
- Practical frameworks you can adapt to your unique context
- Encouragement that reminds you why your leadership matters
You won’t just feel inspired—you’ll feel equipped.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
Romans 12:2
Leaders, Edupreneurs, and Founders
You can have a thriving homeschool community – co-op, microschool, learning center, hybrid school – where families participate, leaders step up, and you have more time to spend with your family.
Your Registration Includes
- Two days of in-depth leadership training
- Practical workshops led by experienced homeschool leaders
- Conference materials and take-home resources
- Opportunities to connect with and learn from leaders across Virginia
- Encouragement, insight, and tools you can apply immediately
Special rate!
Thanks to the incredible generosity of our sponsor, we were able to reduce the price to just $139/member ($159/nonmember).*
*Need more assistance? We don’t want a sincere financial need to keep anyone from LeaderLife. Please let us know how we can help.
Lodging
The room block at the Holiday Inn by IHG in Hampton is full. Please look into some other great options nearby!
- Holiday Inn Express & Suites Newport News
- Country Inn & Suites by Radisson Newport News South
- Newport News Marriott at City Center
- Hilton Garden Inn Newport News
- Hampton Inn Newport News-Yorktown
- Candlewood Suites Newport News/Yorktown
LeaderLife Conference Schedule
Friday, March 6, 2026
Preconference
9:30 a.m. | Pre-Conference Registration
10:00 a.m. | Welcome & Prayer
10:10 a.m. | What Homeschool Groups Are and How to Plan One ~ Sheri Payne
Controlled Growth ~ Cindy Bryan
10:55 a.m. | Coffee Break
11:15 a.m. | How to Start and Run a Co-op, Microschool, or Hybrid ~ Sheri Payne
How to Start and Run a Support Group or Learning Center ~ Natalie Mack
12:00 p.m. | Lunch On Your Own
1:00 p.m. | Check-In & Registration
Conference Begins
1:30 p.m. | Welcome & Introduction
1:40 p.m. | To Consider: Why Are You Here? ~ Small Group Discussion
1:55 p.m. | Spotlight Introductions
2:15 p.m. | Welcoming the Kids Who Need More ~ Dr. Amy Moore
3:00 p.m. | Coffee Break
3:30 p.m. | Convention Update ~ Catrina Jackson
Development Update ~ Dr. Angela Bartee
3:45 p.m. | Spotlight Introductions
4:00 p.m. | Speed Networking Activity
5:15 p.m. | Workshop Breakout Sessions Building an Effective Team ~ Becky Knepp and Susan Macias
Avoiding Burnout: Called, Not Consumed ~ Ashlee and Landon Sharrett
6:30 p.m. | Dinner
8:00 p.m. | Dessert Reception
Saturday, March 7, 2026
8:30 a.m. | Welcome & Prayer
8:40 a.m. | Spotlight Introductions
9:00 a.m. | Wired to Lead: Unlocking the Neuroscience of Effective Leadership ~ Jessica Parnell
9:45 a.m. | Coffee Break
10:15 a.m. | Protecting Our Children, Protecting Our Groups ~ Darren Jones
11:00 a.m. | Legislative Update ~ Callie Chaplow
11:30 a.m. | Workshop Breakout Sessions
KISS for Success: Keep it Simple and Specific ~ Cindy Bryan
Beyond Square Pegs: Designing Co-ops Where More Students Fit ~ Ruth Cooper
1:00 p.m. | Lunch
2:15 p.m. | Activity ~ Problem Swap Brainstorming Session
3:00 p.m. | Boundaries as Leaders ~ Ashlee and Landon Sharrett
3:45 p.m. | Coffee Break
4:15 p.m. | To Consider: What Did You Learn? ~ Small Group Discussion
5:00 p.m. | Giveaways, Closing Thoughts, and Prayer
Full Session Details and Speakers Announced Soon
We’re finalizing dynamic leaders in:
Volunteer management and onboarding
Burnout prevention and boundaries
Conflict & communication
Homeschool law & policy awareness
Founding vs. maintaining leadership
Save your seat now—this event fills before speakers are announced.S
Real Words from Real Leaders
Empowered Leadership
You’ll leave with:
A strategic plan you can implement Monday morning
Practical tools for growing (or launching) your program
Templates, scripts, and leadership language you can use immediately
Confidence in your calling—and boundaries to protect it
New friendships with leaders across Virginia
No more reinventing the wheel.
No more leading alone.
Why LeaderLife Works
Relevant & Practical
Real-world tools. Real conversations. Real solutions.
Life-Changing & Dynamic
This isn’t theory. It’s discipleship applied to leadership.
Fun & Interactive
Discussions, giveaways, and connection—with laughter and joy
Ready to Step Into Your Calling?
You don’t need to be perfect.
You don’t need to have it all figured out.
You just need to take the next faithful step.
Meet Your HEAV LeaderLife Team
Anne Miller
President and Executive Director
Sheri Payne
Director of Leader Support
Guiding, equipping, and championing homeschool leaders for more than forty years.
Meet Your LeaderLife Speakers
Jessica Parnell, CEO of Edovate Learning Corp, is a national advocate for “learning without walls” and the author of the Unlocking Your Child’s Genius series. As co-founder of Bridgeway Academy and Curriculum Express, creator of Elephango, and visionary behind the Discover! K–8 curriculum, Jessica has built and scaled educational programs that serve families across diverse learning models.
LeaderLife Workshop
Wired to Lead: Unlocking the Neuroscience of Effective Leadership
Recent discoveries about the brain reveal remarkable insights into how people focus, build habits, stay motivated, and lead well. For leaders, understanding these principles can transform how teams function, how families feel supported, and how cultures of growth are built across communities. In this high-energy, interactive session, participants will explore how the brain engages attention, why timing and emotional climate influence learning and motivation, and how habits and language shape long-term outcomes for teams, volunteers, and students. Leaders will discover practical ways to strengthen focus, build encouraging cultures, and communicate in ways that increase confidence and engagement across the families they serve. You will leave with simple neuroscience-based strategies you can apply immediately to energize teams, strengthen leadership influence, and create environments where both leaders and families thrive. NOTE: This is a fun, interactive workshop.
Thank You To Our Sponsors!
Thanks to the generosity of these sponsors who have invested so highly in homeschooling families and leaders across the nation.
Eliminate the Guesswork
Start your year with clarity.
Lead with purpose.
Find your people.
Eliminate the Guesswork
If you’re in homeschool leadership—or thinking about it—there’s no need to reinvent the wheel. HEAV’s LeaderLife Conference equips you with proven tools, practical strategies, and seasoned insight from leaders who have been there–so you can lead with confidence from day one.
Homeschooling is a great way to unleash your creativity—but we know starting from scratch can be daunting. Don’t reinvent the wheel! Learn from others who have gone before. Learn the difference between a co-op and support group and discover what you need to know to get started!
No matter how big of a team we have, leaders take on large burdens when running a group. Challenges in our private lives, complaints from our members, and simply having too big of a burden will lead to burnout in even the best leaders. We’ll help you mitigate burnout with tips on how to maximize the skills of your team members and manage your own schedule.
A cooperative can be as simple as parents working cooperatively together with little to no money changing hands, to a complex drop-off, multi-day, academic program that functions like a private school. No matter where you begin on this spectrum, there are important guiding principles that are common to all homeschool co-ops.
Support groups range from simple social media groups to large groups that offer resources, multiple events, and community. Support groups can be excellent assets to families and provide a sense of community. Craig will address the purpose and characteristics of your group, administration, parent engagement, conflict management, time management and building teams, and more.
Homeschooling is a great way to unleash your creativity—but we know starting from scratch can be daunting. Don’t reinvent the wheel! Learn from others who have gone before. Learn the difference between a co-op and support group and discover what you need to know to get started!
No matter how big of a team we have, leaders take on large burdens when running a group. Challenges in our private lives, complaints from our members, and simply having too big of a burden will lead to burnout in even the best leaders. We’ll help you mitigate burnout with tips on how to maximize the skills of your team members and manage your own schedule.
Most of us are just homeschool moms and while some of us have children with special needs, the skills to handle children with disabilities in our co-op can be beyond our expertise. We have tips on how to train our leaders and bring in people with the right skill set so we can support the growing population of homeschooled students with special needs.
A cooperative can be as simple as parents working cooperatively together with little to no money changing hands, to a complex drop-off, multi-day, academic program that functions like a private school. No matter where you begin on this spectrum, there are important guiding principles that are common to all homeschool co-ops.
Support groups range from simple social media groups to large groups that offer resources, multiple events, and community. Support groups can be excellent assets to families and provide a sense of community. Craig will address the purpose and characteristics of your group, administration, parent engagement, conflict management, time management and building teams, and more.
Do you know what to do to keep your group’s meetings and events safe and secure for all involved? Not just from outside threats, but also from internal concerns. Policies, training, risk management, and Virginia law will be discussed.
Feel like you’re flying blind in your leadership?
You’re not alone! Many of us
- stumbled into leadership by necessity, without considering our particular talents and abilities,
- focus on filling gaps and fixing weaknesses, and
- use brute strength to just “get the job done.”
Stop struggling and stop trying to reinvent the wheel. Join us at the DoubleTree by Hilton for two days of training, encouragement, and fellowship at Virginia’s conference just for homeschool leaders.
Empower Yourself and Revitalize Your Team!
Come to LeaderLife.
Prices Increase After March 5.
March 6 – March 15, 2024: $89/member; $109/non-member
HEAV member? Be sure to access your member benefits page to grab your discount code before you register.
Not a member? You can join or renew right on your convention registration! You’ll get your member discount right away and get great benefits all year long.
Grounded in timeless principles of wisdom and service, Leadership Unboxed equips today’s leaders with practical skills and fresh perspectives to meet tomorrow’s challenges.
Eliminate the Guesswork.
- Grow in your leadership potential.
- Gain confidence as a leader.
- Create a team you can count on.
- Work more efficiently.
- End burnout.
- Connect with other leaders.
- Reach your diverse community.
Each year, we hear how this leadership conference has changed leaders’ lives and made THE difference in their leadership style, in their groups, and in their own families. Leaders sacrifice so much, and we want to support you. We’re in this together. Come find your community. Come find your tribe.
Leadership is not so much about technique and methods as it is about opening the heart. Leadership is about inspiration — of oneself and of others. Great leadership is about human experiences, not processes. Leadership is not a formula or a program; it is a human activity that comes from the heart and considers the heart of others. It is an attitude, not a routine.
