GA State Homeschool Organization
Georgia Home Education Association (GHEA)
GHEA is a statewide organization that was established in 1992. GHEA strives to protect the rights of homeschool families across the state. Membership is open to all families regardless of religious or philosophical belief.
GA Homeschool Law
Parents/guardians must file a Declaration of Intent with the Georgia Department of Education for each homeschool year. More information can be found at the Georgia Department of Education, Georgia Home Education Association, and Home School Legal Defense Association.
GA Homeschool Events
This 3-day homeschool convention held in late July each year offers a vendor hall, great speakers with practical workshops, and special children’s programs. If you are homeschooling or even just beginning to think about it, you’ll want to go at least once!
Georgia Homeschool Field Trip Destinations
Admission to Atlanta Contemporary is always FREE! Plus, the free and interactive family-friendly program, Contemporary Kids introduces children to contemporary art and artists through hands-on activities. You can also book a group tour for up to 40 people.
Wear your comfy walking shoes for this 33 acres of historic houses, gardens, and exhibits. Homeschool families will be delighted with Homeschool Days, Toddler Storytime, the Learning Lab, and School Tours.
The Atlanta History Center also hosts wonderful online learning and research tools.
Cabbage Patch Kids Babyland General Hospital
Admission is FREE! Pack the kids up for a trip to the new BabyLand General® Hospital in Cleveland, GA, voted one of the Travel Channel’s Top Ten Toylands. Beautifully situated in the North Georgia Mountains, this Southern-style home filled with Cabbage Patch Kids will capture the imagination of your entire family.
Babyland General Hospital is the only place in the world where you can witness the birth of a hand-sculpted Cabbage Patch Kid. The self-guided tour allows you to take as much time as you like touring BabyLand and playing with our Cabbage Patch Kids. Most families spend at least one hour here.
Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park
Here’s another stop for participating in the Junior Ranger program!
You can book a guided tour with a ranger or explore Chickamauga Battlefield on your own using the park brochure (available at the visitor centers), the free cell phone tour, or visit www.chch.toursphere.com on a smartphone to access the self-guided cell phone tour.
On the weekends, during the fall and winter months, running from Labor Day to Memorial Day, there are a variety of regularly scheduled ranger-guided tours. There are no admission fees for programs at Chickamauga Battlefield!
Children’s Museum of Atlanta is the only educational venue of its kind in Atlanta. Through community outreach initiatives, educational programs, and exhibits designed for children ages 0–8, the Museum sparks every child’s imagination, sense of discovery and learning through the power of play.
Book hands-on presentations, experiments, and live animal encounters; programs last approximately 30 minutes. Maximize your field trip by booking a visit to Thronateeska on the same day! With both locations less than 10 minutes apart on foot along the Riverfront Trail, the Flint RiverQuarium and Thronateeska complement each other well. You can also select the educational film you’d like to include for your group.
The site also has a nice selection of virtual lessons and companion guides, videos, and free live virtual field trips.
In addition to the usual world-class aquarium experience, Tuesdays in the Field, a specialized homeschool program created for K-12 homeschool students, offers your homeschooler standard-based instruction “in the field” at their own pace. The Tuesdays in the Field homeschool experience is offered on the second Tuesday of the month, from September through March. Registration for the Tuesdays in the Field program includes Georgia Aquarium admission. Included in your home school admission is access to privileged areas, standards-based activities in the Discovery Zone gallery. and admission to all Georgia Aquarium galleries and presentations.
The aquarium also offers a HOST of online resources–lesson plans, animal guide, STEAM videos, and additional web resources.
From the early Native Americans to guests from around the world, the story of the island has been captivating explorers for generations.
In the late 1800s, Jekyll Island became an exclusive hunting club for families like Rockefellers, Morgans, Vanderbilts, Pulitzers, and Bakers. The once private retreat is now part of The Jekyll Island Club National Historic Landmark District, one of the largest preservation projects in the southeast. Now a state park, the island is a special sanctuary. In addition to beaches, biking, tennis, and mini-golf, you’ll find living history presentation, a Historic District, ranger walks, and the Georgia Sea Turtle Center.
If you have a LEGO fan, and what parent among us isn’t stepping on those painful pieces of plastic, this is a must-visit. Building stations, interactive theater experience, amazing LEGO build displays, and of course, a little shopping at the end. Go as a family or book a group tour.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium STEAM Tour Experience
You can easily book STEAM Educational Tours at Mercedes-Benz Stadium Powered by Georgia Power using the online form linked above. STEAM lessons are available by request!
Nestled in 3200 acres of natural beauty, but just minutes from downtown Atlanta, Stone Mountain Park features outdoor recreational activities, seasonal family-friendly attractions, and a variety of on-site lodging.
Explore Stone Mountain Park’s attractions on your own self-guided field trip with a discounted Attractions Ticket. Standards-based self-guided program packets are available to enhance your visit and include pre-and post-visit activities. Contact the Group Sales office to book your field trip; payment in full must be received at least 21 days in advance (30 days for the Native American Festival & Pow Wow).
You’re going to want to explore their site for the full list of festivals and special events, including Stone Mountain Highland Games and a Pumpkin Festival. There’s even an Easter Sunrise Service. All of their park maps are on the site too.
Quite a variety can be found at the World of Coca-Cola. See the Vault of the Secret Formula, the legendary vault where the Coca‑Cola formula is secured. Visit the Beverage Lab for an immersive experience that delves deep into the world of beverage creation and offers learners of all ages a chance to explore the science, creativity, and innovation of beverages. The Scent Discovery exhibit encourages your students to follow their nose and discover the world through scent, unlocking exciting new destinations, familiar memories, and new flavor journeys that impact taste. In the Pop Culture Gallery, “Magic Murals” and “Ghost Signs” celebrate the work of various female artists, combining art and technology through the use of AI.
To qualify for School Field Trip Pricing, a minimum of 15 tickets must be purchased in a single transaction. Otherwise, General Admission ticket prices will apply. Advance reservations are required using the online reservation form.
Coca-Cola also offers some good classroom lesson plans for 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades designed to coordinate with a visit but would be engaging for anyone.
Is homeschooling for you?
The community of homeschool families is diverse. One study reports that 41% of homeschool students are Hispanic, Black, Asian, or other non-White/non-Hispanic groups (2). Homeschoolers come from all faiths – Christians, Jews, Muslims, agnostics, atheists. Teaching parents have a range of formal education, from high school diplomas to graduate degrees, and cover the array of household incomes.
How do you homeschool?
While laws regulating home education vary from state to state, homeschooling IS legal in all 50 states. Many states offer more than one option. One of the first steps in your family’s homeschool journey is to become familiar with the laws in your state. Then the fun begins!
Click on your state below for resources on homeschool regulations, state homeschool organizations, homeschool conventions in your area (here’s why these are amazing for new and experienced homeschool parents), as well as other homeschool perks in your state.
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Disclaimer: Please note that the information on this page is provided for your convenience as a research tool and resource as to where to find the information you need to homeschool in your state. The team at 3 Moms Blog are not attorneys. This content has not been reviewed by an attorney. It is not legal advice.
Brian D. Ray. (2017) A systematic review of the empirical research on selected aspects of homeschooling as a school choice, Journal of School Choice, 11:4, 604-621, accessed April 7, 2023 at https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15582159.2017.1395638
US Department of Education. (2019) Homeschooling in the United States: Results from the 2012 and 2016 Parent and Family Involvement Survey (PFINHES: 2012 and 2016). Accessed 4/7/2023 at https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2020/2020001.pdf