Keynote Speakers

Speaker Application

Keynote Speakers

Jennifer Pepito

Jennifer Pepito brings over twenty-five years of homeschooling experience to The Peaceful Press, where she serves as the guiding force behind the development of nurturing and effective homeschooling resources.

She has graduated six children from her program, with two students earning honors degrees from their preferred university and one pursuing a Juris Doctorate, another completing ministry school and a fourth graduating with honors from Coast Guard training.

Upon discovering her second daughter’s learning disabilities, Jennifer embarked on a journey of extensive research into child development and education, drawing insights from leading experts such as Carol Stock Kranowitz, Gordon Neufeld, Charlotte Mason and Maria Montessori. This deep dive into understanding laid the foundation for The Peaceful Press curriculum, designed to provide families with homeschooling methods that are not only academically rigorous but also emotionally enriching.

Morning Keynote Session:

Systems for a Peaceful Home and Homeschool

Homeschool mom of seven, Jennifer Pepito, will share praticalwisdom and encouragement for managing your home and homeschool while maintaining peace. In this inspiring workshop you’ll learn simple rhythms, mindset shifts, and life-giving systems to help your days feel more ordered, joyful and aligned with what matters most.

Carrie De Francisco is the host of the popular podcast Coffee With Carrie Homeschool Help,
speaker, and author of several books including, Just Breathe (and Take a Sip of Coffee):
Homeschool Simply & Enjoyably and Homeschool High School: A Handbook for Christian
Education.

Carrie believes if God is calling you to homeschool, you can do it! Through her consulting
services, books, podcast, and premium members at The Coffee House, she helps moms
simplify their homeschooling one step at a time, one day at a time, and one cup of coffee at
a time. After 20 years of homeschooling, Carrie appreciates the gift of laughter (and her
quiet time with her Bible and favorite cup of coffee).

Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, Carrie now lives and learns in Southern California
with her husband, her two homeschool graduates, and their introverted dog.

Connect with Carrie at coffeewithcarrie.org
Email at coffeewithcarriehomeschool@gmail.com

Keynote Session –

Interdisciplinary Learning: Integrating Math with Art, Science and History

Unlock the potential of interdisciplinary learning by integrating math with subjects like science, art, and history. Learn how to design lessons that connect math to real-world applications, such as using geometry in art projects, applying algebra in scientific experiments, and exploring mathematical patterns in historical events. These techniques will not only make math more relevant and interesting for your child but also foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of the subject.

Amy Hughes

Amy is an author of Words Like Honey and speaker from the central coast. She has 9 kids and has been homeschooling/unschooling for 16 years. Amy is a contributor to Wild + Free, a homeschooling and parent coach, and the queen of awkward silences.

Afternoon Keynote Session:

Chill Out

It’s so easy to let other people’s educational expectations and requirements get in the way of homeschooling our kids. We hear what the schools are doing, we see what other parents are doing with their kids, we see the bells and whistles of all the curriculum, and we start to feel like we’re not doing enough. And when we start feeling that way, we start reacting. Worry enters the homeschool. Anxiety enters the homeschool. Pressure enters the homeschool. And all those beautiful things that were guiding us in the first place start to fade. That’s why when people ask me for homeschooling advice, the number one thing I say is to chill out. Come learn how to chill out and how doing so helps to create a peaceful and life-giving homeschool.

Keynote Speakers

Our Amazing Keynote Speakers

Andrew Pudewa

Is the founder and director of the Institute for Excellence in Writing. Presenting around the world, he addresses issues relating to teaching, writing, thinking, spelling, and music with clarity, insight, practical experience, and humor. His seminars for parents, students, and teachers have helped transform many reluctant writers and have equipped educators with powerful tools to dramatically improve students’ skills. Although he is a graduate of the Talent Education Institute in Japan (Suzuki Method) and holds a Certificate of Child Brain Development, his best endorsement is from a young Alaskan boy who called him “the funny man with the wonderful words.” He and his beautiful, heroic wife, Robin, have homeschooled their seven children and are now proud grandparents of fifteen, making their home in northeastern Oklahoma’s beautiful green country.

Keynote Session –

Nurturing Competent Communicators

Many teachers and parents assume that good readers will naturally become good writers. Others think that writing talent is a natural ability. Some have it. Others don’t. Both are myths. History and modern research demonstrate how good writers develop the two most critical skills needed for a high level of aptitude in writing. With humor and insight, Andrew Pudewa explains these two easy but powerful skills, which build language patterns and nurture competent communicators.

Nicole Thomas

Ask a homeschool parent to list their biggest obstacles, and “teaching math” will probably appear close to the top of that list. In response to this concern, Nicole Thomas created Nicole the Math Lady which serves tens of thousands each day of students each day. Nicole has not only created an educational website but a family environment where children and parents share the common belief that when education is fun, there are no limits to what a child can learn.

Nicole holds Bachelors’ Degrees in Economics and Psychology from Stanford University and resides in Orlando, Florida with her family. https://nicolethemathlady.com

Keynote Session –

Do You Mean My Kids Can Actually Love (and Do Well in) Math? – Yep! How much your kids love (and if they do well in) math is mostly up to how it is taught. Come learn Nicole’s secrets – six teaching strategies to make math engaging, clear, and, yes, even fun. Prepare to be engaged, amazed, and up and out of your seats! You’ll leave wishing this is how you had learned math.