One thing Natalie Mack knows about a well-rounded homeschool program is that it involves more than just books, lectures, and exams. Preparing students for life means giving them a taste of the challenges, activities, and duties they’ll encounter after high school.
That’s why she helped launch local chapters of two national youth organizations—4-H and Beta Club—in Northern Virginia.
In keeping with her own decades of experience as a homeschool mom and her work as HSLDA’s military community outreach coordinator (her husband served for 34 years as a Navy chaplain), Natalie aimed at having the clubs serve homeschooling families within the armed forces.
Natalie Mack and several students at a recent Beta Club competition. (L-R: Natalie Mack, Mikayla Waldron, Adelae Cervelli, Nathaniel Mack, and Maddox Joyce.)
Now that her youngest is graduating, Natalie is preparing to hand over these clubs to new leadership. She wanted to share their success to help encourage continued participation.
Learning to serve
“A lot of the homeschooling families we first invited to join didn’t necessarily know these opportunities existed,” Natalie recalled. Many eagerly signed on when they saw how participation in national clubs provided the means for personal development and community service.
For example, club members recently volunteered at the Fort Belvoir food bank. (Many members live on the Army base.) The teens worked with local businesses to organize and distribute donated food to struggling families.
Over the holidays the youth led Christmas caroling at a retirement home. Adelae, a 9th grader who has participated in Beta Club for two years, helped fashion homemade cards for retirees.
She said the positive reaction she received for her efforts has made her eager to continue service work. “It was great to see their smiles,” she said. “They’ve asked us back for Easter. I’m very excited about it.”
Friendly competition
Another important aspect of the clubs is that they help members hone academic and artistic skills and then put them to the test by competing against other students.
Beta Club, for example, holds state conventions where students can vie for honors in a wide range of areas—from academics to STEM events, plus visual and performing arts. Students can then qualify to compete at the national level.
“What I’ve loved about this,” Natalie said, “is that it allows for participation in competitions that might otherwise be difficult to find within the homeschooling community. It does so in a nurturing environment. You feel encouraged.” As a result, she is partnering with National Beta to assist other military homeschooling families nationwide to start clubs on their military installations.
Adelae attested to the way it has helped her develop her abilities. For the most recent state convention, she participated in the photo contest and wrote a short story. She enjoys writing and hopes to become a published author.
She also did something that required overcoming a natural reluctance—she presented a speech she had composed herself. “I don’t love standing before an audience,” Adelae admitted. “But I wanted to push myself to do more things, and it did help my confidence.”
Mikayla displays her award for a dance routine.
Mikayla, another 9th grader, choreographed a dance meant to showcase what she’s learned in nine years of studying the performance artform. She earned silver at the state convention and is scheduled to compete at Beta Club Nationals in June.
Natalie’s son Nathaniel, who has been in Beta Club for five years, participated in the state convention as well. He took an online exam that rated his knowledge in the field of psychology, and he created a display illustrating the local club’s community service activities.
Additional benefits
Nathaniel said the experience proved especially beneficial when he assembled his applications to various colleges.
“Being involved in Beta Club and 4-H really helped,” he said, because he could point to his community service and other projects in which he served in leadership roles. Nathaniel has already been accepted to George Mason University.
Mikayla noted that her competitive dance performances should also help in her hunt for a good college. “With all the experience I’m going to have, it will be more to put on my application,” she said.
Natalie agreed. “Admissions officers, military recruiters, and employers are going to want to see more than just academic transcripts,” she said. “It’s important for homeschool students to be able to show what their interests are and how they’ve they worked to get experience in those areas—not to mention how they value their communities. That’s why taking part in extracurriculars like 4-H and Beta can be so important.”