Linda Bendall’s family lost something precious when they moved from Maryland to California for her husband's military career: a homeschool co-op that had provided her children with a vibrant community and plenty of resources.

They were relocated to Monterey, California, one of the most expensive places to live on the West Coast, where military families struggle to access affordable resources. Linda and her family felt the loss deeply.

“For a full year, I thought we were the only homeschooling family in Monterey,” she said.

On the other side of the country, stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, Jaimi Erickson’s family faced similar isolation struggles.

Jaimi wanted her kids to befriend other homeschooled children, and her heart desired to connect with other homeschool parents for encouragement and support. But she couldn't find any homeschool groups in the area.

Why homeschooling works for military families

Linda and her husband Gary (whom she met in the Army) decided to homeschool their children when their oldest daughter was born. Jaimi and her husband, Trent (retired after serving 24 years in the Marine Corps), are in their tenth year of homeschooling. Their oldest will graduate from high school next year.

Amid many moves and other life upheavals, homeschooling provides both families with flexibility and stability. As HSLDA members, both Linda and Jaimi have found HSLDA’s legal guidance and resources online very helpful.

“I use the state requirement tool frequently,” Jaimi said. “HSLDA is an invaluable resource for homeschool families.”

“Constant moves for military homeschooling families mean learning new state laws, rebuilding routines, and finding resources we love—only to have to do it all again in a few short years,” Linda said. But even during deployments or cross-country moves, their homeschooling program remains constant. “That consistency is invaluable.”

Jaimi feels the same way. “Not dealing with issues of transferring my kids from one school to another every time we move has been a huge relief,” she said. “I wanted my kids to always be placed at their level without the differences between states affecting them.”

Armed with the knowledge of how homeschooling has blessed their families, both women were determined to face their fears and build a community from scratch.

From concerned moms to community leaders

“I didn't start as a leader. I started as a mom desperate to find homeschool resources for her kids,” Linda said, referring to the small meet-up she founded in Monterey with six other military homeschooling families.

An unexpected connection with Vanessa Decker, a homeschooling mom from Santa Barbara who ran a successful co-op, encouraged Linda to start her own despite her doubts. Linda felt deeply inspired by Vanessa's family, especially by their 13-year-old daughter. Ava, who passed away last year, founded a non-profit called Glimmers Childhood Cancer Foundation to raise funds to help children with cancer while struggling with cancer herself. 

“The impact their family had on my life, which seemed so small at the time, led me to start the Monterey Military Homeschool Community," Linda said. 

During this time, she received support and guidance from Natalie Mack—HSLDA's military community outreach coordinator—on building a military homeschool co-op and working with military school liaisons. Linda describes Natalie as a “mentor and huge support” to her and other homeschooling military families.

The small meet-up eventually became the Monterey Homeschool Community, offering affordable and free resources like weekly field trips, playdates, STEM classes, nature programs, and chess and book clubs.

The Monterey Military Homeschool Community

Jaimi's turning point was equally necessity-driven. After searching unsuccessfully for existing groups, she realized she had to come up with a solution. “I could not find any homeschool groups in our area, so I reactivated the base homeschool group that existed as a Facebook group,” she explained, referring to the Camp Lejeune and New River Homeschool Families support group.

Her strategy bridged a critical gap between homeschooling families living on base with those off base, communities that had become separated despite sharing the same needs. With Natalie’s help connecting her to the local school liaison, Jaimi ensured institutional military support for the group.

The Camp Lejeune and New River Homeschool Families group gathered for an art activity

“It is always helpful for homeschooling families to have a group connected to your base so you can plug in right away,” she said.

Not alone

Linda, Jaimi, and Natalie recently met in person for the first time at the BJU Military Homeschool Leaders Conference in Greenville. Co-hosted by BJU and HSLDA, the conference provided military homeschool leaders with workshops and training on leadership in their unique situations and communities.

“For the first time, I felt like someone truly saw all the hard work I had been doing,” Linda said. “Hearing other leaders share their struggles and triumphs reminded me that I wasn't alone.”

Natalie Mack, Linda Bendall, and Jaimi Erickson

Jaimi agreed that the biggest impact of the event was connecting with other leaders. “We are all navigating homeschooling in the midst of moves and deployments,” she said. “Realizing everyone has similar challenges across the globe was impactful.”

Though Linda's family has moved to South Carolina, her Monterey group continues growing. Jaimi's Camp Lejeune group is also thriving under new leadership.

What began as two military moms searching for community has become part of a larger network supporting military homeschooling families nationwide. Both women now collaborate with Natalie, contributing to blogs on leadership, speaking at events, and mentoring new leaders. Their dedication and passion for serving homeschooling families encountering similar challenges at military bases across the country continues to help families thrive no matter what obstacles they face.

If you want to hear more about Linda and Jaimi and their impact on the military homeschooling community, watch this conversation between the two of them and Natalie.