Great Neck Accredited Homeschool Programs

There are Free High School Summer Programs abroad for children who attend home school programs, where students can enhance their foreign language skills. While Free High School Summer Programs are usually associated with local charitable organizations or local government initiatives, there are also opportunities for children who attend home school programs.

Even if your child is home schooled or attends home school programs outside of your home, he or she may be eligible to study overseas for the summer, while earning credit towards their diploma. For Jewish students interested in traveling to Israel, there is a program called, Taglit-Birthright Israel, which covers round-trip airfare from the U.S. and Canada. The trip covers most costs including meals, hotel, and transportation, but only for a period of ten days. However, if you wish to extend your stay beyond the 10 days, you may be responsible for additional airline fees. Additionally, although it is a free program, Taglit-Birthright Israel requires a $250 refundable deposit to hold a student’s place. Upon return to the U.S. or Canada, the deposit will be returned, unless he or she incurred additional expenses, such as changing your return date. Your trip organizer should be able to help answer these questions.

In addition to free summer programs for high school students, the DoDEA (United States Department of Defense Education Activity) also offers free programs to youngsters. DoDEA is a field activity of the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Yes, you read correctly – it is officially classified as a field activity of the Office of the Secretary of Defense! The department offers worldwide as well as local free summer programs to eligible dependents of U.S. military personnel and civilian personnel of the DoD (Department of Defense). The department serves children from pre-kindergarten age through the 12th grade. The Summer Enrichment Program is four weeks long, for three hours a day and is specifically designed to enrich and reinforce student learning. The program is divided into two free summer programs – Mysteries and Media Magic. Each program is intended to focus on language arts (reading), math, and science. For parents who home school their children, there are specific requirements and questions, please contact your Liaison Officer (SLO).

Approximately 84,000 children attend sponsored DoDEA schools or home school programs, which operates 192 schools in 12 foreign countries, 7 states, as well as territories – Guam and Puerto Rico. While Israel is listed as a non-DoD country – as are many others, the government is still responsible for the education of dependants of military members and DoD civilian employees. Additionally, in areas where there are no DoDEA schools, the department supports educational services at government expense to authorized command-sponsored dependents of military members and DoD civilian employees. In contrast to the Taglit-Birthright Israel program, the DoDEA is not responsible for transportation to and from its free summer programs.

If you are interested in teaching or working for the DoDEA’s Free High School Summer Programs department, year-round home school programs, or have children whom you would like to enroll, you must be quick in completing and submitting your application. Generally, teachers, school administrators, DSO liaisons, area coordinators have approximately one month to complete and submit their application and supporting documents from receipt of the “Weekly Packet” to the online application deadline. The time frame is tentatively one month from the beginning of February to the beginning of March. For more information about Free High School Summer Programs, home schooling, as well as year round education, please visit the DoDEA’s website.

Written by Brenne Meirowitz, BA, MA, MS

© 2010-2011 Brenne Meirowitz.  All Rights Reserved.