Western Nebraska Home Educators Network WNHEN

History

The Western Nebraska Home Educators Network was established in February of 2004 as a direct result of the Lord's calling. God placed on the hearts of our founders the need to serve a diverse homeschooling community without discriminating against any individual or family based on their religious or non-religious beliefs. Our founders believed it was the parents right to decide what activities, events and classes their child should participate in and the responsibility of the parent to oversee their child's entire education. Our founders also saw the need for a homeschool Cooperative and began teaching classes to fellow homeschoolers in the Fall of 2004 at Gering Baptist Church. There were 18 families involved that year.

One of the first outings of the Western Nebraska Home Educators Network was a family campout at Bridgeport State Lakes. The campout included canoeing, stargazing, games and much more. Seven families were present for this event which has become an annual event.

In the beginning Bruce & Virginia Mues, Carol Grow and Donnie Mauler made most of the business decisions of the network. An Advisory Board was officially established in 2005 to oversee the business matters of the group. There have been many people who have had a hand in forming WNHEN over the years by serving on the board. Bruce & Virginia Mues, Aislinn Barnes, Renea Mohrman, Jodi Shell, Virginia Garrett, Cindy Beckey, Jan Austin, Wendy Pehrson, Gwen Griffiths, Laurey Schank, Denese Snyder, Suzanne Rogers, Art Clack, Sandra Gildemaster and Kim Powell to name a few. Currently a board of directors made up of nine offices oversees all the business matters of the network.

In the past, WNHEN members have participated in Field Trips, Bob Ross Art Classes, Family Gatherings, Talent Shows, Musicals, Student Council, Graduation, Chadron Track and Field Days, Discovery Labs and Elitch Garden Homeschool Days just to mention a few. Annual events such as the Hay Ride, Evans Plunge and Ski Trip have been well received by homeschooling families. WNHEN has produced a yearly yearbook and maintains an online photo album to preserve some of the great times we have spent together.

Cooperative classes continue to grow each year with 37 families involved in the Spring of 2009. WNHEN offers a nursery, toddler, and preschool class along with lower elementary, intermediate, junior high and high school courses taught not only by homeschooling parents but by community members as well. Classes such as band and choir would not have been possible without the formation of the Cooperative and the willingness of our parents to share their talents with us.