SHEAF was founded by a group of concerned home educators who wanted to provide a resource for secular homeschoolers in Florida. SHEAF is completely non-discriminatory Members are welcome regardless of personal choices or situations including faith, style of home learning, and gender. As our Mission Statement says
The purpose of the Secular Home Educators Association of Florida is to support families in exercising their right to homeschool regardless of age, ethnic background, family composition, financial condition, method of homeschooling, race, religion or lack thereof, sexual orientation, or special education needs. SHEAF assists homeschoolers by providing networking, educational forums and a state convention.
SHEAF is proud of its secular origins. We use the first three definitions of secular as stated at dictionary.com:
- 1. of or pertaining to worldly things or to things that are not regarded as religious, spiritual, or sacred; temporal
- 2. not pertaining to or connected with religion (opposed to sacred)
- 3. (of education, a school, etc.) concerned with nonreligious subjects*
SHEAF is about families that choose to educate children at home. We do not hate or denigrate religion in any fashion. Our members come from a variety of faiths and all creeds are respected within our organization.
SHEAF plans on offering members a variety of ways to connect and communicate with fellow home learners through out the state of Florida. Message boards, chat room opportunities, and an annual convention will provide members with the opportunity to gain support, knowledge, and friendship with other homeschool families.
*secular. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved March 21, 2008, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/secular