Reviewing Ken Ham’s Family Homeschool Experience

Ken Ham, of Answers in Genesis (AiG), hosted his first-ever homeschool conference at the Ark Encounter in Kentucky. I am a big fan of AiG, and I have homeschooled my children from the very beginning. (You can read my homeschool posts HERE.) Still, I wasn’t sure if this event would be worth our time and money. Well, I’ve finally gathered my thoughts on the conference that was held on May 12 through May 14, and I think it is worthwhile to share my takeaways in case you might be interested in attending next year. So, let me tell you what I think about Ken Ham’s conference, Building Strong Foundations: A Family Homeschool Experience.

Was It A Homeschool Conference Or Homeschool Experience?

In his opening session, Ken Ham pointed out that he refers to his conference as a “homeschool experience” on purpose. He did not mean for it to be a typical homeschool conference. I have attended conferences through Illinois Christian Home Educators (ICHE), Teach Them Diligently (TTD), and Great Homeschool Conventions (GHC). Ham’s homeschool experience blew these conferences out of the water. (A little ark humor there…)

Other homeschool conferences I have been to lean hard into the curriculum and how-to-teach-this-thing sessions. Those are fine, and they certainly help homeschoolers through the day-to-day tasks of home education.

The homeschool experience Ham offered, however, had very little practical teaching focus. The three-day event was geared toward discipleship in the home and building a strong biblical foundation in our children’s lives. The entire event was gospel-centered. The idea behind the homeschool experience was not that homeschooling will save your children, but rather, that our homeschooling needs to be grounded in God’s Word. Being out of public schools is not enough. The worldview we teach our children is of paramount importance.

The Vendor Hall

The vendor hall is where some homeschool moms would have been disappointed. This was no gymnasium filled with every vendor under the sun. Ken Ham carefully curated who could set up at the homeschool experience.

The vendors included, Masterbooks, Abeka, BJU Press, Lamplighter, Homeschool Freedom, National Bible Bee, Schoolhouse Rocked, Heidi St. John, Bright Lights Ministry, Answers Bible Curriculum, Classical Conversations, Trail Life, Bob Jones University, Appalachian Bible College, and Family Renewal. If a homeschool event’s vendor hall is the most important part to you, then this homeschool experience is not going to meet your expectations.

May I push back a little on the vendor hall thing for a moment? Let me begin by clarifying that I love walking around vendor halls and seeing different kinds of curricula up close. Seeing it in person makes my purchase decisions much easier and less regrettable. On the other hand, the curriculum is not what makes your children’s education best. The discipleship in your home is what matters most. That strong Christian foundation set in personalized instruction is what separates homeschool from other kinds of education.

Why Is Ken Ham So Selective About Vendors?

Ham had an incident, of sorts, in March 2011 at a conference hosted by GHC. Ken Ham publicly spoke out against the teaching in some of the curricula featured at GHC. In fact, some of his criticism landed squarely on speakers who were present at the conference. Ham’s criticism? Some of these curricula deny the literal six-day creation. He strongly disagrees with teaching which contradicts the literal interpretation of Genesis 1-11.

His criticism was not well-received, and GHC disinvited Ham from future conferences. No matter how you feel about Ken Ham, he says what he believes to be true, and he fights for fidelity to God’s Word. Can it be a surprise, then, that he would be incredibly selective about vendors at a homeschool conference he hosts?

Is This A Homeschool Experience For The Kids, Too?

Some homeschool conferences have nothing in which to engage your children at all. They have to sit with you session after session while an adult drones on and on about school stuff.

Meanwhile, parents have the added bonus of trying to keep their kids quiet or leaving the session early because their bored children are over it.

Some conferences actually offer activities for kids. When I was at TTD, they offered what was essentially a day camp option. I paid an extra fee per child, and then my kids spent the day participating in games, activities, and Christian media. My children had a pretty good time, but I didn’t love that we attended the conference separated by age.

The homeschool experience at the Ark Encounter did not offer children’s activities, but there were plenty of kid-friendly sessions. Of course, the ark was available to tour at any time during the conference. Also, the Ark Encounter has a small zoo, a virtual reality ride, and a spectacular playground. All of these attractions are a big draw to families.

The sessions varied from Christian music groups (e.g., BJU Grass) to animal encounters, to tactile sessions with fossils and bones, to science experiments, to lectures on legal issues in the homeschool community, to discipling children, etc.

There was always something going on at this homeschool experience, and children had plenty of options throughout the conference.

Special Sessions At The Homeschool Experience

The days started early at Ham’s homeschool experience, and the itinerary stretched out into the evening all three days.

A Little Something For The Moms

Heidi St. John was a featured speaker the first day, and she was the speaker that same evening at a Mom’s Night Out event. While fathers and children watched a police dog show, moms met for dessert, coffee, and encouragement. St. John’s message to us wasn’t deep, but it was needed. She told stories, made us laugh, and finished with a Q & A time. Women walked away from that time feeling refreshed and properly caffeinated.

An Exclusive Movie Screening

The second night offered an opportunity to watch a screening of the newest Kendrick brothers movie, Lifemark. It wasn’t finished being edited yet, and I think that gave conference attendees the feeling that this event was quite special. We did not stay for the movie because we were all too tired. I heard people positively talking about it the next day, though. Of course, who doesn’t like free popcorn and a movie you can let your kids watch without worrying about agenda?

American Campfire Revival

The final night ended with Kirk Cameron speaking as a lead-up to everyone going outside and participating in the American Campfire Revival. Cameron released a documentary called Monumental in 2011. Most of his time speaking was about a statue featured in that film. All in all, this was the least “kid-friendly” we attended. It was late, and Cameron spent a very long time explaining the meaning of a monument replica he had on stage with him. Our family didn’t have the energy for this event, and we left before the campfire to get some rest.

Kirk Cameron: I Had Some Concerns

Kirk Cameron (or Kirky, as we call him in my home) seems like a great guy who loves Jesus very much. His American Campfire Revival gives me some weird vibes, though. I need to look into it more, but it sounds like Cameron is elevating America to the level of the gospel. If he’s not, then he was not being precise enough with his language. It was beginning to sound a lot like Christian nationalism. I love my country, and I consider myself blessed to be an American. However, my Christian identity is not wrapped up in my nationality. The American Campfire Revival started to feel like gospel wrapped in ‘Murica.

Homeschool Experience: The Practical Stuff

Food

The food was the worst part of Ham’s homeschool experience. Because it was off-season for the Ark Encounter, some of the food options were unavailable or understaffed. Our meal breaks were relatively short when you consider everyone in the conference needed food at the same time, so the low staff was especially noticeable at mealtimes.

The food quality was poor. Everything we had, including the buffet, was about as low-quality and flavorless as you’d expect at any 1990’s theme park. Literally, I’ve had better tasting food at a traveling carnival.

Food pricing was ridiculous. I bought a small garden salad from the grab-and-go for my final dinner because the idea of one more overpriced, greasy, flavorless meal made me feel sick. This container of lettuce, five cucumber slices, seven cherry tomatoes, and a handful of red onion slices cost me $9.00. Our lunch at the buffet, Emzara’s, cost my family of seven over $80, and that price included my youngest being free!

A lot of people brought food and carried it around because going back to your car requires a bus ride and time. The website says not to bring in outside food and drink, but no one followed that rule. No one enforced it, either.

Bring food.

Buses

If you’ve been to the Creation Museum, then you might be imagining walking from the parking lot to the museum in a few minutes. You won’t be doing that at the Ark Encounter. You’ll be standing in a line waiting to get your tickets scanned. Then, you’ll be standing in a line to get on a bus. This bus takes you through a wooded area on a winding road.

The bus ride is short, and riders are dropped off at the Answers Center. This building has bathrooms, a gift shop, a coffee shop, and a grab-and-go snack vendor. The large sessions for the homeschool experience, such as keynote speakers and opening and closing sessions, happen at the Answers Center, also.

Money, Money, Money

One of the reasons my whole family attended Ham’s homeschool experience with me was because of the price. We planned on taking a trip to the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum in the next year or two. An adult combo ticket (good for one admission to each attraction) is $84.95. A youth combo ticket (ages 11-17) is $44.95. Currently, children 10 and under are free, but this is not always the case. Finally, parking is $15 a day.

Given those prices, our family would have to shell out $244.85 plus tax to spend two days at these attractions. However, my family was able to attend a three-day conference, tour the Ark Encounter (separately from the conference) and spend a day at the Creation Museum for $204.96. Parking was included, and our tickets were good for seven days of admission to both attractions, including conference days.

The conference price was a flat fee for whole families, no matter the size. So, the bigger the family and the older the kids, then the better the deal.

Lodging

The Ark Encounter is not near a whole lot, but Airbnb and VRBO offer plenty of options nearby. Although, the closer the conference gets, the more these places were scooped up. I suggest securing a place as soon as you know you’re going.

Additionally, there are plenty of hotels near Cincinnati in northern Kentucky. The drive is a bit further to get to the Ark Encounter, but the area has more to offer in terms of food, lodging, and entertainment. Plus, the Creation Museum is very close.

A Gospel-Centered Homeschool Experience

Nearly every session I attended related back to the gospel. The sessions in which this was least strong were geared toward the parents. Nevertheless, the Bible was constantly referenced, and the information consistently related back to our Christian walk.

The sessions that focused most on the children, such as the presentations with the animals and the tactile lessons, gave a clear gospel presentation each time. Not to mention, every session not only referred to the Bible, but actually used it as the primary source for the information being presented.

Would I Recommend Ken Ham’s Family Homeschool Experience?

I think every Christian homeschooler should make an attempt to attend this conference at least once, assuming Ham continues to put together homeschool conferences with such a strong biblical focus.

I have walked away terribly disappointed from TTD and GHC in the past. Many of the sessions were too light, the Christian aspect felt shallow, and the focus was often on the vendor hall. Ken Ham’s homeschool experience was defined by spiritually rich sessions, engagement for the whole family, and encouragement for both homeschooling and persevering in the faith.

I asked my children for their opinions a few days after the conference ended, and they said they recommend it, too. My oldest child (11) was dreading this trip because she imagined being bored the entire time, but she admitted to even enjoying the main sessions that were geared more toward adult listeners. Score for mom!

Final Thought

Let me challenge you with a couple of thoughts. First, if you are not a six day creationist, you can still get a lot out of Ham’s homeschool experience. At worst, the Ark Encounter is still a sight to behold, and you will gain an understanding of why some Christians believe in a young Earth. Note: Not all the sessions focus on the Earth’s age.

Second, although homeschool conferences with a stronger focus on curricula and the practicalities of teaching are profitable, remember the goal in homeschooling your children is not to ace tests. The goal is to “train up [your] child in the way he should go” (Proverbs 22:6). We are discipling. Yes, math and reading are a part of the package, but all for God’s glory.

As for me, Building Strong Foundations: A Family Homeschool Experience was a much needed breath of fresh air and an encouragement to continue doing the seemingly impossible…homeschool my five children. And to do it in service to the Lord.

Which homeschool conferences have you attended? Do you think you will go to Ken Ham’s homeschool experience?

Image courtesy of Taylor Heery via Unsplash.