An increasingly fast-paced world with time, financial, and educational challenges -- and a desire to do what's best for their child -- leads many to homeschool convention.

Contact: Yvonne Bunn, Director of Homeschool Support, Home Educators Association of Virginia, 252-673-2855

RICHMOND, Va., June 2, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- Richard Swenson, M.D., will be speaking on future trends, margin, balance, priorities, and more at this year's HEAV Virginia Homeschool Convention, occurring June 9-11, 2011, at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. The Home Educators Association of Virginia (HEAV), a non-profit, statewide homeschool organization, is hosting the convention to support home educators and offer resources to families curious about this option. The annual convention is expected to draw crowds of more than 11,000 participants.

Dr. Swenson has addressed members of the United Nations, Congress, and NASA. He says, "Life in modern-day America is essentially devoid of time and space. Not the Star Trek kind -- the sanity kind. Chronic overloading is the culprit; margin (capacity) and balance (equilibrium) are the antidotes. Without the help of these two essential friends, our timeless priorities (the things that matter most) are displaced by clutter, glitter, and routine panic." Swenson's current focus as a physician is cultural medicine, researching the intersection of health and culture. As a futurist, his emphasis is fourfold: the future of the world system, western culture, faith, and healthcare.

Florence Feldman, convention director for HEAV, says, "Today, people are doing more than they ever have. There are more decisions, more things to do -- more of everything than there ever was before. The challenging financial times we each face, combined with the explosion of information, leaves many feeling overloaded and overwhelmed. The drain on families is real, and real solutions are needed."

Workshops at the convention -- 135 of them -- will address everything from parenting, to home and financial management, to marriage, to helping parents with all aspects of home education, including teaching struggling learners. A used curriculum sale and a 67,500-square-foot exhibit hall will offer parents an opportunity to examine curricula and resources from around the country, and a special seminar will help parents develop a road map to financial freedom. During the convention, 206 students plan to don caps and gowns and receive their high school diplomas from their parents at the state's largest homeschool graduation ceremony, which is held Saturday, June 11. Last year the convention drew attendees from 28 states as well as from other countries.

For those interested in learning more about home education, there will be four free how-to-begin-homeschooling sessions on Thursday afternoon. A free pass to the entire event is being offered to first-time parents of preschoolers and also to non-homeschooling grandparents (see www.heav.org for details).

For more information about the convention and home education itself, visit www.heav.org, or call 804-278-9200.

The Home Educators Association of Virginia strengthens and empowers the more than 31,900 homeschoolers throughout the Commonwealth. H-E-A-V, a statewide, member-supported, non-profit association, has served Virginia homeschoolers through information, legislation, and resources for the past 28 years. Members of the media can learn more by visiting www.heav.org/media.