The Longest Running
Alternative Education Conference
Making Learner-Directed, Learner-Centered Education Available to All

Mini - Talk 1 

A Look Into The Lives of Homeschooled Teenagers - A Documentary Project

Mason Ember 









Mason will share his homeschooled journey, and discuss his documentary project. He will also be filming parts of the AERO Conference. 

Mason is a young filmmaker, artist, and lifelong-homeschooled 15 year old from the NYC metro area. His interests include music,
urban infrastructure, politics, ecology, and storytelling. In 2024
he began production on a feature documentary about other homeschooled teenagers, their lives, and their visions for the future.


Mini Talk - 2

Live Free and Learn: Education Freedom,
the New Hampshire Way. 

Kate Baker Demers 








New Hampshire is unique in the nationwide Education Freedom landscape. We have the fastest growing and most popular program that is award-winning for effective implementation. In the free state, Education Freedom is not a theory but rather a core value held by the majority of Granite Staters. Join this session to learn about the unique aspects of how our NH Education Freedom policies were smartly designed to operate better with freedom & parent power at the core. 

Kate Baker Demers - an innovator and education entrepreneur - has dedicated over two decades to advancing education freedom for NH families. As the Executive Director of the Children’s Scholarship Fund NH, she has implemented and manages the NH Education Tax Credit (ETC) Scholarships and the NH Education Freedom Accounts (EFAs), empowering thousands of families to direct funding to learning experiences tailored to each child.
 
New Hampshire's Education Freedom Account (EFA) program, praised by EdChoice for its effective implementation, allows families to use state funding for various educational expenses, including private school tuition, tutoring, and homeschooling materials, with a focus on transparency and efficiency.
Through the NH ETC, Kate and her team have raised and awarded more than 15 million dollars in scholarships to children in need.
 
A recognized leader in school choice, Kate has developed best practices for sustainable education freedom and advised policymakers nationwide. She serves on multiple nonprofit boards and was appointed by Governor Sununu to the NH Council for Thriving Children.