Erica Barnicle took the leap into homeschooling five years ago, just after the world shifted during the COVID shutdowns. With a passion for creating community, she co-led a local chapter of a national homeschool cooperative for two years. Along with her husband Jimmy, she raises five vibrant children in the Cleveland area, focusing on learning at their own pace and enjoying everyday moments together.
Julie Kopmeyer has been homeschooling since 2008, when her sons were entering the first and third grades. Despite a crazy first year that featured the birth of her daughter, and many bumps along the way, she considers it the second-best decision she’s ever made (after marrying her husband). She has a BA in Communication from John Carroll University and an MA in English from the University of Akron. Married for 30 years to her best friend, Marty, Julie lives in Brecksville.
Ildi Rich is a devoted wife and homeschooling stay-at-home mother of five. She earned her BS in Math Education from the Franciscan University of Steubenville and is currently the Secretary of the Board for Cleveland Right to Life. She went from teaching at Classical Curriculum schools and vowing that she could never teach her own children, to homeschooling her five children since 2016. After almost a decade of experience, Ildi has plenty to share about how it’s okay to make mistakes, how you will never have the perfect curriculum, and how it’s better to try anyway. She can also share how to register your homeschool in Ohio using the lesser-known ‘08 method of homeschooling, refine a curriculum to match your strengths and weaknesses, and keep your kids active in sports and the community.
Amanda Richman and her husband of 29 years, Adam, are veteran homeschoolers of three children. Amanda began homeschooling after their fourth-grade son faced health challenges. She hopes to encourage and embolden other mothers to take on the most rewarding adventure they will ever encounter – homeschooling! Amanda earned her JD from the University of Iowa College of Law, practiced corporate law, and was an adjunct professor at a community college prior to becoming a homeschool parent.
