Monthly newsletter packed with info on free and paid resources for homeschool parents wanting to prepare their children well for college and careers.
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October Newsletter: Free Self-Paced Class, Google Slides Contest, New App, and More!
Published 8 days ago • 6 min read
This month, we have a chance for you to win a free self-paced class! There is also a Google slides contest for teens, information about a new app developed with homeschoolers in mind, and fun fall links. Plus, we have updates on our regular features like the teacher spotlight, AI and ACT tips, and podcast episodes.
Disclosure: This newsletter may feature affiliate links, which means we will earn a small commission if you purchase through the links provided.
Teacher Spotlight
Jeremiah and his wife Brandy on a hiking adventure!
Jeremiah King
Jeremiah is a visual artist who enjoys learning, working, and storytelling with various media, both physical and digital. He has over 20 years of experience teaching dance and Latin, and applies his organizational, technical, and communication skills to data science.
Mr. King has a strong interest in human languages, cultures, and the migration of people and information. Most recently, he presented a poster at the ALA Conference 2025 describing his ongoing volunteer work building a Spanish-language collection for a local, rural library. He enjoys the challenges associated with data gathering, cleaning, labeling, cataloguing, analyzing, and storytelling, and he is always looking for new tools to tackle problems. He also has an interest in GIS, experimenting with emerging technologies and applications of locally run small language models.
Jeremiah is completing an MS degree in Information Sciences and a graduate certificate in Research Data Management from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He earned a BA in Classics with a concentration in Latin from the University of Tennessee. Jeremiah teaches Latin online with FundaFunda and in person in Knoxville.
When not working, he enjoys time with his family, hiking, and travel.
"After studying Latin for 2 years using the Henle curriculum through Classical Conversations, this class has been a breath of fresh air for my 9th-grade daughter! The Cambridge text used is so much easier and more interesting than the rote memorization of Henle. Mr. King provides excellent feedback on assignments. He is encouraging and helpful when assistance is needed. There is a curve to learning the Canvas platform, but once we figure it out, it was smooth sailing. Great value for the money and a great Latin class!"
Just make a purchase of at least $20 between now and October 30, 2025, then take a picture of your receipt and send it to info@fundafunda.com. You'll be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a FREE one-semester self-paced class of your choice!
Need ideas for hitting the $20 limit? Check out our suggestions below:
Buying a unit study or two is a quick, easy, and inexpensive way to receive an entry into the drawing. You can find all of our unit studies here.
Is your child taking a year-long course, but you haven't purchased the spring semester yet? This is the month to do it! Our full-semester courses can be found here.
Have a high schooler who needs some help boosting his/her ACT score, sign up for ACT tutoring or purchase an intro class for you child and a friend here and receive an entry in the drawing.
The deadline to submit your receipt is October 30, 2025.
Our winner will be notified via email on October 31, 2025.
It’s a new free app that allows homeschoolers to build a community with other homeschoolers and/or within their extracurricular groups.
Base Camp Ed's mission is to empower families by connecting parents with like-minded communities and dedicated teachers based on shared interests, specific needs, and geographic proximity. Through their platform, they help create supportive groups, seamless scheduling and open communication, fostering a collaborative and enriching educational experience for every child.
Public and private group options are available:
Public groups can be created as a resource for parents who follow the same curriculum, or share a common goal, like homeschooling college-bound teens. These groups don't need to be in a particular area.
Private groups can be created for co-ops and/or extracurricular activities like science or math clubs, etc.
The Fine Arts Department: Taylor Swift's Lyrics through a Literary Lens
Do you know a Swiftie who needs a Fine Arts credit?
Consider this: a 16-week asynchronous class that dissects a decade of Taylor’s lyrics for their literary allusions, figurative language, poetic devices, and archetypes. We’ll look at a variety of artists and consider why their work shows up in her most popular songs. From Greek Mythology and British Romanticism to early film stars and Modern writers, this class covers multiple creative mediums (literature, art, film, theater, music, etc) in order to satisfy a Fine Arts credit. All tangents will be followed for creative purposes.
This would be taught by our English teacher, Jennie Miller.
October Poll: Are your teens interested in this class? If so, when?
There are two age groups for this contest: 14-16 and 17-18 (some 19 year-olds may apply as well). One winner will be chosen from each group, and winners will receive a $500 cash prize, plus an annotated edition of Walden.
Essays should be submitted online and are limited to a maximum of 750 words. Students applying will consider a selected Henry David Thoreau quotation and accompanying prompt.
For information about past winners and to read their essays, you can visit this page.
The deadline to submit essays is December 19, 2025, at 12:00PM EST.
AI Tip of the Month
If one AI program gives you an answer you aren't sure about, feed the answer to another AI program and ask it to fact check the first response.
Upcoming FundaFunda Events
Tomorrow (Tuesday, October 21st) the webinar on College Applications has been canceled due to lack of interest.
This month, teens (ages 13+) can compete in our Google Slides contest. Students will create a slideshow using Google Slides on the topic of Daylight Saving Time. (History, Pros and Cons etc) . The contest costs $10 but includes our Google Drive unit study (worth $20) to help students learn how to use Google Slides.
The top three winners will receive Amazon gift cards!
Slideshows must be submitted by 12 PM EST on October 31, 2025.
In November, students can compete in our free Photography Contest! To enter, students just need to submit a fall or Thanksgiving photo. The details will be in next month's newsletter, or look for them under 'Contests' on the website from November 1.
The top three winners will receive gift cards: $15, $10, or $5.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Winners of our Teen Great Trivia Challenge in September
This month, we found some links for fun fall activities to help you get out and enjoy the cool fall weather! Have fun!
Science Sparks has instructions for making an easy pumpkin lava lamp!
Kelly's Classroom Online has a great Pumpkin Jack activity. Students will learn about the life cycle of a pumpkin in a fun and hands on way!
Science Sparks has an interesting weather station activity where students use pine cones to learn about weather changes...another hands on way to make learning fun!
Lots of ideas for activities using leaves can be found in this How Leaves Work lesson plan packet!
FundaFunda is having a fall photography contest for students of all ages! Grab your camera, head outdoors, and send us a photo! Details above.
ACT CORNER
ACT Quiz Me
ACT Quiz Me is a free online opportunity for ACT practice using real ACT test questions.
The program is designed to help students reinforce key concepts tested on the exam.
You can also use it as an easy way to start easing your child into ACT test prep.
In our Homeschooling with Technology podcast, we explore new and different ways of using technology in homeschooling. There is an episode released every week!
You can start listening at any time. Just click on a link to listen in a browser, or find the podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. Email me if you need help! We have a tab on our website to browse through all our past podcast episodes easily. Check it out!
In this special birthday episode, to celebrate the 12th anniversary of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network, here are 12 homeschool tech hacks that will make your homeschool more efficient, engaging, and fun!
Canva continues to be one of the most versatile and homeschool-friendly tools available. In this episode, Rebecca Brinkman and I explore the latest Canva updates for 2025 and how you can use them in your homeschool.
In this episode, Matthew Jurison shares how he first discovered Unreal Engine, why he chose it over other platforms like Unity and Roblox Studio, and why it’s a powerful, free option for teens interested in game development, visual effects, and creative storytelling.
Google Translate isn’t just for travelers trying to decipher a menu abroad—it can also be an incredibly useful tool in your homeschool. In this episode, you will learn creative ways to integrate both the browser version and the mobile app of Google Translate into everyday learning.
Free Resource Library for Subscribers
Access the Free Resources Library HERE. Password: edufun
This month we introduce our brand new Graphic Design with Canva self-paced class - and its instructor. There is also a new contest coming up for teens - Google Slides this time. Plus some fall scavenger hunt fun for younger children. Don't forget about our free webinars! Tomorrow's is on the ACT and next month we cover College Applications. Plus a 50% discount on one of our ACT products. Read on for all the info! Disclosure: This newsletter may feature affiliate links, which means we will...
In this month's bonus newsletter, we have a HUGE giveaway for you as well as a discount on the Critical Thinking class. We also found some links to help with back-to-school organization, and we have links to over 30 freebies. We have a trivia contest (not live this time), webinar announcement, new podcast episodes, etc., so take a moment and check out all the goodies in our bonus newsletter! MOST IMPORTANT: Our semester classes started on Monday, August 18! It's not too late to register....
This month you'll find information about FundaFunda's trivia nights for teens, webinars for adults, as well as a reminder about fall semester courses. We also found some links to curriculum ideas to help you fill those empty spots this fall. And, we have a new teacher spotlight, a new AI tip, ACT updates, new podcast episodes, and more, so take a little break and see all that we have for you this month! Our first Teen Trivia Night is tomorrow! See below for information on how to sign up!...
