WV’s Largest School Fair to Help Parents Navigate School Choices

*Fair to feature local author, $3K in giveaways, and Hope Scholarship workshop*

There’s a widening world of learning choices to explore. After a successful debut last January, Southern West Virginia’s largest school choice fair is back, highlighting 70+ schools and community organizations that serve K-12 students. The Saturday, Jan. 20 event will give parents the opportunity to shop learning resources, while kids can enjoy face painting, balloon artists, gaming buses, and corn hole!

Drawing 40+ vendors and 500 attendees last year, event organizers have set their eyes on tripling attendance this year. Booths this year will feature public, private, online, and homeschool options, as well as microschool startup support, tutoring groups, summer camps, and more. The goal of the fair? To celebrate learning and support parents in understanding and navigating all of West Virginia’s school choices.

Hosted by West Virginia Families United for Education, the event will take place 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Beckley Raleigh County Convention Center. Festivities will include a photo booth, face painting, balloon art, free snacks, and a high-energy performance of the official School Choice Week dance. Prizes will be raffled out throughout the fair, with special giveaways for students and teachers.

The fair will feature inspiring speakers — including S. D. Smith, local author of the middle-grade adventure saga, “The Green Ember Series” — and “Hope Scholarship 101” presented by Deputy Treasurer of Savings Programs Amy Willard of the West Virginia State Treasurer’s Office.

This school fair is planned to coincide with the history-making celebration of National School Choice Week (Jan. 21-27, 2024), which will feature more than 25,000 school choice celebrations across all 50 states. More than 100 of these celebrations will take place in West Virginia. These include a school fair in Morgantown and spirit weeks and contests across West Virginia schools.

“I grew up here in southern WV,” says local organizer Jamie Buckland. “I’ve graduated my older two children from my homeschool and have two more to go. I’m thrilled to see our community come together to pull off something of this size for families who are used to settling for whatever is handed to us.

“Buckland is founder and executive director of West Virginia Families United for Education. They exist to guide families and support providers through the transformation of K-12 education in the Mountain State.West Virginia school options have rapidly evolved over the past five years, with the state’s first public charter schools opening, the Hope Scholarship kicking off, and school transfer rules becoming more flexible.

Beckley Raleigh County Convention Center is located at 200 Armory Dr.

Families can RSVP for the free Jan. 20 event at beckleyschoolfair.com.

National School Choice Week (NSCW) informs, inspires, and empowers parents to discover the K-12 education options available for their children, including traditional public, charter, magnet, online, private, and homeschooling. Every January, tens of thousands of schools, organizations, and individuals plan unique events and activities to shine a positive spotlight on effective education options in their communities. The Week is a project of the nonpartisan, nonpolitical National School Choice Awareness Foundation.

SOURCE National School Choice Week