Children in grades K-12 will return to the classroom on Monday, August 12, except for homeschoolers who will continue their studies at home. 

Home schooling has become a popular choice in Florida. During the 2022-2023 school year, over 150,000 students participated in home education programs. That’s nearly a 60% increase over the last five years. 

Parents and caretakers are looking for interesting ways to fill their homeschooler’s days, such as taking them to historical sites and museums, such as the Edison and Ford Winter Estates, nature centers such as Calusa Nature Center, and libraries, such as the Fort Myers Regional Library.

One great choice for science-loving homeschoolers and all youngsters is heading to the IMAG History & Science Center located at 2000 Cranford Avenue, Fort Myers, 239-243-0043. The Center offers aquariums, animal exhibits, interactive displays, activities, presentations, and innovative programs. The Center is open Monday through Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm, Sunday, noon to 5 pm, and on Tuesday, the Center is closed.

The Center welcomes homeschoolers with special programs. “If your kids like investigating mysteries like Sherlock Holmes, Batman, or Carmen Sandiego, they’ll be in for a treat with our first class of the season: Forensic Anthropology. There will be a chalk outline of an IMAG Museum Educator for kids to learn and use forensic skills such as fingerprinting, tooth identification, crime scene evidence, and more helping them to solve a mystery in another IMAG Whodunnit episode,’ explains Amy Loveless, Director of Education.

This year, the Center has enhanced their capacity to teach laboratory sciences again.  “We have additional, new content around microscopes, cells, and biology. Also, with some of our recent staff, IMAG is offering new robust curricula with topics that include chemistry, nuclear physics, and astronomy. What’s more, IMAG is offering some basic homeschool courses around computer science and artificial intelligence and courses in game design, robotics, maker technology, storytelling, and costume play,” adds Loveless.  

Science is one part of STEM, the acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, all vital topics for children to learn in today’s world. STEM studies promote critical thinking, help develop decision-making skills, encourage curiosity, and persuade children to explore issues and find solutions.  So, working on STEM skills is a good investment in their education, regardless of where they are getting an education.