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I have never been enrolled in any public school, or even a private school. All of my schooling has been by homeschooling. Am I socialized? Well

When planning my birthday parties, I would always have to cut down the number of friends on my invitation list to keep the party at a reasonable, and affordable, size. I had to limit myself to only my closest friends. Friends were never hard to find! One reason being that there are a growing number of homeschoolers in the United States, and another being that there are so many other activities and opportunities for meeting new friends besides a formal school. Soccer, Sunday school, community theatres, summer swim team, and a number of other activities are opportunities to meet new people.

More than half of my friends are all homeschoolers as well as me. Some live in the same area as myself, and others live in different parts of the country. My family has been a part of an organization called the Advanced Training Institute International (ATII) for several years. It is an organization for homeschoolers all over the world to meet together, attend conferences, and have access to hundreds of different kinds of materials for homeschooling, and other life purposes. Aside from conferences, there are numerous programs, camps, and training courses to attend. I cannot tell you how many people I have met and become friends with through this organization.

Other of my friends I have met through the introduction of another friend. Different people have different activities and acquaintances, especially when your acquaintances aren't confined to the school you attend. Our friends introduce us to new friends, who can then introduce us to their friends, and so the cycle continues.

Another socialization opportunity I have had is through a national Homeschool speech and debate organization called the National Christian Forensics and Communications Association (NCFCA). Competitions and tournaments are held throughout the country, and local clubs are ever increasing in number. We helped some of our friends start up a new, local club where we could meet regularly to help each other prepare for competition.

NCFCA tournaments are friendly, and yet fast paced. Competition can be intense, or it can be relaxed, depending on how "into it" you are. And not only is communication an extremely important skill to have, but tournaments are an extreme enjoyment for many. Large groups of teenagers gather together to compete in speech, but they also

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