Passwords must be at least 8 characters long and include at least 1 alpha (A to z), 1 number (0 to 9), and 1 of these special characters:  ~!@#$%^&*()"'*+,-/:;<=>?|{}[].

Usernames must be at least 6 characters long.

Blount Home Education Association (BHEA)

Blount Home Education Association (BHEA)

Blount Home Education Association (BHEA)

Blount Home Education Association (BHEA)

Blount Home Education Association (BHEA)

Blount Home Education Association (BHEA)

Request New Family Membership

Fill out the form below and click the Continue button at the bottom.

Returning members:
Please do not use this form.
Instead, make sure you’re logged in and select “Renew Your Membership” under the "Community Resources" Menu and it will guide you— this form is designed for new members only.

Welcome to BHEA!

We’re so glad you found us! Before requesting membership, please review the following to ensure BHEA is the right fit for your family.

BHEA is a non-profit, Christian-based organization founded in 1987 by homeschooling families to support homeschooling families in Blount and surrounding counties. Run entirely by parent volunteers, we provide encouragement, resources, and community for several hundred homeschooling families.

We offer many activities throughout the school year designed to enrich your child’s educational experience at home. We understand that choosing to homeschool can feel overwhelming, and BHEA is here to help you and your family adjust and thrive.

Because BHEA is fully volunteer-run, each family’s contribution of time and talents is vital. New families might start by organizing a field trip—just email the Activities Coordinator at activities@bhea.net for guidance. Do you enjoy hospitality? We regularly host Moms Night Out events and welcome hostesses. Volunteering is also the best way to make lasting friendships!

While BHEA is Christian-based, we warmly welcome all homeschooling families, regardless of faith, to join us on this journey. We pray your membership brings encouragement and blessings.

Important: Every member family must have at least one child legally registered to homeschool under Tennessee law. This excludes “public school at home” online and hybrid programs, which differ from independent homeschooling.

We look forward to meeting you and supporting your homeschooling journey!

Annual Family Membership Fee

The Family Membership Fee for the 2025–2026 academic year is $50.
This covers your entire household from June 1, 2025, through May 31, 2026, regardless of when you join or renew.
Please note: this fee is non-prorated and non-refundable.

If you have extended family members living in a different household, they must submit their own application and fee.


Tips for Completing Your Application or Renewal:

  1. Secondary Name:
    Please use this field for the second parent in the household who may attend BHEA events with you or your children. You may leave it blank if not applicable, don't put your own name there twice if you are a single parent.

  2. Additional Email Address:
    This is for adding another adult's email to receive BHEA communications. There is a separate opportunity later in the form to add emails for your children if you'd like them to stay informed.

  3. Alumni or Instructor:
    Select “Alumni” if you or your child graduated while a BHEA member in good standing.
    Select “Instructor” if you are not currently homeschooling children but are a pre-approved Enrichment instructor.
    If you select Instructor, click the red “X” to close the child information fields.

  4. Membership Directory:
    The directory is visible only to BHEA members who are logged in and is a wonderful way to connect and find community. We encourage you to opt in and be listed.


Username and Password — Please Note:

Your Username and Password become your permanent BHEA login credentials.
Make sure to remember them — you will use them regularly to login to the website, register for enrichment sessions, field trips, and other activities, view members-only content, and stay connected with all that BHEA has to offer.

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Children

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If Student Username and Password are both provided, child will have the ability to login.

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Grade level

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Homeschool Legal Registration — Please Review Carefully

In order to become or remain a member family of BHEA, at least one of your children must be legally registered to homeschool in the state of Tennessee (TCA § 49-6-3001 and related).

Below, please let us know how you are legally registered to homeschool. There are a few options under Tennessee state law:

  • Independent Home School: You may register directly with your Local Education Agency (LEA) — typically your county’s school district — in compliance with TCA § 49-6-3050.

  • Church-Related or Umbrella School: You may enroll in a church-related school (CRS) — often called an umbrella school — which supervises your home education. Examples in our area include HomeLife Academy, Maryville Christian School (MCS), Christian Academy of Knoxville (CAK), and The Farm School (TCA § 49-50-801).

  • Accredited Online School: You may be registered with an online school that is accredited by a recognized agency.

We reserve the right to ask for proof of registration, which you should have received from your LEA or umbrella school when you registered or made your payments.

Please note:
"Public school at home" - such as a county or state online academy — is not legally considered homeschooling under TCA and therefore does not meet this requirement. [Click here to learn more.]


If you are a BHEA alumni or an approved BHEA Enrichment instructor only (without currently homeschooling children), please check the "alumni" or "instructor only" box to bypass this section.


A few additional points to be aware of:

  • Compulsory School Age:
    Children entering Kindergarten must be 5 years old on or before August 15.
    However, a child is not required to enroll in school at age 5; compulsory education starts no later than the school year following the child’s 6th birthday (TCA § 49-6-201).

  • Registration Detail:
    You will be asked in the next question to specify which legal entity you are registered under.
    If you have questions about this requirement or how to answer it, please email membership@bhea.net and we’d be glad to help.


Citations:

Umbrella/cover schoolSchool district (LEA) as independent homeschooler
Accredited online schoolPublic school at home
Child not homeschooledAlumni only
Approved Enrichment instructor onlyBelow Compulsory Age
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Please list the specific organization with which each child is legally registered to homeschool.

If you are joining or maintaining membership as an alumni or approved Enrichment instructor only, please enter N/A in this field.

If this child is under age 6 and not yet registered, or is not currently being homeschooled, please enter N/A.

We reserve the right to ask for proof of registration to homeschool, which should have been provided by your local school board (LEA) or umbrella school when you completed the paperwork or registration.


About "Public School at Home"
Some children may be participating in a public school at home program (such as a preferred academy or a virtual school administrated by a local school district). While we allow you to report this here, please be aware that this is not legally considered homeschooling. Nonetheless, your family may still be eligible for BHEA membership if at least one of your children is a legally homeschooled student.


About Types of Homeschool Registrations:

Independent Homeschool (registered with LEA)
Some families register directly with their Local Education Association (LEA) - for example, Blount County Schools, Maryville City Schools, Alcoa Schools, or Knox County or Knox City Schools.
Please note: If you are participating in a Preferred Flex or Future Ready academy or any LEA-administered program, your child is a public school student, not a homeschooler. If this applies to you, please select “public school at home” instead.

Umbrella School:
Some homeschoolers enroll under an umbrella school — a brick-and-mortar or online academy that oversees their education. Examples include Maryville Christian School, HomeLife Academy, Berean Christian School, The Farm School, etc.

Accredited Online School:
Other families may use an accredited online school for their education. Examples include Abeka Academy, Penn Foster, K12 International, The Keystone School, The George Washington University Online High School, or Liberty University Online Academy.
Please note: many public or charter online programs are "public school at home" -this means they are publicly funded and supported, not legally homeschools.

 

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Has this child ever been suspended from a school, whether public or private? Alternately, has your child received disciplinary action from a homeschool enrichment program or co-op? **

** Please be reassured that answering this question in the affirmative does not automatically disqualify your child from membership or participation in BHEA. We ask this question so that we can come alongside you to develop a plan to help your child succeed in BHEA in both social and academic settings. 

NoYes

If the answer is "yes", please explain the circumstances.

If this school-aged child is not being homeschooled this year, please indicate the private school or school district he or she is attending (Blount County, Maryville City, Alcoa City, etc.). Please note that your non-homeschooling children may not attend our activities during regular school hours when school is in session, unless they are of preschool age. 

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Classifieds Emails:

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Additional Questions

Have you added ALL of your children, whether or not they are homeschooled?
If not, please scroll back to the top and click +Add Child directly below the gray box before continuing


IMPORTANT: Please carefully review the “Sections” area above to ensure you have selected every age group that applies to your children.
Accurate selection is essential not only to receive Enrichment program emails but also all regular communications tailored to each age group or demographic of your children.

Also, for each child, make sure the grade level is updated and matches in BOTH places where it appears in their profile. Mismatched grade information can cause delays or missed communications.

Please double-check all details and select every appropriate option for your family before continuing. 














Volunteer Areas

Click here to fill out the BHEA 2025–2026 Volunteer Interest Form. Your responses will go directly to the Activities Coordinator.
This form is required to join or renew your membership, and your membership will not be approved until it has been submitted and the Activities Coordinator notifies the membership team that it has been received.

Initial below that you have completed and submitted the BHEA 2025–2026 Volunteer Interest Form with a minimum of 3 selections made to the Activities Coordinator.

Criminal Background Check Acknowledgement


I understand that BHEA requires a criminal background check for any adult member who will participate in BHEA in the following ways: Enrichment Instructor, Enrichment attendee, middle or high school event chaperone, group/club leader, Enrichment Team, or Board of Directors. Students who are 18 years old on June 1 of the upcoming academic year will be required to complete a background check if participating in Enrichment. I acknowledge that the background check is non-negotiable for members who desire to participate in these capacities, that I am responsible for the cost of the background checks for my household

 
(1 required)
By typing my name below, I understand and agree that this form of electronic signature has the same legal force and effect as a manual signature.

Payment Instructions

Submit Your Membership Payment

You may pay your Family Membership Fee using the PayPal button below, either with your PayPal account or a debit/credit card.

Important: Before submitting payment, please verify that your invoice shows “Request Membership Payment” with a quantity of 1 for $50. If the quantity is more than one, please adjust it back to one.

Please note that the Family Membership Fee is non-refundable.

It is now time to submit your payment to complete your registration or renewal.

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