Local & State Resources
Homeschoolers learn as much outside the home as in it. Here you'll find listings of cultural and educational institutions, government resources, libraries, and bookstores. If you need a tutor, this is the best place for you to find one near you.
Museums
Explore the world of art, science, and history by visiting a museum in Florida. Museum trips can make your lessons come alive and can offer a fun way to spend the day learning.
Zoos & Wildlife
You can read all you want in a book, but there is nothing like seeing the objects of your study up-close and personal when you visit a zoo, nature preserve, aquarium, or wildlife sanctuary. Visit the animal kingdom here in Florida, and you'll find a fun and interesting way to learn more about the natural world.
Botanical Gardens
Share the natural world with your child at these botanical gardens and arboretums. These are wonderful places to go to go birding, work on your nature journals, or simply spend a lovely afternoon outdoors.
Nature Centers
Nature centers are places where you can see the natural and historical world come alive. Browse through these nature centers in Florida and introduce your children to the world outside their door.
Theater, Dance & Music
Visiting and viewing the arts expands your outlook on the world and can an inspiration to both you and your children. Browse through this list of theaters, dance companies, and music offerings in Florida.
Historic Sites
Learn through history by visiting interesting historic sites around the state of Florida. Historic sites let you put a real face on the history that you've read about, making it more exciting for you and your children.
National & State Parks
Continue your child's education as you explore the natural wonder of national and state parks in Florida.
Public Resources
Connect with government and public agencies in Florida that can offer resources and opportunities for learning.
State School Resources
A listing of public school resources, including Florida's Department of Education, school districts, and other useful information.
Libraries
Libraries are an important resource for homeschoolers. Parents and children value librarians for the expertise they share when navigating the vast amounts of information found in today's libraries. Libraries also provide lending materials, educational materials, meeting space for support groups, and more.
Bookstores
Where can you find homeschooling books, curricula, and supplies? Where can you get used books? Here is a list of bookstores around the state of Florida, with a special emphasis on those that are especially helpful for homeschoolers.
Tutors & Teachers
Are you looking for a tutor? Need some help with a particular subject? Here are some resources to help you.
What's Popular
Cedar Key Scrub State Reserve
Salt marshes on the Gulf of Mexico give way to a succession of swamps, hardwood forests, pine flatwoods, and scrub, providing splendid opportunities for nature study and wildlife observation. The scrub is dominated by species such as sand live oak, myrtle oak, and Chapman's oak, along with rusty lyonia, and saw palmetto. Hikers and off-road bicyclists who want to experience a mosaic of Florida habitats will find it on the miles of trails that wind through the park. The shallow waters and numerou...
Thomas Center Galleries
The Thomas Center Galleries features exhibitions that highlight the highest quality of work by local, regional, national and emerging artists. Special events, lectures, symposiums and workshops are offered throughout the season.
Tallahassee Community College Library
The TCC Library serves as the primary information source for students and faculty of the college. They offer a collection spanning traditional formats such as books and periodicals, to multi-media and on-line tools and information sources, with all necessary equipment to use them.
Everest University Libraries
The Everest University Libraries provide an organized and readily accessible collection of materials and equipment needed to meet the instructional and individual needs of the students and faculty.
Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park
Situated on the banks of the legendary Suwannee River, this center honors the memory of American composer Stephen Foster, who wrote "Old Folks at Home," the song that made the river famous. The museum features exhibits about Foster's most famous songs and his music can be heard emanating from the park's 97-bell carillon throughout the day. In Craft Square, visitors can watch demonstrations of quilting, blacksmithing, stain glass making, and other crafts, or visit the gift shop. Hiking, bicycling...
Camp Gordon Johnston Museum
Located in Carrabelle, Florida, the museum's role is to preserve the heritage of the men who trained at the this camp during WW II. Carrabelle was the focal point of social life around the camp when it was open during WW II, and today continues its role as the preserver of the amphibious soldier's heritage. Camp Gordon Johnston opened in 1942 for the sole purpose of training amphibious soldiers and their support groups, this camp trained a quarter of a million men, closing in June of 1946.
Crealde School of Art
Founded in 1975, Crealdé was the brainchild of late Winter Park businessman William S. Jenkins. Today this successful not-for-profit community arts center offers a year-round curriculum of more than 80 affordable classes in painting, drawing, sculpture, photography and ceramics for adults and children. Its faculty is comprised of more than 40 professional working artists who teach beginning, intermediate and advanced classes. Facilities include a professional dark room, ceramics studio, foundry,...
Riviera Beach Public Library
600 West Blue Heron Blvd. Riviera Beach, Florida 33404 Phone: 561-845-4195 The mission of the Riviera Beach Public Library is to provide free access to information, ideas, resources, programs and technology to support users educational, cultural and recreational needs in a variety of formats.
Maitland Public Library
501 S. Maitland Avenue Maitland, FL 32751 Phone: (407) 647-7700 The Maitland Public Library exists for the purpose of anticipating the changing needs of Maitland citizens in their lifelong quest for information resources, leisure reading and cultural experiences.
University of West Florida Libraries
The University of West Florida Libraries include the John C. Pace Library, the primary facility on the main campus in Pensacola, the Emerald Coast Library, located in Fort Walton Beach, and the Curriculum Materials Library and the Music Library, which are also located on the main campus. Housing more than 752,000 volumes, 1.2 million microforms, 5,100 serial subscriptions and providing access to thousands of full-text electronic journals, the library is also designated as a regional depository f...
Crystal River Archaeological State Park
National Historic Landmark, this 61-acre, pre-Columbian, Native American site has burial mounds, temple/platform mounds, a plaza area, and a substantial midden. The six-mound complex is one of the longest continuously occupied sites in Florida. For 1,600 years the site served as an imposing ceremonial center for Native Americans. People traveled to the complex from great distances to bury their dead and conduct trade. It is estimated that as many as 7,500 Native Americans may have visited the co...
Clay County Public Library
403 Ferris St. Green Cove Springs, FL 32043 Phone: 904-284-6315 The Clay County Public Library serves Green Cove Springs, Fleming Island, Keystone Heights, Middleburg, and Orange Park.
The Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute Research Library
The de la Parte Institute (FMHI) Library has been an established resource for information on mental health research, policy, and treatment for over 30 years. Its core monographic and serial collection on managed behavioral health, health care reform, outcomes and accountability, behavioral health services research, and public health policy is unique within the state university system. The library has over 40,000 monographs and 200 current journal titles, with access to online publications, webca...
University of South Florida Libraries
The USF Library System consists of six libraries. The principal research library is the Tampa Library centrally located on the main campus. The St. Petersburg campus is home to the Poynter Library; the Sarasota campus is home to the Jane Bancroft Cook Library; and the Lakeland campus has recently found room to house their own library, which had previously been a joint use facility. The special libraries are the Shimberg Health Sciences Library, serving the needs of USF Health consisting of the C...
Archbold Biological Station Library
The Archbold Biological Station Library collects material extensively in plant and animal ecology, evolutionary biology, conservation biology, limnology, entomology, ichthyology, herpetology, ornithology, mammalogy, and Florida natural history. As of 2006, the collection includes 6,690 books, 7,500 bound periodical volumes, 3,300 Florida maps and aerial photographs, and 17,000 reprints. The Library has holdings in 400 serials and subscribes to 200.
Resources
Great Lodges of the National Parks: The Companion Book to the PBS Television Series
Stand amid soaring Douglas fir in the great hall of Glacier Park Lodge or sit in the setting sun and gaze into the Grand Canyon at El Tovar. This beautiful gift book will transport you to the majestic lodges of our national parks to relive the glory of past vacations or plan adventures anew. This book and the PBS television series of the same title (to air in spring 2002) take armchair travelers into these architectural wonders and explore the surrounding natural beauty of our national parks. Lodges, wildlife, and stunning vistas are showcased in 175 full-color and black-and-white photographs, along with historical documents from the PBS series. In his introduction, Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, offers a call to preserve this national heritage, and a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book go toward the rehabilitation of these magnificent buildings.
America's National Parks for Dummies, Second Edition
What makes a trip to a national park so wonderful? For starters, America's national park system is more diverse than any park system in the world. You can stroll the seashore at Olympic National Park in Washington or Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts, climb craggy mountains in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, or go underground into the world's largest cave system at Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. You can marvel at the largest canyon on Earth (Grand Canyon National Park), hike among the planet's largest collection or rock arches (Arches National Park), explore the lowest and hottest place in the Western Hemisphere (Death Valley National Park), or wander a realm of forests and misty mountains (Great Smoky Mountains National Park).

And these are just a few of your park options.

America's National Parks For Dummies gives you guidance to decide which park is for you, when to go, and what to see when you reach your destination. This guide will help you plan the best trip imaginable, whether you are

  • An inexperienced traveler looking for guidance in determining whether to take a trip to a national park and how to plan for it
  • An experienced traveler who has yet to explore the national park system and wants expert advice when you finally get a chance to enjoy one
  • Any traveler who doesn't like big, thick travel guides that list every single hotel, restaurant, or attraction, but instead looks for a book that focuses on the places that will provide the best or most unique park experience

America's National Parks For Dummies is user-friendly and organized in a logical fashion. Each park is broken down in a chapter that delves into the nitty-gritty of trip planning and highlights, including tips for

  • Planning your trip by touching on the diversity of the park system, explaining some of your vacation options, and telling you when parks are the most (and least) crowded
  • Ironing out the details by describing how you get to the parks and how to find your way around after you arrive
  • Exploring America's national parks by giving you the lowdown on 15 of the best parks, detailing things like each park's wild kingdom, the best spots for memorable photographs, and a few safety issues

The pages of this book resemble a great long-distance hike – you never know what's around the next bend in the trail. So throw on a backpack, take a swig of water, and get ready to explore the national parks!

America's Spectacular National Parks
The concept of the national park is an American contribution to world civilization, and it remains a defining characteristic of our country. From the rocky shore of Maine's Acadia to the barren crater and lush rain forest of Hawaii's Haleakala, America's national beauty is celebrated and preserved in its national parks. This book retells the history of each park, describes its most important features and wildlife, and reproduces its gorgeous scenery in full-color photographs that will enthrall armchair travelers and entice others to lace up their hiking boots and reach for their sporting gear. Organized by region of the country, it includes well-known parks like the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Glacier as well as lesser-known destinations like Shenandoah, Biscayne, and Kenai Fjords.
Florida History from the Highways
Discover Florida, with its unique geography and exciting history--from ancient gold to modern real estate speculation--by journeying along its highways. Beginning with a chronology and succinct account of Florida's spectacular development, then an account of the rise of the major cities, Florida History from the Highways takes you throughout the state, pointing out the fascinating events that occurred at locations along the way. You'll travel through changing times and landscapes and emerge filled with new appreciation for what has made Florida the colorful place it is today. With an engaging style and a wealth of historical photographs, author Douglas Waitley invites you to explore this extraordinary state's rich past while enjoying its natural beauty.
The National Parks of America
For tourists, family campers, and serious lovers of the outdoors, here is a big, beautiful, color-illustrated book that describes more than 50 national parks, sites, and seashores that stretch from Cape Hatteras on the Atlantic coast to the Grand Canyon in Arizona, Yosemite in California, Haleakala in Hawaii, and Glacier Bay in Alaska. More than 400 breathtaking photographs capture the beauty and atmosphere of each site, and 54 color maps show each park's location and major features. Visitor information panels give important details on access points, accommodations, and recreational activities such as hiking, rafting, birdwatching, and fishing. Here is a wonderful volume that will inspire plans for trips and evoke marvelous memories of past experiences in America's great outdoors.
Educational Travel on a Shoestring : Frugal Family Fun and Learning Away from Home
Educational Travel on a Shoestring shows parents how they can help their children learn–and have a blast–while traveling. From researching destinations to sharing activities that both teach and entertain, this priceless guide offers practical information for parents who want to have more fun with their kids, build closer family ties, and enjoy richer educational experiences–all without spending a fortune.
America's National Parks: The Spectacular Forces That Shaped Our Treasured Lands
From stunning mountain ranges to arid expanses of desert, America has been blessed with an incredibly diverse land -- and the vision to protect it for our and future generations to enjoy. These lands are ours to view, wander, learn from, and revel in. America's National Parks captures all that is great about all fifty-six parks in the national park system. It also gives interesting, easy-to-understand background on the geological and ecological forces that continue to make each national park so worthy of protection.

Nature lovers will be captivated by gorgeous photos of landforms, flora, and fauna. Families will appreciate the information that is sure to enhance vacations at the parks. And visitors to any of the country's national parks will forever treasure this book as a memento of past visits and an inspiration for future ones.

Unlike any other book published on national parks, America's National Parks is a must-have for anyone who relishes America's natural wonders and wants to learn more about the powerful forces that created them.

National Geographic Guide to the National Parks of the United States, Fourth Edition

Now in its fourth edition, the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America is the ultimate birder’s field guide. Sturdy, portable, and easy-to-use, it features the most complete information available on every bird species known to North America. This revised edition features 250 completely updated range maps, new plumage and species classification information, specially commissioned full-color illustrations, and a superb new index that allows birders in the field to quickly identify a species.

The National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, Fourth Edition will continue to be a bestseller among the fastest-growing sector in the U.S. travel market—the nearly 25 million people who travel each year specifically to observe wild birds.

These Rare Lands
If a picture's worth 1,000 words, this book--with its hundreds of breathtaking photos of America's National Parks--is a well-stocked bookstore. Accompanied by the words of poet laureate Mark Strand, These Rare Lands is a perfect coffee-table book for anyone who has enjoyed the wonders of nature's wildest places. From a storm over Sequoia National Park in California to the otherworldly stalactites and stalagmites of New Mexico's Carlsbad Caverns and an Atlantic sunset in Maine's Acadia, this is a book that draws you back again and again. Photographer Stan Jorstad's obvious love of nature comes through in the thoughtful approach he takes to his life's work, contained in the pages of These Rare Lands.
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Featured Resources

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Catholic Home Schooling: A Handbook for Parents
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Drawn Into the Heart of Reading
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Creative Home Schooling: A Resource Guide for Smart Families
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Florida History from the Highways
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Free to Learn: Introducing Steiner Waldorf Earkt Childhood Education
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