When Natalie Mack talks about military homeschoolers, she sees more than a niche community — she sees a model for how families everywhere can take ownership of their children’s education.

It’s a model that’s important because military families homeschool at twice the rate of civilians. Frequent relocations, gaps in support services, and a desire for stronger alignment with family values are just a few of the reasons homeschooling has long been a staple in military life.

For Mack, founder of the Military Homeschoolers Association (MHA), the traits that many military families personify — flexibility, resilience, and the ability to pivot — can offer powerful lessons for the broader public on building systems that work better for them. Above all, Mack supports families’ choosing what works best for their children. Her work is grounded in empowerment, dignity, and preparing kids to be confident and community-minded.

“It’s not about being perfect,” Mack said. “It’s about knowing your family, knowing your values, and building an education that reflects both.”

Her own story is proof of what that philosophy can achieve.

A moment that changed everything

A retired Navy chaplain’s wife and mother of five, Mack’s homeschooling journey began after an unsettling moment at church, when her youngest daughter showed a stronger bond with her day care provider than with her.

“It hit me hard,” she recalled. “That moment made me realize I was missing precious time to pour our family’s values into our kids. It wasn’t just about education. It was about connection.”

Soon after this experience, Mack decided to homeschool her family, and she has never looked back. Over the next 23 years, she homeschooled all five of her children, guiding them through high school and into successful college and graduate programs.

“Education has always been important to our family,” Mack said. “Being a military family, we’ve moved all over the world, and it’s been amazing to connect what we’re learning with the places we’ve been and the sights we’ve seen.”

Building what was missing

But Mack quickly discovered that choosing homeschooling was one thing, finding the right support was another. In the early 2000s, homeschooling resources were few and far between, and support networks were informal at best. While many nonprofits offered a variety of resources for military families, Mack noticed a lack of support for military homeschoolers.

“As military families, there’s a wealth of resources available to us, but they weren’t reaching homeschooling families,” Mack explained. “That was my light bulb moment. I realized there was an opportunity to connect these valuable resources to our community.”

That realization became MHA — an organization dedicated to advocacy and partnerships that provided military homeschoolers the visibility and support they deserved. Today, MHA offers educational resources, training, and community-building initiatives, as well as networking events and mentorship programs that military homeschoolers can use to foster connections with one another.

The organization’s “Base2Base” podcast shares tips and resources from different duty stations, while partnerships with organizations such as United through Reading offer a summer reading club and a deployment initiative where service members record themselves reading books to their children. At its core, MHA was built to connect homeschooling families with invaluable resources such as these.

“It’s about designing learning around the needs of the child and the priorities of the family,” Mack said.

Proof in the numbers

The impact of that work came into sharper focus in 2024, when MHA surveyed 763 military homeschooling families. As the first survey ever for military homeschoolers (which will now be conducted annually), the results confirmed what Mack had long suspected: for most families, homeschooling is about conviction, not just convenience.

• 60% cited dissatisfaction with traditional school options
• 58% said their faith influenced the decision
• Other participants pointed to rising concerns around bullying and school violence.

These findings connect military homeschoolers to a much larger movement in American education — one defined by flexibility, autonomy, and trust in the family unit.

“More and more parents are realizing they don’t have to settle,” she said. “They can build something that actually works for their child.”

Mack sees this as part of a larger shift — not just in military families, but in families across the country.

“The system is struggling to meet and maintain the differentiation that needs to be there,” Mack said. “I affirm families’ right to say, ‘This isn’t what I’m looking for.’”

Education with intentionality

Despite growing mainstream interest, homeschooling still raises familiar questions. What about academic rigor? What about socialization?

Mack answers those questions with both data and lived experience. Her children have earned scholarships, degrees, and national recognition. One daughter has completed a master’s degree in social work and is now a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Her oldest daughter has her master’s in international education, and her middle son is beginning his second year of a master's of urban planning program at Virginia Tech.

“Colleges are seeking out homeschoolers,” she said. “Military academies are too. We’re on par with any traditional graduate.”

As for the socialization myth? Mack calls it “an old stereotype that needs to go.”

“We’re not in a bubble — we’re just choosing who our kids are socialized by,” she said. “That’s not isolation. That’s intentionality.”

That intentionality, she believes, is what sets military homeschoolers apart — and why their stories matter beyond the base.

A movement with a broader impact

With a board that represents all six military branches, strategic partnerships, and far-reaching programs, MHA demonstrates what bottom-up education models can achieve.

“It’s one thing to have a vision,” said Mack. “It’s another to see people step up and say, ‘I believe in that too. Let’s build it together.’ That’s what MHA has become.”

Mack also sees an opportunity to leverage her knowledge and experience across the military ecosystem, as evidenced by a recent meeting with the Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Military Community and Family Policy. Mack views opportunities such as this meeting as a pathway to protecting and respecting homeschool freedoms while advocating for resources and problem solving.

“I know the way forward,” Mack said. “I just need to be given the opportunity to shape it.”

What started as a means to meet the needs of military families has now become a case study for alternative education models across the country. At a time when many educators and parents feel frustrated by one-size-fits-all systems, military homeschoolers are showing what’s possible when learning is driven by purpose.

“Homeschooling isn’t a panacea, but at its best, it’s a powerful choice filled with possibility,” Mack said. “If you can dig into that, your kids can benefit — and so can you.”

Military Homeschoolers Association is supported by VELA, which, as part of the Stand Together community, supports everyday entrepreneurs who are boldly reimagining education.

Learn more about Stand Together's education efforts and explore ways you can partner with us.