How One Mom Built a Latino Homeschooling Network

Editor’s Note: We welcome Hector Cervantes to The Latino Newsletter’s growing list of contributors.

CHICAGO — Gisela Quiñones transformed a private Facebook group into a nationwide community supporting Latino families in homeschooling. 

Quiñones is the founder of the Latinos Homeschooling organization and has hosted three conferences, including two virtual ones and one held at Chicago’s National Museum of Mexican Art in 2024. She now organizes virtual classes with hired instructors, focusing on building a robust Latino Studies program.

Latinos Homeschooling started meeting consistently in 2019, but it wasn't until 2021 that Quiñones began turning it into an official organization.

How It Started

As a mother residing in Whiting, Indiana, Quiñones noticed her daughter’s struggles with reading and wanted to provide more personalized education at home. 

Initially dissatisfied with the private school system, she began homeschooling a decade ago, seeking a more tailored and enriching learning experience. Her journey has since grown into a broader community supporting Latino families navigating homeschooling.

“The main reason I started homeschooling was to find a community. You can't do this alone. At the time, fewer people were homeschooling. I joined meetup groups in northwest Indiana but didn’t find many people who looked like us,” Quiñones said. 

Finding few Latino homeschooling families in her area, she turned to Facebook to connect with others. Within months, a small group of families began meeting regularly for field trips and cultural lessons at the library. What started as four families teaching each other soon grew into a supportive homeschooling community.

As the small homeschooling group grew, they created a Facebook page to connect with more families, organizing field trips and meetups across the Chicago area. Interest spread beyond the region, with families from other parts of the country joining to see how they could replicate the model. 

Learning about Latino history at a young age is crucial for Quiñones because it boosts self-esteem and fosters a sense of connection—something she experienced firsthand when she took her first Latino studies class in college. 

Building Community

When asked how the community and organization have helped families beyond just academics, Quiñones explained how the community supports each other by providing workshops for parents every month, covering different subjects and offering encouragement.

“When I created these workshops, participants actually became friends. For example, a family from Boston has traveled to California every year to meet up with a family in the Bay Area, and another travels from Las Vegas. These are true friendships, and it’s more than just a program. It’s a community,” Quiñones said.

Quiñones stresses that while Latinos Homeschooling is a Latino-based organization, the group is working to ensure that members don’t feel isolated, are forming friendships, and are building our own culture of parents who educate their children.

At one of the conferences hosted at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago, speakers motivated parents and created a celebratory atmosphere. Parents came together to share in this special event, and the turnout was not just local—families traveled from Arizona, Dallas, Missouri, and Virginia, highlighting the widespread need for such a community-focused gathering.

What’s Next

Quiñones is currently focused on fundraising to relaunch and expand her Latino Studies program, which started as a pilot, into a more consistent offering.

“I hope to offer more in-person programs for students, providing support not only for families but also for the students themselves. My goal is for Latinos Homeschooling to become an educational organization that supports the entire family, helping them reach the next level. Essentially, I aim to create an educational platform offering programs that are scarce in other areas,” Quiñones said. 

All in all, homeschooling is a viable but complex solution for Latino families, offering flexibility and the chance to incorporate culturally relevant education. Quiñones, who initially struggled to find other Latino homeschoolers, highlights the lack of Latino representation in both homeschooling communities and mainstream curricula. While it allows families to center their cultural identity in learning, the challenge remains in accessing diverse resources and support networks.

About the Author

Hector Cervantes is a freelance writer based in Chicago who enjoys covering stories related to Latin culture, entertainment, and community.

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