In 2021, homeschooled teen Lauren Parker joined other youth and adult volunteers working with Generation Joshua—GenJ for short—to campaign for Karen Greenhalgh, a homeschooling parent who had decided to run for Virginia’s House of Delegates.
Greenhalgh was elected by a margin of 115 votes.
GenJ is a sister organization of HSLDA that teaches youth civics, educates and motivates voters, and provides opportunities for homeschoolers who haven't yet reached voting age to take part in the electoral process.
Lauren stood with some of the same volunteers in a ceremony at the state capitol last week to receive plaudits for their civic advocacy. Among the honorees, Lauren occupied a unique position: she now works for the woman she helped get into office.
HSLDA PHOTOS/Abigail Hoke
Generation Joshua staff and volunteers gather outside the capitol in Richmond, VA, prior to meeting Del. Karen Greenhalgh.
Lauren and Del. Greenhalgh’s combined experience illustrates how homeschooling empowers people to shape their communities for good, said Daniel Heffington, communications director for GenJ.
“Our GenJ volunteers were uniquely inspired by Karen,” Daniel said. “She’s a homeschool mom, she’s volunteered her time to help at-risk pregnant mothers, and, one day, she saw a need in her local community and stepped up to run for office. It was never her plan or her dream, but she answered the call to serve.”
Starting Early on Civics
Lauren said that GenJ has allowed her to practice ideals that she developed from a young age, thanks to the interests of her own parents and the focus of her homeschool program.
“I grew up in a family that’s very politically minded,” she said in an interview at the state house. She added that it was common for her parents and siblings to discuss current issues at the dinner table.
Del. Karen Greenhalgh announces her bipartisan resolution honoring Generation Joshua.
Lauren’s parents also emphasized community involvement. For example, her mother helps lead a homeschool co-op that serves 150 participants in the Chicago area. So, early in her high school career, Lauren began participating in GenJ, volunteering to campaign for congressional candidates in states including Indiana and Georgia.
The Virginia Beach race presented a unique opportunity to participate in a state-level election. Lauren recounted how she and the rest of the GenJ team labored for four straight days, canvassing neighborhoods and staffing phone banks. All told, they reached out to 20,000 voters.
When Citizenship Comes Full Circle
“[GenJ’s involvement] made a huge difference,” Del. Greenhalgh said, recalling that many political observers predicted she had little chance of unseating the incumbent.
Greenhalgh formally recognized the work GenJ does in equipping young people by sponsoring a joint resolution, which was approved by a bipartisan vote.
In comments at the capitol, Greenhalgh noted the enthusiasm she observed in GenJ teens echoed her own desire to make a difference by running for office. She especially wants to ensure that parents remain empowered to choose the kind of education that works best for their children.
The Greenhalghs were among the first to homeschool under Virginia’s religious exemption. Their grown children now homeschool their own kids.
After experiencing how homeschooling benefitted her own family, she realized the best way to help preserve educational liberty was to become civically engaged—a lesson she found resonated with many like-minded families.
“Most homeschooled parents make sure their kids are out and involved,” she said. “We want them to be able to articulate what they believe.”
Getting Experience in Government
Lauren certainly agrees. After working on Greenhalgh’s campaign and being impressed with how the candidate acknowledged the efforts of GenJ volunteers, the Illinois teen asked if she could spend part of her senior year of high school interning for the soon-to-be delegate.
Thanks to the flexibility of her homeschool program, Lauren has already completed enough credits to graduate, and has earned a few college credits through dual enrollment. So when Greenhalgh offered Lauren the position, the teen was able to say yes without jeopardizing her academic goals.
Lauren said the experience she is gaining should benefit her when she heads to college to study political science. Meanwhile, she’s already learned one important lesson about civic engagement.
“Seeing the impact you can have, even as a young person, is really powerful,” she said.
Read the full text of House Joint Resolution No, 638: Commending Generation Joshua.