Joe and Sue Spataro, parents of 2 daughters, tried public and private education. They found "There was a good deal of distraction and turbulence which limited the teacher's ability to concentrate. " After considerable research, investigating the options, the couple decided homeschooling was the answer for their kids. Since Joe had already created a personal website just to keep track of information, they decided to make it public to share it with others.

Joe says "The Zone was my way of taking my struggles, and making lemonade out of lemons. As I began to reach out to people, got compliments on the material. I began to see that this project could be extended into a major enterprise on the Net." The Homeschool Zone was born-- a global virtual community of homeschoolers.

Gradually the "Zone's" traffic has grown, doubling every three months to about 6,000 people per month. It is now one of the premiere sites on the 'net for home education. Zone users are an "extended" family made up of families interested in enriching their children's lives, getting help with problems, and celebrating successes. Joe notes "We also offer a cyber-shoulder to cry on, if you're having problems.

Joe uses the Zone to help other families through the struggles he went through. It provides many ways for people to find what they need. In "Homeschooling Help", users can find contacts for local support groups, and background on state regulations. Another section, "Educational Resources", gives families ideas for curriculum.

Joe's family also writes a "family" of newsletters. Besides Joe's "Zone Newsletter" of general news, Sue edits "Mom-to-Mom" on women's issues including everything from women's health to cooking, and "Pitter Patter" the preschooler and crafts newsletter which has child safety, nutrition and crafts. "The Fun Club Online" is written by kids , for kids. Its mission is to write about stuff that kids want to know about. Each newsletters has its own site, with archives and links for further exploration.

The site hosts a weekly Internet Relay Chat (IRC) conferences which offer a place to meet people live. Joe says the most popular section is the Yellow Pages. The Yellow Pages offer a link to homeschool families that have a web page. There are families from all over the world with heavy coverage of Canada and all 50 states of the United States.

The site's newest feature is the Zone Marketplace where you can find a diversity of family-oriented and educational products and special promotional bargains. Joe encourages people to check often, since there are new and interesting deals all of the time.

Joe feels that the Zone is helpful because it offers different perspectives i.e. mom, dad and kids. It provides education for the girls (aged 11 and 8) and is allowing them to become involved as citizens. The Zone is truly a family affair, and those who use it become part of the family. Be sure to enter the Zone!