Monica Utsey’s sons love to play West African drums and are involved in an African-centered home schooling collective that Utsey helped found to support families of color in Washington, D.C. There, her sons learn about their culture and take classes in traditional academics. They are also involved in their local Boys and Girls Club where they can often be found at the end of the day playing sports and doing other activities. Home school for Utsey is about finding activities and experiences that her children enjoy and building communities around those shared interests. When her youngest son loved playing Minecraft, Utsey found a Minecraft home school and signed him up for classes. She believes children try harder and learn more when they are doing something they love. The Utsey family was profiled as part of an Education Week video series on home schooling families.
