I’m a homeschool mom of four children, three of whom were blessed to receive the Utah Fits All Scholarship this school year. Each of my children is unique, as any mother can attest. My oldest son is 11 and is in fifth grade. He has a sharp mind and curious nature that is both fascinating and provides a challenge in finding curriculum and learning materials that are thorough enough and hold his interest. My oldest daughter is nine and is in fourth grade. She loves reading and can blast through a dozen books in a week if given the chance. Her quick wit and incredible intelligence keep me on my toes. My youngest daughter is five and is thrilled to be in kindergarten this year. She already has a great love for learning, can’t wait to learn to read and can already do quite a bit of basic math.

So how did we get on this path that led to the Utah Fits All Scholarship? Our homeschool journey began when my oldest was a toddler. He taught himself to read at age 2 and could do basic math by 3. At 2, he somehow figured out how to find and watch YouTube video game tutorials on YouTube Kids. When he would get stuck on a level, he would find a video of someone playing that level, watch the game play and then pass the level himself. I knew at that point that public school would not be a good fit for him. He would need an accelerated level of learning. My daughters were not quite as intense as toddlers but showed their gifts in other ways. I knew that as long as it made sense, we would continue homeschooling.

During this time, we have been independent affidavit homeschoolers. This meant that every dollar spent on our children’s education came from our limited personal funds. As a result, we weren’t always able to afford the tools or curriculum that would have been the best fit. There were times that I looked into charter school distance learning programs but felt it wasn’t quite the right fit for our family. When I first heard about the Utah Fits All Scholarship, I was skeptical. I always knew there were more things, but the idea that I could receive some of my taxpayer funds back to help educate my children sounded too good to be true. And yet, it wasn’t. We applied, and after a nail-biting wait, we received the news that we were recipients of the scholarship!

I immediately began researching and looking for resources I had previously dismissed due to costs. I found some wonderful literature-based U.S. history curriculum for my fourth grader. I discovered beautiful unit studies for my kindergartner to explore and learn about animals, communities and space. I finally found a writing curriculum that made sense for my son, who has struggled in that area. My kids want to learn Spanish together as a family this year, and we have now been able to afford a curriculum for that. Suddenly, options opened up to me that had previously been closed. I have more freedom to try new things with my children to see what else might work even better in helping them excel in their unique ways of learning!

This school year will be very different. We will have access to a new computer, dedicated just for our kids’ learning. We have been able to get some good-quality art supplies, some science kits and a new iPad for my kindergartner to use for her Reading Eggs app. We have the opportunity to explore some new museums for field trips and maybe even purchase sports equipment for PE — my son wants to learn to play pickleball. Our plans are constantly evolving, and simply having the possibilities available is a huge blessing. Fully customizing our children’s education to their needs is now a reality. We are so very grateful for the Utah Fits All Scholarship and plan to be wise stewards of the program so that it can grow to include every family that wants and needs it.

As a homeschool mom of four and a family in the first ever group of Utah Fits All Scholarship recipients, Cami Isle has experienced firsthand the challenges of finding and affording the right educational resources for her children’s unique needs.