Alive with Ideas
Spring Conference, 2026
Hanson, MA
Join us on April 15, 2026, for a day discussing living ideas as the heart of a Charlotte Mason education.
A living education nourishes the mind and awakens the imagination. Join us as we explore Charlotte Mason's vision for education -- where books become the child's teacher and a feast of ideas is the atmosphere they breathe.
This conference is designed to call you back to the life-giving Principles in a world saturated with Charlotte Mason "aesthetics". Come learn about the Science of Relations, at the heart of it all, and be refreshed and inspired to finish your school year strong.
No matter your age, situation, or budget, a living education is open to everyone--moms included! Come enjoy fellowship with other CM mothers and be encouraged in your calling as home educator.
Conference Details
Our day will include four 25-minute sessions hosted by experienced CM mothers from within our CMNE community, a boxed lunch from Keegan Kreations (Plymouth, MA), and a nature walk (weather-permitting and optional).
We are honored to be joined by Kyndra Steinmann and Laura Oliver, two very knowledgeable Charlotte Mason mothers and members of CMNE, as speakers at our spring conference.
We will also be joined by Kimberly Somarriba, Charlotte Mason mother, leading our first ever Teen Track with Megan Massaro.
Sessions
Our conference topics will explore the role of ideas in a Charlotte Mason education. The four sessions will be:
- Session I—Alive with Ideas: Cultivating a Home Atmosphere where Ideas Flourish (Sarah Beals)
- Session II—Thought Begets Thought: How Living Books Awaken the Mind (Laura Oliver)
- Session III—Rhythms of Life: Finding Freedom Through Habit & Workshop (Megan Massaro, talk; Rebekah Anglea, workshop facilitator)
- Session IV—The Science of Relations: Or, On Being Alive (Kyndra Steinmann)
In addition to the sessions, an hour will be set apart for lunch and fellowship, during which time an optional nature walk will be available.
Price is $50 per attendee.
Childcare
Limited childcare will be available for children ages 0-6 for an additional fee of $5 per child or a maximum of $20 per family (unfortunately, we do not have the resources to offer childcare for older ages at this time). You will need to pack a lunch for your own child(ren) to supply at check-in.
Childcare will be made available by preregistration after purchasing your conference ticket, on a first-come-first-serve basis.
About the Conference Speakers
Kyndra Steinmann
Kyndra Steinmann is a mother of five (teens to elementary school). She was one of the first people homeschooled in Virginia way back in the 1980s and has been teaching in a variety of settings since she was 16 including homeschooling her own children for 15 years and running a Charlotte Mason Cottage School from 2020-2025. She loves the Mason Philosophy of Education for its life giving approach for students of all abilities and their parent-teachers. Her first question about any new situation is, "What can we learn here and how does it affect our daily life?"
Laura Oliver
Laura Oliver is a 13th generation Mainer who homeschools her two daughters, Adelaide (15) and Eve (11). She and her husband Jacob were married in 2007 and love raising their children in midcoast Maine, where they both grew up. Laura loves Maine history and learning alongside her daughters. She has a passion for living books and creating a home library that will be a resource for generations to come; eventually hoping to create a living book lending library in her home. She uses Ambleside Online in their homeschool and believes that spending time outside in nature is vital to children's development. She loves to share great books, interesting Maine historical facts, nature finds, and field trip ideas on her Instagram page, @ourmaineideas and she would love to connect with you there!
Kimberly Somarriba
Kimberly is a military spouse and mother of six ‘delightful companions,’ ages infant to teens. A Master Naturalist, she is passionate about spending time appreciating nature, exploring with her family, and adventuring with friends. When she’s not outside, you might find her reading a book, organizing books, or discussing books with anyone who will listen. Kimberly enjoys researching and writing about ways to implement a Mason education in our modern times, and has contributed to Commonplace Quarterly, Wild + Free bundles, and The Naturalist Bookclub. She currently serves as the Event Coordinator for the Charlotte Mason Institute.
Sarah Beals
CMNE Advisory
Sarah Beals is a veteran Charlotte Mason mom of over 20 years. She has fully educated 5 of her 6 children using Mason's philosophy, and continues on with her youngest son who is in 5th grade. Sarah stumbled onto Charlotte Mason's ideas while looking for an educational alternative to what she experienced, before Mason's volumes were widely available in print. She first encountered the idea of a living education in For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay, then later found The Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreolaand knew that this was what she wanted for her children. Around the same time, Sarah found a group of women through a magazine ad (before the days of high-speed internet!) who were sharing manila envelopes full of PNEU articles and other CM resources by mail. After receiving, reading, and fowarding packet after packet, Charlotte Mason's method slowly came into focus. In 1999, Sarah started her oldest daughter, Rebekah, on AmblesideOnline the very first year it was available. Though most of her children are now graduates, Sarah remains highly active in the homeschool community, helping many young moms and serving on the board of a large Christian homeschool co-op in the South Shore. She enjoys seasonal decorating and baking, painting in the style of Tasha Tudor, and putting on beautiful events for her grandchildren.
Megan Massaro
CMNE Advisory
Megan Massaro is a CM educator of over 10 years and mother to three beautiful daughters. A former public and private school teacher, Megan first heard about AmblesideOnline from another homeschool mom in passing. It was providential: after encountering the beauty of a living education, there was no turning back. Today, Megan has read Charlotte Mason's volumes multiple times, leads a long-standing CM co-op in the South Shore, and helps other women learn about Mason's philosophy. Megan resides in the South Shore with her family. If she's not reading to her daughters, she can be found planning her next road trip, paddleboarding into the sunset, or making up for lost time with Jane Austen, Elizabeth Goudge, and Shakespeare.
Rebekah Anglea
CMNE Advisory
Rebekah is Sarah's oldest daughter, and was raised on living books and nature study. A passionate up-and-coming Charlotte Mason educator, Rebekah is focusing her present energies (ha!) on creating a Charlotte Mason home, reading and rereading Mason's volumes, and preparing to use AmblesideOnline this spring. In her spare time, she hobby-thrifts for living books, runs a hospitality ministry from her home, and entertains herself by learning old-world kitchen skills. Rebekah has four children aged 6 and under. She and her husband Peter attend a small Baptist church in Middleborough, Massachusetts and continue to bond over their love of music and artisan coffee.
Teen Track
We are excited to announce that our conference will include our first Teen Gathering, led by Megan Massaro and Kimberly Somarriba, CM moms and CMNE members.
Three sessions are planned: a student-led Morning Time, a leatherworking handicraft, and a Shakespeare read-along. Students can participate in an optional nature walk as well.
Space will be limited and will cost $20 per teen to cover supplies. Teens will also receive a boxed lunch from Keegan Kreations. Ages 13+. Should we run out of teen tickets, please contact us at hello@charlottemasonnewenland.org.
