Extracurricular activities on rise.(LIFE - SCHOOLS)(HOME-SCHOOLING TODAY) From: The Washington Times (Washington, DC) | Date: December 3, 2007 | COPYRIGHT 2007 The Washington Times LLC. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

Byline: Michael Smith, SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES

America is recognized for its "can-do spirit," an attitude whereby people confront the challenges before them without being defeatist. This quality is essential because a nation cannot make progress unless individuals are willing to step forward and take a risk.

Home-schoolers have that can-do spirit. In the early 1990s, despite the growing evidence of the academic and social success of home-schoolers, the home-school movement ran into an obstacle.

The children of the home-school pioneers of the 1980s were old ...