Dr. Sherri Mehta

SEA Homeschoolers

Online Conference Series Speaker

Learn More About the Speakers!

Dr. Sherri Mehta

Dr. Sherri Mehta is a Maryland-based presenter, writer, homeschooling mom, and wife with over twenty years of English teaching experience. She holds both a Ph.D. and an M.A. in English Literature and a B.A. in Mass Media Arts and specializes in African American Civil War letters and nineteenth-century African American and American Literature. She has several published articles, encyclopedia entries, and poems; has presented at various local, state, and national conferences; and continues to offer workshops and presentations at local museums, research centers, and universities. Her research allowed her the opportunity to serve as a historical consultant on the Grammy Award winning song “Juneteenth” by Fyutch and the Alphabet Rockers. You can find her teaching homeschool literature classes, reading good books, writing some poems, and enjoying her family and close friends.
Learn more about Dr. Sherri Mehta and her work at Freedom Fighters Freedom Writers.
See the first book in The Historian’s Toolkit series co-authored by Dr. Sherri Mehta and Blair Lee, M.S.
Check out Dr. Sherri Mehta’s classes on Outschool

Saturday
June 6, 2026
3:40pm ET/12:40pm PT

The History of Juneteenth

The history of Juneteenth is the story of the end of sanctioned enslavement in the United States. It is also the story of the United States Colored Troops and their direct – and lesser-known – connection to the celebration of this cultural holiday. In this  presentation, participants will learn about the history of the USCT regiments through their own letters and the events that led up to their presence in Galveston, Texas at the reading of General Order No. 3. Participants will also learn about the first celebration of Juneteenth and how subsequent celebrations honored the role of the USCT in the ultimate fight for freedom and liberation.

Sunday
June 7, 2026
4:10pm ET/1:10pm PT

"Smelling" History: Olfactory and Tangible Interfaces in Humanities

What does history feel like? What does it smell like? Recent research on multisensory integration (MSI) suggests that children learn and retain information more deeply when multiple senses are engaged—yet history instruction often remains dominated by visual and auditory learning alone. This interactive session explores emerging 2024 findings on olfactory and tactile learning and examines how smell, texture, and physical interaction can dramatically improve long-term memory retention and historical empathy in young learners.
Participants will discover practical ways to create immersive “sensory history kits” using spices, fabrics, replica artifacts, natural materials, and hands-on historical objects to help children connect abstract historical eras to lived human experience. From the scent of trade spices and campfire smoke, this session offers creative, research-based strategies for making history memorable, meaningful, and deeply human.

SEA Homeschooling - Inspiration, Help, Resources, & Support

Whether you’re new to homeschooling or have been homeschooling for years, we’re here to support you and provide you with the resources you need to succeed! One way we do so is through our conference series, but we also have a wealth of other resources, including masterclasses, a free homeschoolers magazine, SEA book store, and more. Plus, our Facebook group is more than 100,000 families strong, and we’re confident that you’ll be able to connect with other homeschoolers who share your values! Join our secular homeschooling community today!