WHEREAS, for 35 years, Yvonne Bunn has supported home-educating parents across the Commonwealth by providing her wise counsel and breadth of expertise to the Home Educators Association of Virginia in a variety of leadership roles; and

WHEREAS, a veteran educator, Yvonne Bunn taught high school for 18 years before developing a passion for homeschooling; in 1988, she founded and led a homeschool support group in Chesapeake, the Home Educators Association for Restoration and Teaching (HEART); and

WHEREAS, Yvonne Bunn joined the Home Educators Association of Virginia (HEAV) Board of Directors in August 1989, was elected president of the organization in 1991, then became its first executive director, serving from 1999 to 2005; and

WHEREAS, Yvonne Bunn served as Director of Government Affairs and Homeschool Support from 1994 to 2024, leading all legislative initiatives in the ensuing years and testifying before committees of the Virginia General Assembly whenever necessary, advocating to protect and promote home education, providing countless interviews and articles for the media, and offering guidance to tens of thousands of her fellow homeschool families across the Commonwealth with her insights, instruction, and leadership; and

WHEREAS, Yvonne Bunn delivers accurate, up-to-date information for parents through her popular seminar, "How to Homeschool: What You Really Need to Know," writes for the Virginia Home Educator magazine, responds to emails in a weekly Q&A, spearheads academic and achievement studies related to home education, and hosts a webinar series for new homeschooling parents; and

WHEREAS, Yvonne Bunn led HEAV's efforts to create the first homeschool license plate in the nation, "Education Begins at Home," launched the first "Day at the Capitol" and Virginia Home Education Week in 1995, initiated partnerships with museums and historical venues to create the first Homeschool Day events, and acted as the homeschool liaison on the Parent-Community Advisory Board at the Virginia Department of Education; and

WHEREAS, Yvonne Bunn continues to serve on the HEAV Advisory Board and is an invaluable source of institutional knowledge who remains committed to the organization's important mission; and

WHEREAS, among many awards and accolades for her achievements on behalf of home-educating parents, Yvonne Bunn received the Outstanding Service Award from the Home School Legal Defense Association; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Yvonne Bunn for her 35 years of contributions to homeschool families as a leader in the Home Educators Association of Virginia; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Yvonne Bunn as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for her exceptional service to the homeschool community and her work to advance the field of education throughout the Commonwealth.