Gordon and Carrie were both certificated teachers, Gordon teaching in public school and Carrie homeschooling their children. In the spring of 1992, Gordon attended a science competition and watched a team of home schooled students compete. They were part of Academy Northwest, a private school extension program.

          Both Carrie and Gordon went through training and became teacher consultants with Family Academy/Academy Northwest. Salmon Creek Learning Center opened in the fall of 1993. It began as a small group of elementary students and included their oldest child. They enrolled their first high school student the following year.  
 
          In 1994, Gordon and Carrie were asked to develop a parent qualifying course and began team teaching The Homeschooling Seminar. Carrie  offered testing services to home schooling families the following year. After working with many parents and high school students, Carrie developed the workshop Planning for High School and Beyond.

          Gordon continued teaching in Vancouver School District until his untimely death in September 2009.  Carrie has continued to have a learning center and teaches in Kelso as well as Vancouver. She also consults with home schooling families, provides testing and assessment services, and teaches the seminar and workshop.

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