Julie Polanco

Julie Naturally

Julie Polanco is the face behind Julie Naturally, a ministry dedicated to transforming the faith and family life of Christian homeschoolers by equipping them with resources that renew their minds, strengthen relationships, and simplify healthy, holy living. This ministry is the culmination of a long journey through many challenges that deepened Julie’s walk with Jesus. Ultimately, God called her to serve other believers with her cumulative knowledge and experience.
It all started early. Julie Polanco’s fondest childhood memories include tent camping in the forest and playing in overgrown empty lots. Wild places filled with secrets called to her as a child. When she grew to adulthood and developed one health issue after another, she didn’t forget her childhood fascination with plants. Providential circumstances led her to formal study in herbal medicine and other natural health disciplines. For a while, her background allowed her to write professionally for healthcare trade journals and to ghostwrite books. Her knowledge also proved useful when she learned that each of her four children had special needs and many allergies.
As her oldest reached school age, God impressed upon her and her husband’s hearts a desire to homeschool. Initially, Julie used a curriculum-driven approach, which proved to be a poor match for her family of four special needs kids. A scientist at heart, Julie researched and read tons of books and felt the Lord leading her to unschool.
Over the past 17 years, Julie has served on the board of her local homeschool support group, founded a new support group, taught science in co-ops and in her home, wrote two books on homeschooling, a high school botany curriculum, and recently, a Bible study on Romans. She has spoken about teaching science, Christian unschooling, and wholistic health topics at conferences and on podcasts. In addition, several magazines and blogs have featured her articles or quoted her in their stories.
Even though two of her children have graduated, Julie remains active in her local homeschooling community. She currently teaches live science workshops for homeschooled teens and she is active in the women’s ministry and worship team at her church. In her spare time, you might find her kayaking on Lake Michigan, sampling Chicago’s newest restaurants, or dancing with her little granddaughter.