Patrick Farenga is an American writer and educational activist. He is known as a leading advocate of the modern homeschooling movement which started in the 1970s.

Life

Born in New York City, Farenga worked closely with homeschooling leader John Caldwell Holt on his Boston-based magazine, Growing Without Schooling (GWS). After Holt's death in 1985, he took over as publisher of GWS and president of the parent company, Holt Associates.

Farenga is a prolific writer, and has authored or contributed to many of the other educational publications by Holt Associates. He has written articles for numerous publications including Mothering, Paths of Learning, Home Education, and The Bulletin of Science, Technology, and Society. He contributed chapters to The Encyclopedia of School Administration (1988) and A Parent's Guide To Homeschooling (2002). Among his works, Farenga is perhaps best known as the author of The Beginner's Guide To Homeschooling (1998) and Teach Your Own: The John Holt Book of Homeschooling (2003). In addition to his homeschooling career, Farenga is also an accomplished pianist and saxophonist.

Though GWS ceased print publication in November, 2001, and his own three children have grown to maturity, Farenga continues to write and edit educational material, and remains an active homeschooling advocate and consultant.

Farenga has three children which he unschooled.