Vision
Our vision is to build a community-centric, multi-age, land-based program where children and their families are given the opportunity to tap into ancestral and earth-centric ways of being, learn skills that develop the whole person, and honor the value inherent in themselves, others and the more-than-human realm. In addition to our holistic, in-depth and nature-based programming, we seek to facilitate and foster community celebrations and earth-based rituals, including the marking of the seasons, group ceremony and meaningful rites-of-passage, in order to deepen and further develop our relationship with each other, nature and natural cycles. Our core motivation is not just education and relationship with the natural world, but a re-connection to the ways of life that have supported us as a species throughout most of our history as humans.
Mission
Through our multi-age programs, we provide rich, multi-layered, holistic experiences rooted in indigenous and ancestral wisdom, that help children root into place, develop on all levels of being and deepen their relationship with the human and natural world. Our program includes elements such as: survival and wilderness skills, plant recognition and knowledge, wildlife and naturalist training, games, story-telling, songs, listening and reflection, handwork, celebrations, rites-of-passage, land stewardship and modeling and teaching self-awareness, social-emotional skills and community-building techniques.
Educational Philosophies
Our programs are based in the Eight Shields model, which views learning as a spiral and a teacher as a mentor rather than an educator. We highly value and encourage innate curiosity, creative thinking, awe and wonder, and actively practice the art of questioning, which allows children to tap into their own wisdom, rather than looking for answers from outside authority. We strongly believe that these kinds of skills are what will best serve children in today’s world, and strive to support and encourage their resilience, ability to think for themselves and sense of self-value and self-confidence, so that they will feel empowered to be active participants and creators in their own lives and in the world.
At Wild Soul, we offer children the opportunity to deeply connect with the natural world. We want our students to develop a true sense of their interconnection with nature, developing both a familiarity, and a respect for, what it has to offer, while also learning highly practical skills and knowledge. We seek to encourage the full development and expression of each child’s unique self within the context of the human and greater-than-human community, supporting them in bringing their gifts to those around them and engendering confidence and agency, a deep sense of belonging and an understanding of the value inherent in self and other.
The Eight Shields model is a beautiful and in-depth system. For additional insight and some great videos explaining this philosophy, visit this link:
At Wild Soul, we offer children the opportunity to deeply connect with the natural world. We want our students to develop a true sense of their interconnection with nature, developing both a familiarity, and a respect for, what it has to offer, while also learning highly practical skills and knowledge. We seek to encourage the full development and expression of each child’s unique self within the context of the human and greater-than-human community, supporting them in bringing their gifts to those around them and engendering confidence and agency, a deep sense of belonging and an understanding of the value inherent in self and other.
The Eight Shields model is a beautiful and in-depth system. For additional insight and some great videos explaining this philosophy, visit this link:
Also, check out this Ted talk with Jon Young, who founded the 8 Shields institute. He explains why having a real connection with nature is so foundational in healing ourselves, our communities and the earth.
Our Curriculum
Though our curriculum may look different than that provided in more traditional educational institutions, it nonetheless provides the opportunity for learning all the necessary and basic subjects, in addition to an enormous breadth of real-world skills. While it may look like our students are simply playing games, crafting or wandering through the woods, they are, in fact, secretly learning all kinds of things! For example, crafting and building offer practical applications for counting, basic math and geometry, games develop critical thinking, strategy and coordination, and songs and story-telling encourage language development, phonemic awareness and grammar and vocabulary. These basic skills and subjects are woven into every activity and interaction so that learning happens naturally, and feels like fun instead of work. In addition, having the space and freedom to follow kids interests and curiosity keeps them engaged and gives them a greater self-awareness and confidence, as they organically explore, interact with and respond to their environment.
Our curriculum includes a wide variety of skills and activities, and follows an arc that flows with the seasons. While songs, story-telling and games is part of the everyday, our curriculum also includes:
-Survival and wilderness skills
-Plant identification and knowledge
-Animal tracking and bird language
-Ecology and land stewardship
-Cultural history, mythology and ancestral wisdom
-Self-awareness, self-care and first-aid
-Community building and cultural repair
-Meditation, reflection, personal development and emotional regulation
-Communication and social-emotional fluency
-Holistic leadership and mentorship skills
Our curriculum includes a wide variety of skills and activities, and follows an arc that flows with the seasons. While songs, story-telling and games is part of the everyday, our curriculum also includes:
-Survival and wilderness skills
-Plant identification and knowledge
-Animal tracking and bird language
-Ecology and land stewardship
-Cultural history, mythology and ancestral wisdom
-Self-awareness, self-care and first-aid
-Community building and cultural repair
-Meditation, reflection, personal development and emotional regulation
-Communication and social-emotional fluency
-Holistic leadership and mentorship skills
We also follow a learning arc of the year, which is very tied to place and the rhythm of the seasons. Though there is always so much woven into each program day, here are some of the learning themes commonly explored at various times of year:
September: in September, we might start the year exploring boundaries and safety and building routines and relationships. This sets the tone and allows the children to settle in and help create the container which will hold them throughout the year.
October: in October we get busy with the activities of fall and begin preparing for winter. During this time we focus on the harvest, embodiment, local/indigenous heritage, ancestors, wild and herbal medicinals and firm up our social relationships with the group.
November: here, we tune into gratitude and thanksgiving. We may also focus in on specific crafts or handwork projects and learn about shelter-building. Depending on the weather, we will also likely start getting to know fire and build safety, competency and confidence using knives.
December and January: as we move into the darkest time of year, we build relationship with fire, and often, snow, making it a great time to learn about survival, tracking and good self-care. This is also a great time for stories and myths, shared around the fire.
February: as winter continues, we often spend lots of time diving into crafting and handwork projects, allowing children to follow an area of interest and go more deeply with what inspires them. Stories and myths also have the opportunity to deepen and percolate, often bringing the magic of the past into the consciousness of the present.
March and April: here the living world begins to re-emerge, and we begin seeking out herbal and medicinal plants to get to know. We also have the opportunity to listen for the songs of the birds and start learning their language.
May: as the season bursts forth, we explore edible and medicinal plants and play lots of big, active games, putting all that great spring energy to use. As we come to the close of the school year, we make time for celebration and reflection, and might even spend a whole night together under the stars. Each child is recognized for where and who they are and given the opportunity to share about their experiences.
September: in September, we might start the year exploring boundaries and safety and building routines and relationships. This sets the tone and allows the children to settle in and help create the container which will hold them throughout the year.
October: in October we get busy with the activities of fall and begin preparing for winter. During this time we focus on the harvest, embodiment, local/indigenous heritage, ancestors, wild and herbal medicinals and firm up our social relationships with the group.
November: here, we tune into gratitude and thanksgiving. We may also focus in on specific crafts or handwork projects and learn about shelter-building. Depending on the weather, we will also likely start getting to know fire and build safety, competency and confidence using knives.
December and January: as we move into the darkest time of year, we build relationship with fire, and often, snow, making it a great time to learn about survival, tracking and good self-care. This is also a great time for stories and myths, shared around the fire.
February: as winter continues, we often spend lots of time diving into crafting and handwork projects, allowing children to follow an area of interest and go more deeply with what inspires them. Stories and myths also have the opportunity to deepen and percolate, often bringing the magic of the past into the consciousness of the present.
March and April: here the living world begins to re-emerge, and we begin seeking out herbal and medicinal plants to get to know. We also have the opportunity to listen for the songs of the birds and start learning their language.
May: as the season bursts forth, we explore edible and medicinal plants and play lots of big, active games, putting all that great spring energy to use. As we come to the close of the school year, we make time for celebration and reflection, and might even spend a whole night together under the stars. Each child is recognized for where and who they are and given the opportunity to share about their experiences.
A Day in the life of a Wild Soul'er
While each day is unique, a day in the life of a child at Wild Soul will likely include the following elements:
-coming together as a group, connecting and orienting to the day together
-body activation through play/kinesthetic movement and opening up to curiosity through story or what nature has to offer that day
-following threads of curiosity into focused activities, which might look like playing games, drawing, or sitting and observing. Experiential learning happens, perhaps in animal tracking, bird language, edible and medicinal plants, or survival skills, to name a few possibilities
-break time - sometimes relaxed and quiet, sometimes playful and loud
-time for reflection and questioning-asking, learning that our own experience is important and that listening is a gift for all involved
-coming back together with our families to share some of the day’s stories and bring the experience back home
As this is a fully outdoor program, great care is taken to ensure the comfort and safety of all participants. Fire is a regular part of our days in the winter, and water in the warmer months. Safety and education about how to practice good self-care is also a key part of the curriculum.
-coming together as a group, connecting and orienting to the day together
-body activation through play/kinesthetic movement and opening up to curiosity through story or what nature has to offer that day
-following threads of curiosity into focused activities, which might look like playing games, drawing, or sitting and observing. Experiential learning happens, perhaps in animal tracking, bird language, edible and medicinal plants, or survival skills, to name a few possibilities
-break time - sometimes relaxed and quiet, sometimes playful and loud
-time for reflection and questioning-asking, learning that our own experience is important and that listening is a gift for all involved
-coming back together with our families to share some of the day’s stories and bring the experience back home
As this is a fully outdoor program, great care is taken to ensure the comfort and safety of all participants. Fire is a regular part of our days in the winter, and water in the warmer months. Safety and education about how to practice good self-care is also a key part of the curriculum.
Our plans for Growth
Right now, we are still a small, family-based group operating nearly fully outdoors. We plan to expand our offerings in the coming years to encompass a greater age range and provide a true, inclusive alternative educational experience. If you'd like to support us in this growth process, please check out our how to get involved page, here.
