Where nature nurtures curiosity.

  • “This school is phenomenal. In these uncertain times, I’m so thankful that I have peace of mind knowing that my little boy is being nurtured by the best teachers, as well as his fellow students. He is thriving in this environment, and the best part is, he WANTS to go to school every day!”

    -Amy F.

  • “I don’t think I could be any happier with choosing this school for my 5-year-old. In just a few short months he has learned so many new things, he has learned more social behaviors and how to be a kid in a group, he has learned responsibility, kindness, and leadership. For anyone wanting an alternative to a traditional school, this is your school! The teachers are highly experienced leaders but gentle and kind. My kid has thrived at Willow Roots and I couldn’t imagine any other school for him!”

    - Monica M.

Follow Our Journey

We're expanding! A common question we get is "are you planning to extend your ages past nine years old?" - and the answer has always been yes! We want to be able to see a child grow throughout their entire educational career. Our plan is t
We're expanding! A common question we get is "are you planning to extend your ages past nine years old?" - and the answer has always been yes! We want to be able to see a child grow throughout their entire educational career. Our plan is to grow slowly though. 😉 So, for the upcoming 2022-2023 school year, we are accepting ages 5-11! Spots are very, very limited for our older friends, so be sure to get your application in! https://www.willowrootslearningcenter.org/20222023-application
✔️ Reading ✔️ Math ✔️ Raking leaves for our compost - Motor planning, proprioceptive input, important work, working together, time in nature… #wholechild #willowrootslearningcenter #Spring #compost
✔️ Reading ✔️ Math ✔️ Raking leaves for our compost - Motor planning, proprioceptive input, important work, working together, time in nature… #wholechild #willowrootslearningcenter #Spring #compost
Huge thank you to Master Gardener Laurie Prather and Dr. of veterinary Sara Pilgrim! Community collaboration is an important aspect of Willow Roots. There is no one person that can teach every skill or share knowledge from every topic. We are gratef
Huge thank you to Master Gardener Laurie Prather and Dr. of veterinary Sara Pilgrim! Community collaboration is an important aspect of Willow Roots. There is no one person that can teach every skill or share knowledge from every topic. We are grateful for such a talented and diverse community of volunteers to share their special interests with us! #collaboration #community #willowrootslearningcenter #StrongerTogether
Defending childhood one rainy day at a time💦
Defending childhood one rainy day at a time💦
Today is the day! We're preparing for next year by opening up our application for the 2022-2023 school year! Click the link in our bio to apply! *Limited spots available*
Today is the day! We're preparing for next year by opening up our application for the 2022-2023 school year! Click the link in our bio to apply! *Limited spots available*
Have you heard?! We’re having a Q&A! If you’ve been interested in Willow Roots for your child, this is the time to check it out! Join us at our facility to learn more about what we are and chat with our staff. Hope to see you!
Have you heard?! We’re having a Q&A! If you’ve been interested in Willow Roots for your child, this is the time to check it out! Join us at our facility to learn more about what we are and chat with our staff. Hope to see you!
And just like that, our first semester is over. 🥲 The growth we've seen in our students over these short 5 months has been amazing to watch. We went from 17 timid 5-9 year olds at the beginning of the school year, to 20 confident and comfortable students by the end of the semester. Some have learned to read and multiply, many mastered kitchen skills, and we all formed beautiful friendships that will only grow stronger in 2022. The growth we've seen in Willow Roots has been emotional to say the least. When we started taking big steps to make this dream become a reality in February, we had no idea it would be where we're at now. We were able to find Camp Beaverfork, a location that could not better suit our needs. Our homeschool program flourished and we were able to add 8 of the sweetest kids to our class every Wednesday. We added a new teacher, Caitlin, to our staff. She has been the perfect addition and has gone above and beyond in her short few weeks at Willow Roots. So, as we close our first semester of Willow Roots - Learning Center, we are incredibly grateful for our families, our donors, our followers, and to everyone that has supported us from that initial post in July 2020. We are forever thankful. ❤️
We are still at a loss for words about our Cozy Christmas Concert last night. It was beautiful, magical, and absolutely everything we ever could have imagined it to be. Our students had a hand in every aspect of it. Here are just a few of the thing
We are still at a loss for words about our Cozy Christmas Concert last night. It was beautiful, magical, and absolutely everything we ever could have imagined it to be. Our students had a hand in every aspect of it. Here are just a few of the things they prepared: * Hand making decorations * Peeling and cutting carrots * Shredding carrots for carrot cake * Mashing potatoes * Harvesting kale and radishes from our garden to make a salad * Portioning out homemade dinner rolls * Baking sugar cookies from start to finish * Catching trout and cleaning them * Baking pies from scratch * Putting together charcuterie skewers * Performing songs * Serving their families the appetizer, dinner and dessert The list could go on and on. We are so proud of our students for putting so much time and effort into this program, all for the collective goal of serving our families for the holiday. A huge shoutout to: Camp Beaverfork - for always being the best and being so supportive of us from the beginning. Our PTO & volunteers - the amount of hours they put into this event is astronomical. From decorating, to fishing for trout, to staying after school to wash dishes, we are forever grateful. Our families - so many jumped on board before we even had a location. They have loved and supported us from day one. Thank you for trusting us with your sweet children.
Most of us know the physical benefits of climbing trees. 🌳 👁 improved hand-eye coordination 💪 increased muscle tone, specifically core strength 🏃 improved balance, agility, decision making, and visual perception BUT there are also emotional be
Most of us know the physical benefits of climbing trees. 🌳 👁 improved hand-eye coordination 💪 increased muscle tone, specifically core strength 🏃 improved balance, agility, decision making, and visual perception BUT there are also emotional benefits that we were able to witness in one of our friends recently. ••• One of our friends was having a difficult time after an activity that was pretty challenging. We asked the child what would help them get through the big feelings they were experiencing. He/she was able to identify and communicate that they would feel better if we could just “climb that tree”. Translation: he/she just needed a win. Well, of course we “climbed that tree”. Guess what?! The child was right. After climbing the tree he/she was able to self regulate and their confidence was restored making it possible for them to try the previously challenging activity again. This time, he/she mastered it and was so proud. Climbing a tree, time in nature, and flexibility to address a child’s need in the moment changed the course and outlook of this child’s day. Let’s not overlook the child’s ability to identify his/her feelings and find a way to get through them. #willowrootslearningcenter #meaningfulwork #climbingtrees
Happy Thanksgiving from us to you! We’ve been out for Thanksgiving break all week, and while it’s been nice, we can’t wait to get back to school on Monday!
Happy Thanksgiving from us to you! We’ve been out for Thanksgiving break all week, and while it’s been nice, we can’t wait to get back to school on Monday!
Have some free time this afternoon? Join us at our first Frontier Festival at our school, Willow Roots - Learning Center (150 Beaverfork Rd)! Experience axe throwing, blacksmithing and more! Plus apple nachos and hot chocolate for the whole family!
Have some free time this afternoon? Join us at our first Frontier Festival at our school, Willow Roots - Learning Center (150 Beaverfork Rd)! Experience axe throwing, blacksmithing and more! Plus apple nachos and hot chocolate for the whole family!
We hope you had the best Halloween weekend! Friday was our first annual Halloween Hustle! Thank you to all that came, sponsored and assisted in the race. We can’t wait for next year!
We hope you had the best Halloween weekend! Friday was our first annual Halloween Hustle! Thank you to all that came, sponsored and assisted in the race. We can’t wait for next year!
Today is the day! Join us tonight for a Halloween Hustle! There will be an obstacle course for your child to venture through, a dance party, food, and an amazing goody bag for your child to take home. A huge thank you to our sponsors and to our Willo
Today is the day! Join us tonight for a Halloween Hustle! There will be an obstacle course for your child to venture through, a dance party, food, and an amazing goody bag for your child to take home. A huge thank you to our sponsors and to our Willow Roots parents for putting so much hard work into this. We’ll see you tonight!
We were so honored to have local artist, Caroline Malone, come teach us to paint fall pumpkins! This was a great opportunity to practice following step-by-step directions, and art skills. A huge thank you to Caroline for donating her time and amazi
We were so honored to have local artist, Caroline Malone, come teach us to paint fall pumpkins! This was a great opportunity to practice following step-by-step directions, and art skills. A huge thank you to Caroline for donating her time and amazing talent to our kids!
This morning we had Mr. Rob come share his knowledge about trees! He is from Project Learning Tree with the Arkansas Forestry Association. We learned about all of the parts of a tree, from the lateral roots, all the way to the crown. One of the big
This morning we had Mr. Rob come share his knowledge about trees! He is from Project Learning Tree with the Arkansas Forestry Association. We learned about all of the parts of a tree, from the lateral roots, all the way to the crown. One of the biggest unknown facts was that the center of the tree is called the heartwood. Rob taught about what the rings represent, and everything a tree needs to grow big and strong! Each student got a chance to become a tree and collect tokens representing water, sun, and nutrients. A few red tokens were scattered around to signify wildfires and show how quickly they can spread. We are so thankful for our speakers and the time they volunteer to teach our kids. Do you have a special skill or knowledge that you’d like to share with our students? Reach out to us! #natureschool #community #heartwood #alwayslearning #arkansas #thenaturalstate #arkansasforest #forest
Our culture corner is designed to get our students thinking about other parts of the world. We want them to know that there’s more out there than just Conway! We are currently learning about Arkansas, and had Mr. Stanton come play us his fiddl
Our culture corner is designed to get our students thinking about other parts of the world. We want them to know that there’s more out there than just Conway! We are currently learning about Arkansas, and had Mr. Stanton come play us his fiddle - our official state musical instrument. The kids were in complete awe (teachers, too)! We are so thankful to have a group of talented parents supporting us, and volunteers who help us introduce our students to so many new things. Thank you, Mr. Stanton!
Huge THANK YOU to my good friend Steve Hornor for spending his day teaching our kids how to fish! He was also very generous to donate 6 poles and a tackle box full of gear to the school! It’s people like Mr. Steve that enrich our kids’ l
Huge THANK YOU to my good friend Steve Hornor for spending his day teaching our kids how to fish! He was also very generous to donate 6 poles and a tackle box full of gear to the school! It’s people like Mr. Steve that enrich our kids’ learning experience and make this school what it is! #community #willowrootslearningcenter #lifeskills #LearningBeyondTheWalls #getoutside #generousity #flexiblefridays
We're hiring! Learn more about who we're looking for by clicking the link in the bio.
We're hiring! Learn more about who we're looking for by clicking the link in the bio.
Today is International Podcast Day! Here are a few podcasts that inspired us at the very beginning of this crazy journey! 1. Reimagine School with Dr. Greg Goins A thought provoking podcast with an emphasis on leadership. We knew that we didn&rs
Today is International Podcast Day! Here are a few podcasts that inspired us at the very beginning of this crazy journey! 1. Reimagine School with Dr. Greg Goins A thought provoking podcast with an emphasis on leadership. We knew that we didn’t love the traditional school system, and we knew we wanted something different. This was a great place to start. 2. Off- Trail Learning As we moved towards self-directed education, this was an essential resource. He speaks a lot about unschooling, too! 3. Raising Wildings The nature aspects was something so important to us. They speak on topics like risky play, loose parts and have a whole podcast on Wild Math and Reading - some of the curriculum we use! What are some of your go-to podcasts?
🧹🧽🧼 Are cleaning responsibilities a good use of school time? We say, ABSOLUTELY! Education is more than just cognitive exercises, or at least we think it should be.😉 Our kids have scheduled time each day with assigned cleaning responsibilities
🧹🧽🧼 Are cleaning responsibilities a good use of school time? We say, ABSOLUTELY! Education is more than just cognitive exercises, or at least we think it should be.😉 Our kids have scheduled time each day with assigned cleaning responsibilities that rotate from week to week. At first, they would only clean during their scheduled responsibility time. Last week we noticed that they’re starting to pick up the habit of cleaning up after themselves without being asked. Is it perfect? Goodness no. Are they catching on and taking more responsibility to keeping our facility tidy? Yes! The picture below was taken as I walked past the bathroom and noticed a child cleaning up some crumbs that fell out of his pocket - without being asked!🙌 THIS is why we have placed an importance on cleaning every day. #cultivatinggoodstewards #buildstrongroots #willowrootslearningcenter #lifeskills #responsibilitiesfirst
We're expanding! A common question we get is "are you planning to extend your ages past nine years old?" - and the answer has always been yes! We want to be able to see a child grow throughout their entire educational career. Our plan is t ✔️ Reading ✔️ Math ✔️ Raking leaves for our compost - Motor planning, proprioceptive input, important work, working together, time in nature… #wholechild #willowrootslearningcenter #Spring #compost Huge thank you to Master Gardener Laurie Prather and Dr. of veterinary Sara Pilgrim! Community collaboration is an important aspect of Willow Roots. There is no one person that can teach every skill or share knowledge from every topic. We are gratef Defending childhood one rainy day at a time💦 Today is the day! We're preparing for next year by opening up our application for the 2022-2023 school year! Click the link in our bio to apply! *Limited spots available* Have you heard?! We’re having a Q&A! If you’ve been interested in Willow Roots for your child, this is the time to check it out! Join us at our facility to learn more about what we are and chat with our staff. Hope to see you!
And just like that, our first semester is over. 🥲 The growth we've seen in our students over these short 5 months has been amazing to watch. We went from 17 timid 5-9 year olds at the beginning of the school year, to 20 confident and comfortable st
We are still at a loss for words about our Cozy Christmas Concert last night. It was beautiful, magical, and absolutely everything we ever could have imagined it to be. Our students had a hand in every aspect of it. Here are just a few of the thing Most of us know the physical benefits of climbing trees. 🌳 👁 improved hand-eye coordination 💪 increased muscle tone, specifically core strength 🏃 improved balance, agility, decision making, and visual perception BUT there are also emotional be Happy Thanksgiving from us to you! We’ve been out for Thanksgiving break all week, and while it’s been nice, we can’t wait to get back to school on Monday! Have some free time this afternoon? Join us at our first Frontier Festival at our school, Willow Roots - Learning Center (150 Beaverfork Rd)! Experience axe throwing, blacksmithing and more! Plus apple nachos and hot chocolate for the whole family! We hope you had the best Halloween weekend! Friday was our first annual Halloween Hustle! Thank you to all that came, sponsored and assisted in the race. We can’t wait for next year! Today is the day! Join us tonight for a Halloween Hustle! There will be an obstacle course for your child to venture through, a dance party, food, and an amazing goody bag for your child to take home. A huge thank you to our sponsors and to our Willo We were so honored to have local artist, Caroline Malone, come teach us to paint fall pumpkins! This was a great opportunity to practice following step-by-step directions, and art skills. A huge thank you to Caroline for donating her time and amazi This morning we had Mr. Rob come share his knowledge about trees! He is from Project Learning Tree with the Arkansas Forestry Association. We learned about all of the parts of a tree, from the lateral roots, all the way to the crown. One of the big Our culture corner is designed to get our students thinking about other parts of the world. We want them to know that there’s more out there than just Conway! We are currently learning about Arkansas, and had Mr. Stanton come play us his fiddl Huge THANK YOU to my good friend Steve Hornor for spending his day teaching our kids how to fish! He was also very generous to donate 6 poles and a tackle box full of gear to the school! It’s people like Mr. Steve that enrich our kids’ l We're hiring! Learn more about who we're looking for by clicking the link in the bio. Today is International Podcast Day! Here are a few podcasts that inspired us at the very beginning of this crazy journey! 1. Reimagine School with Dr. Greg Goins A thought provoking podcast with an emphasis on leadership. We knew that we didn&rs 🧹🧽🧼 Are cleaning responsibilities a good use of school time? We say, ABSOLUTELY! Education is more than just cognitive exercises, or at least we think it should be.😉 Our kids have scheduled time each day with assigned cleaning responsibilities

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