Learning Center
Monday-Thursday, from 9am - 3pm
Vital Wild’s Liberated Learning Center is a place where young people are invited and supported to discover their gifts and find ways to share them while becoming engaged, passionate, and well-rounded members of their community. Looking to the guidance of our ancestors, and with a strong foundation in the methodology and materials created through the wisdom of Dr. Maria Montessori, we embrace and trust in the principles of self-directed education, and model our program after many others who have come before us. This way of learning is NOT NEW—since time immemorial, humans have self-educated through experience with meaningful, hands-on tasks, at their own individualized pace, surrounded by those who care about them.
We humbly follow in their footsteps.
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Keep reading to find out more...
Designed to be truly unconventional ...
What makes us different?
We believe:
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Learning is everywhere and happens at all hours, and all stages of life
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Everyone deserves respect (no matter their age, gender, race, or abilities)
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Boredom is a seed of creativity
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Inspiration can be found in unexpected places
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Homework, tests, assignments and curriculums do more to stifle true learning than to support it
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Parents/Caregivers and the Natural World are our first & best teachers
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Learning happens naturally when paired with choice and enjoyment
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Our Learning Center program is designed to allow children to immerse themselves in their environment, exploring a range of 'essential skills' at their own pace, inspired by trusted guides and new friends. Our skilled facilitators provide a daily/weekly rhythm for the group based on the principles of self-directed education, and with ample time for free play and socializing, as well as loosely structured activities and joyful ed-ventures!
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In-step with similar programs that inspire us, we work together with the learners themselves (as well as their loving adults) to create a schedule that meets everyone's goals. Guest teachers will be hired on an as-inspired basis to visit and share skills and knowledge that are beyond the scope of our resident guides, creating a highly dynamic and expansive learning experience. Learner-planned Field Trips will punctuate our calendar, giving us plenty to look forward to, and connecting us regularly with our wider community.
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Core aspects of our program:​
—flexible arrival & departure times
—age mixing
—self-directed/child-centered learning
—high levels of autonomy for learners
—mutual respect/honoring young people's choices
—freedom of movement
—large amounts of free play and exploration
—no mandatory curriculum or testing
—no formal grades or assessments
—high parental involvement/cooperation between guides, learners, & guardians
—discarding as many artificial barriers to learning & growth as possible
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Encouraged Activities will *likely* include:
—guided group movement and team-building games
—wilderness living skills (shelter building, plant ID, tracking, etc.)
—basic carving & wood-crafting skills
—cooking & baking projects
—practicing various handicrafts
—walks in the meadows, woods, or by the creek
—using math, writing, and reading in fun and practical ways
—journaling
—general creativity and art-making
—gardening, soil, and forest stewardship
—farm animal care & tending
—learning about local history
—sharing of myths and stories from cultures throughout time
—connecting with all that's around us in deep and meaningful ways
—MUCH MORE!
—*based on learner's current interests & desires
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​Our exact activities & programming will evolve with the seasons--as well as the needs & interests of our group--but our skilled guides will reliably encourage children to delve deeper into their experience of interconnection with the ecosystem around us as we learn and grow together. Individuals will be supported to explore various skills and discover their unique gifts, while also mastering "the basics", and connecting with a variety of meaningful experiences designed to serve them well regardless of their eventual life-path.
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Stories which offer wisdom and reflection through a cross-cultural lens will help ground us in our own time and place, while broadening our perspective and expanding our understanding of the immensity of human experience throughout the ages.
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Whether your family believes in God—or calls the Higher Power by another Name— you are welcome here! Our aim is to support young people to develop reverence for all things spiritual, and connect through nature, experience, and community
to their own Inner Knowings.
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COST STRUCTURE
Sliding Scale +
Being a Private Membership Association means we have flexibility regarding
the agreements & arrangements we make with our members.
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Our program will follow a unique schedule, roughly in line with local public schools, with a couple of additional breaks throughout the year, and a choice whether to continue during the summer months.
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The baseline cost for our Learning Program is dependent on desired number of days, and other factors that are still being calculated. You can expect it to be on par with other private offerings in the area for this age range, with the option to apply for a need-based sliding scale,
or arrange a partial work-trade with us.
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Regardless, you MUST first become a Member to sign up!
RESERVE YOUR SPACE
Aiming to launch for FALL of 2025 (we know, you can hardly wait!) we are CURRENTLY accepting applications and beginning our enrollment process! Please give us a call at (208) 446-5644 or send us an email at vitalwild@protonmail.com to schedule a visit and get things rolling!
