Parkesburg resident Leah Damon is home-schooling her three boys with the help of Wild + Free, a home-schooling community that connects and provides support to parents who have decided to educate their children at home, writes Katherine Rosman for The New York Times.

American philosopher Henry David Thoreau, who is renowned for his reflections upon simple living in natural surroundings, once wrote that “all good things are wild and free.” That quote is the inspiration for Wild + Free.

“Our approach is less about replicating the classroom at home and more about awakening a desire to learn in the natural environment, from exploring nature and leaning into literature,” said Ainsley Arment, founder of Wild + Free.

So instead of a classroom, Damon and her sons spend more time in nature, including exploring Wolf’s Hollow County Park in Atglen.

“Wild + Free is a philosophy of parenting more than home-schooling,” Arment said. “It’s about seeing what happens when you strip away the middleman, the curriculum, the grades, the things that come along with getting a traditional education.”

And while men are a part of the community, the materials are primarily tailored to home-schooling mothers.

“The point is not to say the women are relegated to this role or to being at home,” said Arment. “The point is to empower women who have made this choice.”

Read more about Wild + Free in The New York Times here.

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