Wonder Academy NWI

Today one kid was out foraging for broadleaf plantain—learning that medicine is literally growing all around us. Another was experimenting with filtering water, trying different ideas, seeing what worked and what didn’t.

It feels like this is the kind of learning kids need more of.

Kids are supposed to touch things, test things, experiment, take risks, get curious, and figure things out firsthand. Nature naturally pulls that out of them. It teaches problem solving, resilience, creativity, observation, confidence, and critical thinking without forcing it.

When kids are allowed to experiment, they stop being afraid of failure. They start seeing mistakes as part of learning instead of something shameful— that matters a lot!!

We feel like the future is going to belong to people who can adapt, think for themselves, innovate, and stay connected to the real world around them.

Not everything valuable can be taught from a desk.

Sometimes it starts with a kid picking plants… or trying to figure out how to clean water with their own two hands.

This is why we do what we do at Wonder Academy NWI.

Days like this remind us that education is so much more than academics. It’s community, connection, play, presence, and the simple beauty of learning together.

Today we welcomed visitors from a school near Fort Wayne called The SkyGarden, and it was such a beautiful day of connection and community.

We had the joy of experiencing Waldorf-style storytelling, shared by two young teacher’s aides who performed their stories for our learners. Their presence was so calming and grounded, and their storytelling was impressive. It was a meaningful opportunity for our children to witness others sharing the gifts they’ve cultivated through their own learning journey.

Our learners were cery respectful and attentive, fully engaged in the experience. It was one of those moments that reminds us how powerful it is to learn alongside one another and build bridges through shared experiences.

Afterward, our kids invited them to play kickball—something the girls had never played before—which made for such a fun and joyful exchange.

We ended the day sharing fresh salads straight from the garden, and they were, without question, some of the best salads ever.

I was sitting with a parent yesterday talking about a learning series that we had just gotten through.
It began with phenology. Where we were observing the reoccurring seasonal changes- which naturally led to seeing how everything is connected. That everything has a role and a purpose.
That left us with the question… what’s or purpose? What’s our role here?
We are the only ones that can choose how we show up on this planet.
So what do we choose?

We then went into identifying invasive, like the honey suckle in our woods nearby. We observed what they do to the soil- how they deplete the woods of nutrients- and destroy the biodiversity.
We took a look at how we had cleared invasive honey suckle out- and after just one year- the biodiversity had began to return! This helps reignite the interconnected web- it helps create food for the web- and balance returns.
If you think about it— it was a slow lesson that took over a year to execute. But the children had space to return to it, to notice the changes that occurred as a result of our human impact..

And do you know what they did the next couple of days?
They got their hatchets- their mini chainsaws- their clippers- whatever they could find to do more to help create a healthier environment.

This all seemed normal and not to spectacular to us, because we are living it daily.. but speaking out loud about it- and talking about these incredible children and their actions made me realize how important our work is.
They are learning conservation and they FEEL important enough to make a difference.

🥹Can you imagine the world these children will create with that belief??
🤍What else could you want for your child’s education??

🧐Now in a world where data centers are going up left and right- don’t you want future citizens that care enough, and believe enough to help help find the balance of our role as humans in nature?

We spent time making predictions before trying the classic egg-in-vinegar experiment—and that’s where the real learning happened.

Before anything began, learners had to think:
What do I believe will happen? Why?

Some were confident, some unsure—but all of them were forming their own ideas based on experience.

We wrote those predictions down, then placed the eggs in vinegar and observed over time. The bubbling, the softening shell, the transformation—it all became something they were invested in because they had something to compare it to.

This wasn’t about getting it “right.”
It was about thinking, noticing, and adjusting.
Data collection✅
Scientific questioning ✅
Learning✅
Memorable✅
Wondering✅