Homeschooling from Coast to Coast

Grantee Spotlights

Karla Withrow and Alycia Wright are among the hundreds of VELA grant recipients — and millions of families in the U.S. — and who’ve elected to homeschool their children. VELA chose to make a video about Withrow and Wright to show what homeschooling in 2022 can look like, from one coast to another.

Learn more about Karla’s program, EarthChild Explorers

Learn more about Alycia’s program, Cultural Roots Homeschool Co-op

How Land-based Learning Supports Indigenous Students

Grantee Spotlights

VELA Meet the Moment grantee Indigenous Farm Hub puts Native people—and especially students—back in control of growing their own food through land-based learning.

Meet and follow Indigenous Farm Hub:

Their story | Facebook | Instagram

Making STEM Skills Accessible to All Students

Grantee Spotlights

Rosa Aristy saw children from her community were underrepresented in #STEM fields. Her response? “I’m going to do something about this.”

Meet and follow Bridges to Science: Their story | Facebook | Instagram

Nature-based Education Brings Learning to Life

Grantee Spotlights

These parents didn’t like their children’s school options, so they decided to create their own. Green Gate Children’s School is a play-based micro-school, where both learning and life are interconnected.

Follow Green Gate Children’s School: Their story | Facebook

Carpentry Students Find Joy in Math

Grantee Spotlights

“Why do we have to know this?” Kids ask, and Wise Young Builders (WYB) answers. Its program isn’t about creating carpenters. It’s about developing critical-thinking and problem-solving skills and exposing kids to a wide world of careers.

Follow Wise Young Builders: Their story | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Teacher Supports Families’ Online Learning Challenges

Grantee Spotlights

“For students who may already be behind their peers, the coaching and resources we offer have helped families ensure that the gap for these kids hasn’t widened further during the pandemic.” – Isis Spann, Founder of Kindergarten Kounts and FUNdamentals of Learning.

Learn more: Their story | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Homeschool Meets Needs of Black Families

Grantee Spotlights

“This is an iconic moment for families. If schools won’t reinvent education, we have to reinvent it ourselves. And our goal at Engaged Detroit is to make sure families have the tools, so that choice is in their hands, because ultimately every parent wants their kid to be successful, successful and happy” – founder Bernita Bradley

Follow Engaged Detroit: Their story | Facebook

City & Nonprofit Team Up to Create Microschool

Grantee Spotlights

When the pandemic struck, local leaders in North Las Vegas teamed up with national experts to create a first of its kind public-private microschool. The model is working so well that talks are now underway to ensure the Southern Nevada Urban Microschool Academy (SNUMA) continues as an option for North Las Vegas families even after the pandemic ends.

Learn more about SNUMA: Their story

Science Brought to Life by Surfing & Skating

Grantee Spotlights

When skate parks and the oceans become science labs: Surf. Skate. Science. “We don’t just sit at a desk. It’s like recess and school mixed together, at the beach, or a skate park.” A VELA Meet The Moment production.

Follow Surf Skate Science: Their story | Facebook | Twitter

Homeschool Pod Grew Out of Necessity

Grantee Spotlights

Founded by educators during the pandemic, Zucchinis Homeschool Co-Op is supporting families to provide a quality learning environment.

Learn about Zucchinis Homeschool Co-Op: Their story