A Wild Home

We are Direct Step Up providers (listed as A Wild Home) and also accept secure online payments.

Step Up for Students Scholarship: Families using Step Up are asked to submit payment at the time of registration via the student’s online marketplace portal.

Out-of-pocket payment: Families paying directly will receive a secure online payment link via email once the registration form is submitted. This allows us to provide a safe and protected payment process.

For families who require a monthly payment plan, please email boeneramandajo@gmail.com after submitting your registration form to receive invoicing details. After your form is received, you will receive an email reply confirming whether a spot is available for enrollment.

Season Tuition: $1,190 ($397 per month)
Classes every Tuesday 10am – 2pm
+ a closing season event for the whole family
One-time Personalized Journal Fee: $30
Engraved by AJ, with students name & includes A Wild Home Permaculture & Nature Journaling pullouts for reference.

“AJ and John are simply amazing. I sent all three of my kids to Wild School and they all loved their time there. None of my kids were overly interested in nature based school, but when I picked them up after the first day, they were so excited to go back the next day. Not only were AJ and John able to ignite a love of learning about all things wild, but beyond that, they came home with so many more tools, tools I didn’t even realize they were missing! From various artistic skills, to plant identification, to emotional regulation, and so much more, everything was done in such a cohesive, deliberate, and well thought out way. My kids felt safe, happy, and HEARD. I can’t recommend this program enough. Thank you, AJ and John for all that you do for our kiddos!” -H, parent of Wild School student, Brooksville FL

“A Wild Home is such a special place and I wish everyone could experience it!…My kiddo always feels heard, supported, safe and just loved!!! AJ meets exactly where my kiddo is at as she does with every single student. Our 1 hour drive is so worth the quality we encounter each and every time we are around AJ.” -A, parent of Wild School student, Brooksville FL

“My daughter absolutely loves every day at Wild School. From the very first class, she came home excited to share everything she did. Even though they’re learning so much, it feels like play to her because it’s not a typical indoor classroom and she loves that. The lessons are meaningful and practical, and I couldn’t recommend Amanda, her team, and the school more highly.” -M, parent of Wild School student, Brooksville FL

“AJ has a true gift of educating and nurturing her students and I highly recommend gifting your child the opportunity to learn from her and explore and experience all that this wild school has to offer!” -L, parent of Wild School student, Brooksville FL

“What an amazing opportunity…The friendliness of the family, the easy and fun exploration learning that occurs is such a blessing…I recommend you take a visit and see for yourself.” -J, grandparent of Wild School student, Plymouth IN

“Our children have loved their time at Luna Hill Wild School! Amanda and John have a very beautiful connection to the land and their animals, and their ability to speak to children in a respectful and engaging way has had a profound impact on our entire family. We cannot say enough great things about the work they are doing, and look forward to all they continue to do to make their farm an intentional space for deep learning and fellowship.” H, parent of Wild School students, Plymouth IN

With over a decade of professional work with children -and experience founding and facilitating one of the first Wild Schools in the country at their educational farm in Indiana- Amanda Jo (AJ) Boener and John Boener bring a wealth of knowledge, experience, and wisdom to their offerings. See What Does Our Day Look Like below for the topics they teach.

AJ is a National Geographic Certified Educator, Certified Permaculture Designer, and co-ran a teaching farm for 10 years, where she also facilitated a unique Women’s Circle for nearly a decade, rooted in deep listening, community building, and mindfulness. She has blogged for Mother Earth News, served on the board as a Purdue Advanced Master Gardener in Indiana, and her work has been featured in multiple magazines. Drawing on her background in art, homesteading, and motherhood, along with years of hands-on teaching and permaculture experience, she creates learning experiences that are interactive, nature-connected, and deeply rooted.

Alongside his years of teaching with AJ, John has worked professionally in the trades for over 15 years and grew up with a father who worked as a professional carpenter and served as his mentor. He is highly skilled in complete home remodels- especially kitchens and bathrooms- where his precision in cabinetry, custom trim, and tile stands out. His expertise also extends to plumbing, electrical, welding, and mechanical work, making him a versatile and detail-oriented craftsman.

Together, they are parents to four children whom they have wildschooled since birth (13+ years). AJ gave birth to three of them in their historic farmhouse, which John completely remodeled from the ground up- teaching and involving the whole family in the process! They also designed and ran Luna Hill Farm, a four-acre educational and permaculture-based farm, holding countless community-building events.

As a family, they designed and built two fully off-grid skoolies, spending two years traveling the country while adventuring, teaching, and volunteering together. You can see a tour of their first home-on-wheels on Tiny Home Tours [HERE]. Over the years, AJ and John have also been invited to teach and speak at public libraries, art centers, schools, festivals, and learning & mindfulness centers.

Their skills and expertise have been honed over the years, but what truly defines their teaching is the way they connect with children. They lead with presence- meeting each child with care, respect, and a sense of belonging. From that foundation, they share knowledge that nurtures growth in skill while inspiring confidence, curiosity, and wonder that lasts long after the lesson ends.

See more family photos, their credentials, & where they’ve been featured here

Each Wild School day is designed to Cultivate Community, Celebrate Curiosity, and Nurture Wonder, with Nature. Here’s our rhythm for class:

Connection with each other & ourselves- Students gather, where they are welcomed, given an overview of the day’s plan, invited to share their thoughts, and participate in breath wok and a mindful meditation. These are offered as tools to use outside of class time as well.
Activity– Instruction and lesson on the planned project/s are shared, then as a group we head out on our adventure.
Lunch- we eat together, usually in the pavilion, screened in porch, or treehouse.
Workshop– After a snack and break, students transition in to our next group project time, usually either a Nature Journaling, wildcrafting, or woodworking activity. Nature Journaling is taught using the John Muir Laws Method, to deepen their understanding in a more reflective, internal, and quiet way & any wildcrafting or woodworking activity is curated to deepen the seasonal theme.
Your choice– This time offers independent exploration, a chance to work on individual projects, create their own adventures, and further supports connection with peers. Whether erecting a bamboo fort, building something they were inspired to create, playing in the mud kitchen, feeling challenged in a board game, climbing, or chatting with peers in the treehouse, this truly child-led segment allows students to ground themselves in whatever way feels right for them, with engaged facilitators in an accessible, rich learning environment.
Closing Connection– a time to reflect, ask follow-up questions, and express gratitude

Subject Matter– At Wild School, AJ integrates her and John’s expertise and passions into a nature-connected learning experience. Guided by a seasonally centered curriculum she has carefully designed, each activity is thoughtfully tailored to reflect their knowledge, while nurturing children’s curiosity and connection with the natural world. Learners explore topics such as; Mindfulness, meditation & breathwork, foraging, wildcrafting, woodworking & carpentry, permaculture and design, herbalism, gardening, beekeeping, rhythmic nature-connection, nature journaling and art, survival and homesteading skills, storytelling, whittling, ecocentric education, composting and vermicomposting, sustainability and eco-friendly practices, native and Florida-friendly planting, pollinator plants, natural dyeing, mushroom cultivation, aquaponics, animal husbandry, safe loose parts play, and more.

During hot temps, we will sometimes enjoy lunch or story time indoors, to get a break from the heat. During cooler days, it’s common for the kids to take part in the fire-starting process & partake in handwork activities or cooking(usually from seasonally available offerings) around the fire.

See more images & descriptions of our space HERE

All classes are carried out in a qualified, certified schoolyard habit, and welcoming permaculture space, with a covered pavilion & screened-in space with fans, outdoor shower, & a restroom available indoors. It is located in a convenient drop off scenario, in Downtown Brooksville- making finding things to do after drop off for caregivers easy. Parking on our side of the street for drop off is a breeze.

Students have access to:
-Production and swale Forest Garden
-A Florida-Native and Florida-Friendly pollinator and bird garden
-Wildlife ponds teaming with life
-Composting and vermicomposting systems
-Woodworking area
-A homemade Warre honeybee hive
-A multi platform treehouse with water features, slide, & pulley systems
-Zipline & various climbing structures
-Muddy place(with mud kitchen)
-Herb Spiral
-Rainwater collection systems
-A pet Ball Python + Chickens (& cats:)
-How-to & Guide Book library
-Skill-building chess & board games
-Covered pavilion, with whiteboard & monitor for group instruction/lessons
-Firepit, for outdoor cooking & gathering
-Tools for activities; microscope, rakes, shovels, whittling knifes, saws, hammers, etc.

Students will also get the unique opportunity be a part of implementing some of the future features such as: aquaponics, a natural swimming pool, composting toilet, and more as we continue to bring to life the additional elements AJ has designed. Students at Wild School have already taken part in designing & helped to implement an Herb Spiral that continues to teach, bring in wildlife, & serve as a beautiful spot to snack, enjoy, & gather from for school projects.

Here, students have a voice in shaping the space itself. Incorporating the students in the design process is a foundational part of the philosophy- inviting curiosity, creativity, and a deep sense of ownership. Together, we further cultivate the living classroom that grows and evolves with the community it serves.

During each season, students can expect at least one guest mentor to join for a hands-on learning experience beyond the facilitators, AJ & John. These mentors are trusted community members- gardeners, artists, storytellers, and other passionate, local experts- who eagerly share their knowledge and stories. Inviting mentors is an intentional part of how AJ structures Wild School. She believes that students benefit from learning through diverse perspectives and lived experiences, and that local experts and elders deserve meaningful opportunities to give back. It’s the kind of exchange where many plants grow from a single toss of seeds- nurturing connection, expanding community, and weaving wisdom across generations.

At A Wild Home, the facilitators honor the rich diversity of beliefs and backgrounds that participants bring to our community. While varied religious and spiritual identities walk the paths here, our learning environment at the Wild School remains neutral and welcoming to all.

There is no religious or spiritual instruction incorporated into the programs. The approach to mindfulness is science-based, supporting emotional regulation, focus, and wellbeing- without spiritual frameworks.

The calm, open, and inquiry-based tone of all programs AJ & John hold, support their aim to create engaging experiences that nurture wonder, without dogma.

If conversations about religion arise among children, the facilitators role is to acknowledge their beliefs and gently guide students back to our shared subject matter. We foster respectful curiosity- not debate or persuasion- and always in a way that protects each child’s sense of belonging.

This has been our family’s motto since we first heard it from John’s Aunt Paula when our 1st child was toddling around. Living in the climate we do (subtropical) makes staying safe through all the seasons easy. While in the heat, that mainly means staying hydrated & comfortable. In the cooler temps, extra layers will be needed, but we never reach dangerously cold temps, like we did at the Luna Hill Farm Wild School, where we reached -30 sometimes! (pictured above)
We are an (almost) all-weather school. Class is never cancelled due to weather, except in very rare occasions, such as a hurricane. You should know;
If there is lightening, high windspeed, or hail, we take cover in shelter & continue our work
If there are tornado or hurricane warnings, class will be cancelled
If there’s just rain, you can find us continuing our work, observing how the water flows through the landscape, & quite likely inspired to run, dance, splash, & enjoy the downpour!

My (AJ-the curriculum developer) philosophies on childhood education seemed to have been born with our first child, Lilly (now 13) & all she (& the other 3!) have opened my eyes & heart to. John and I have been deeply committed to our children and serving other children in the best way we possibly can as elders. Together, through over a decade of experience and alignment with proven methods, we’ve cultivated the approach that guides our work with children. I have been speaking at events, published in magazines, sharing some of our experiences online, & have had countless intimate conversations around this topic with folks from all walks of life since her birth. Many years ago, as I was settling into my place as a teacher & cultivating spaces around my understanding & desire to live a Wild life, my good friend Nicolette Sowder, of Wilder Child, was also developing online resources for families & coining the term Wildschooling at the same time! Our family enthusiastically joined for the first launch of her Kids Moon Club & it was fantastic. We’ve been in sync with the rhythm of the moon ever since & that previously missing component has rooted us in a way I will forever be grateful to her for. While we have been doing work that is more place-based, to listen in, understand, evolve, & educate on what living a wild life can look like at any age and from any background, I very much align with & deeply appreciate the commitment she’s put into sharing her intentional, accessible, & wise presentation of Wildschooling, which can be found HERE.

As you can likely gather from our website, we love the work we do and pour a lot of intention, wisdom, and work into making our offering flourish. And, as I say a lot these days, WILD isn’t a cool hashtag we just added to make a buck on the growing market or an awaking we recently had because of Covid. (Although, that’s awesome for those who did!) We simply have a lot of lived experience living and teaching on…all things wild, that a lot of folks in the field do not. There are too many shared happy tears with parents, deeply impactful moments of connection with kids, and core-memories of connection with kids in nature to count. Those moments truly are a big part of our ‘why’ in this life.

We’re sincerely grateful you took the time to read about what we offer and- we can’t wait to work with your kiddo/s! ~AJ + JOHHN

Our Wild School is not merely nature-based, but Nature-Connected; grounded in a deep relationship with the land, the seasons, and life cycles. Through curiosity, community, and wonder, students are invited into a learning journey that is rooted, reciprocal, and alive.

Please have your child arrive with a bag of your choice containing:
-their journal
-a packed snack/meal
-water bottle(refilling with filtered water available)
and dressed in weather appropriate clothes they don’t mind getting dirty

During warmer days, sending a towel + bathing suit or a change of clothes after water/mud play is suggested. Outdoor shower for rinse off & indoor bathroom for changing is available.
During cooler days, jacket, hat, and/or gloves may be needed.
During wet days, an extra towel & change of clothes may be needed.

Please leave at home toys, fidgets, & electronics. If your child has a phone, they will be asked to leave it in their bags during class time.

All additional tools & materials for projects are provided.