Copper Learning Academy

02/21/2026

Visit me today at Mother and Earth Kids until 1pm!

02/16/2026

Still piecing together summer plans? There’s an easier way. 🌿

At Copper Learning Academy in St. Johns, we’re creating a full-summer camp where kids spend their days outside — building forts, tending gardens, making art, exploring nature, and forming real friendships. It’s consistent care you can rely on and a summer that actually feels good for them.

Small groups. Caring guides. Fresh air. Less screen time. A rhythm families can count on.

With just 20 spots, this first summer will be intimate, intentional, and full of the kind of childhood moments that stick.

🌻 Secure your child’s spot for Summer 2026:
copperlearningacademy.com

02/15/2026

Did you know we will have a summer camp this year?!
DM us for details!

Send a message to learn more

02/12/2026

What if summer didn’t feel like managing schedules… but like childhood?

Copper Summer Camp is intentionally simple.

Small group.
Outside most of the day.
Mud. Water. Forts.
Nature-based projects.
Real connection.

This isn’t a screen-heavy day.
It isn’t chaotic gym noise.

It’s exploration.
It’s curiosity.
It’s the kind of summer many of us remember — and want our kids to have.

And because we believe good things can be found with local food too, any parent who registers their child by February 28th will receive a curated lunch from Graze on the Go Charcuterie & More!

We met Graze on the Go a year ago during the St. Johns Area Chamber of Commerce Business Incubator Challenge in January 2025, and we're so excited to be partnering a local business that values community the way we do.

If you’ve been thinking about summer camp, now is a beautiful time to say yes. Just head to our website to sign up. 🌿

02/03/2026

Visiting with WILX Taylor Gattoni was so fun! I appreciate how kind and curious she is — thank you for having me!

A nature-based learning center for K-5 students is opening this year in St. Johns.

02/03/2026

Routines are for giraffes! 🦒

Someone asked me recently how I’m managing stress while opening a school. They wondered if I was taking care of myself, because there are a lot of tasks, deadlines, and future steps to keep organized.

One of the biggest supports for me has been building a morning routine. If you’d told me a few years ago that I’d have one, I would have laughed. Then internally I would have felt shame about not knowing how to do that. (There is my ADHD brain, reporting for duty.)

What made it actually stick wasn’t discipline — it was joy.

I started with just one tiny thing: “mini morning adventures.”

I filled a jar with simple, playful ideas and pull one each day like a little fortune cookie.

They’re meant to take 30 seconds to no more than three minutes.

Today’s slip said: “Find a shadow that looks like an animal.”

My first thought?
…Absolutely not. That feels too hard.

I looked at the shadow by the window.
The shadow from a box.
The shadow from the laundry basket.
The shadow from the actual cat.

Still nothing. And I almost quit.

Then I glanced at the shadow from the cat tower — and suddenly I saw a giraffe. 🦒

In that tiny moment, two things became clear:

1) I only found it because I didn’t give up.
2) This is exactly why I do mini morning adventures — to create little pockets of joy, imagination, and possibility.

Over time, that small ritual grew into a fuller routine that now also holds space for my goals around health, leadership, and the work of building Copper.

That willingness to do something completely different is exactly what I want for students.

I want them to be able to say, “This isn’t working — let’s try another way.”

I want them to build on ideas, be playful, and see possibility.

And yes — I also want them to do their math, spelling, and history along the way.

If this resonates with you, I’d love for you to join our waitlist on our website.

(P.S. please excuse my very funky giraffe drawing… imagination over artistry! 😉)

02/02/2026

Beautiful snow! ❄️ ⛄️

02/01/2026

I had fun interviewing with WILX Taylor Gattoni today for a Mid Michigan Matters segment. Look for it to air on Tuesday!

01/31/2026

Who’s joining me in five minutes?