In Pensacola’s East Hill neighborhood, two mothers who went looking for a better way to educate their own children ended up building a school. Wild Oak School, an Acton Academy launched in the fall of 2023 by Brooks Parrish and Jessica Fulcher, blends self-paced learning, character development and long afternoons of outdoor exploration for children ages 4 to 11.
By December 2023, a few months into its first year, Wild Oak had 20 students. Its founders described a model built less around rows of desks and more around curiosity, independence and learning how to learn — an approach they believe better prepares children for a world that has changed dramatically since most of today’s parents were in school.
East Hill, just north of downtown Pensacola, is one of the city’s older residential neighborhoods, known for its tree-lined streets, historic bungalows and parks. Its shady, walkable character makes a fitting setting for a school that sends children outside every afternoon.
An Unconventional Path to the Classroom
Brooks Parrish grew up in Greenville, Alabama, and says she had a good experience in school herself. She attended Hollins College in Roanoke, Virginia, for two years before transferring to Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, where she majored in sociology. At Appalachian State, she met her future husband, Justin, and developed an interest in agriculture, working on an organic farm for two years before graduating.
A year after finishing school, the couple married and moved to Belize. There, Brooks managed a 2,000-acre permaculture farm and nature reserve for seven years, then managed a resort on the Belize coast for three more. The couple’s first two children were born in Belize. After a decade abroad, the family decided to return to the United States and soon settled in Pensacola.
In Belize, the Parrish girls attended a Montessori school, where they spent a great deal of time outdoors learning alongside children of different ages. “The girls spent a lot of time outside with children of mixed ages. It’s like growing up in a big family,” Brooks said.
A Pandemic Detour That Changed Everything
After the move to Pensacola, the children enrolled in public school, and Brooks said she noticed a change. “I sensed they lost some of their confidence. They didn’t want to answer questions for fear of being wrong,” she said.
A couple of months later, the COVID-19 pandemic closed schools, and the family began homeschooling. “It was also eye-opening at how little time it took to teach the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic,” she said.
Brooks began paying close attention to how much children learn through play and by pursuing their own interests. “They see the value in reading, writing, and math when they are involved in things they are interested in. Learning happens organically,” she said. While she valued her own schooling, she came to believe many traditional practices no longer fit today’s world. “I think we can do it better.”
What she wanted was something in between homeschooling and a conventional school. “I was looking for a middle ground, a place where you can allow your child to follow their passions and also have a community in which to learn. I kept asking myself, what do we want our younger generation to learn?”
She also saw technology as a tool to be used rather than feared. “The core skills are foundations and still important, but we now have technology for learning and it’s here to stay. We can harness technology and allow learning to happen on each child’s level and at their own pace, freeing up the majority of our time together to dig into different topics and ideas and explore their unique gifts and talents,” she said.
What Is an Acton Academy?
Brooks’s search led her to the Acton Academy model. “When I found the Acton Model, I knew I had found something special,” she said. “The Acton Model started in 2009 and offers a framework, but by no means says there is only one way to learn. It’s more about learning to learn, learning to do, learning to be.”
The first Acton Academy was founded in Austin, Texas, in 2009 by Jeff and Laura Sandefer. Since then, the model has grown into a network of independently owned affiliate schools across the United States and in other countries. Acton schools typically share several features:
- Mixed-age “studios” instead of traditional grade-level classrooms.
- Self-paced core skills, often using digital tools for reading, writing and math so students progress at their own level.
- Guides rather than lecturers, with adults who ask questions and facilitate rather than deliver lessons from the front of the room.
- Hands-on “quests” — projects built around real-world themes.
- Student-created rules and governance, in which children help set expectations and resolve conflicts.
Brooks also values that the model extends through the teen years. “One of the reasons I love the Acton model is there is no other alternative educational model that takes you through high school,” she said.
Inside a Day at Wild Oak
At Wild Oak, Jessica Fulcher leads the younger group, ages 4 to 7, while Brooks guides the older group, ages 7 to 11. The overlap at age 7 is intentional. “The 7-year-olds overlap because this is an age where maturity and readiness vary. Everyone works at their level, so no one feels they aren’t good enough. Learning is fun,” Brooks said.
Mornings are more structured and focused on core skills. Afternoons follow Forest School principles, giving children time outdoors to explore, experiment and solve problems. That includes what educators call risky play — climbing trees, building forts and similar activities that let children test their limits. The school also organizes Quest Themes, such as gardening, that bring in community experts working in that field.
“It’s an experiential education, allowing young learners to explore their unique gifts, talents, and interests. You get excited about learning when you are excited about what you are learning. We want to give the tools needed to become life-long learners,” Brooks said.
The Forest School movement has its roots in Scandinavia, where outdoor learning for young children has long been common, and it spread widely in the United Kingdom and elsewhere beginning in the 1990s. Its central idea — that regular, extended time in nature builds confidence, resilience and curiosity — pairs naturally with Acton’s emphasis on independence.
Character First
Much of the Acton approach at Wild Oak focuses on character. In one classroom, two posters list principles the students wrote themselves, including speaking to one another with kindness and encouragement, treating their space with respect and communicating clearly.
“You can teach skills, but you need to teach people how to learn. Things like how to think and make decisions before having all the information at hand, how to get along with others, and how to communicate well both orally and in writing,” Brooks said. “We want students to ask themselves, how am I relatable? Do I have integrity? Do I communicate well and get along with others? These are life skills. We want to teach the whole child, the whole human.”
She shared one example that stood out. During an afternoon session outdoors, the students had a conflict. Without any direction from teachers, they called a meeting, went inside, and returned 20 minutes later with the problem resolved, going back to playing together. The child who called the meeting was 7 years old.
“That was so rewarding. Seeing them learn and grow, and building confidence in themselves. Our kids love coming to school. They get excited,” Brooks said.
Growing Carefully
With 20 students in its first months, Wild Oak planned to keep its studios small, with the goal of capping enrollment at 15 students in each age group. Small size is common among Acton affiliates and other so-called microschools, which have multiplied across the country in recent years as families seek alternatives to both traditional public and private schools.
Florida has been at the center of that trend. The state has one of the nation’s most extensive school choice systems, and in 2023 lawmakers expanded eligibility for education savings accounts to all K-12 students, giving families more flexibility in how they direct education funding. Families considering any private or alternative school should check directly with the school and with the state’s scholarship-funding organizations about eligibility and requirements.
What Parents Should Know
For families curious about Wild Oak or similar models, a few practical steps can help:
- Visit in person and, if possible, observe a morning studio session and an afternoon outdoor session.
- Ask how core skills in reading, writing and math are tracked and how progress is shared with parents.
- Learn how the school handles student-led governance and conflict resolution.
- Confirm current enrollment, age groups, tuition and schedules, since details may have changed since the school’s first year.
For Brooks Parrish and Jessica Fulcher, Wild Oak is the answer to the question Brooks kept asking herself — what the next generation truly needs to learn. Their bet is that confident, curious children who know how to learn will be ready for whatever comes next.