Former public-school teacher Sarah VanDerVliet from South Dakota left her 17-year teaching career to start Buffalo Christian Homeschool Academy, a hybrid program offering K-12 education with a focus on agriculture. The school has grown to 32 students in just three years, with a waiting list for enrollment. VanDerVliet emphasizes the importance of parents feeling empowered to educate their children and incorporates a biblical verse into the school’s ethos.
The school’s agricultural projects, such as raising meat birds and making dairy products, promote independence and self-worth among students. Parents like Michelle Stephens praise the program for integrating academics with farm chores, helping students like her seventh-grade son understand the business aspects of agriculture. The homeschool environment has also led to increased confidence and self-expression in students who previously felt constrained in public school settings.
VanDerVliet’s Christian faith is at the core of the school’s curriculum, allowing her to incorporate religious teachings into daily learning. The switch to homeschooling has also resulted in improvements in academic performance and confidence for students like VanDerVliet’s daughter, who previously struggled with math and has now progressed to reading complex books.
Overall, the Buffalo Christian Homeschool Academy provides a holistic approach to education that emphasizes agriculture, Christian values, and individualized learning, leading to improvements in academic performance, confidence, and self-worth among its students.
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