AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – A local school is offering students a different type of learning experience for students this summer.

Rooted Holistic Education Center in Augusta brands itself as “a crunchy take on a stale model.” School leaders believe their British approach to education may benefit some students who have lost their love for learning.

“It’s really nice to be on my own pace, in my own time, and in my own mindset and what not,” freshman Juliana Murphy said.

During the pandemic, Georgia became the first state to pass the Learning Pods protection act, prohibiting states from regulating learning pods like Rooted Holistic Education Center. 

“We focus on academics is one of our priorities, but it’s not our main priority, we also teach social-emotional skills, we teach life skills like cooking and gardening and outdoor skills– things like that. And we do all of this in nature as much as we can,” Rooted Holistic Education Center School Leader Brooke-Adrian Murphy said.

The Nature-based learning system provides students with a more hands-on approach to their education experience. 

“So, we have morning movement and so that’s kind of where, it depends on the day, but we’ll stretch, and we’ll do different exercises and just move around. And then afterwards we come in for a ‘PowWow,’ which is kind of us just discussing what we’re gonna do for the day and what we’re gonna cover and after that we do core skills which is just working on school and whatever you want to designate that time to– whatever you find important,” sophomore Esme Anderson said.

They also take part in clubs that open their minds to everyday life lessons. 

“We’re teaching young, younger kids to do that and the dishwasher– just simple things that you don’t get taught. So, we have life skills which is gardening, we have knife safety, sewing because what if you rip your pants, and we also have cooking,” Murphy said.

In its first year of business, the learning pod has reached students from elementary to high school and has broadened their services to summer. 

“There’s six different summer camps, one is survival one is camping, they’re all very different and like I said, there’s theater as well, and it’s cool because we have survival camp– which other schools don’t– and it’s all outdoors,” Murphy said.

If you’d like to learn more about how you can enroll your child to the summer programs or annual school enrollment, CLICK HERE.