Hi! I’m Amber Harris and I bet you will sense my anxiousness with sharing this story through each word that you read. I’m a mother, wife, daughter, and now running the schoolhouse of my dreams. The idea of a kid-friendly educational program on the farm began soon after my son was born in 2016. Jack rocked my world, as I’m sure many mamas can relate. He was the wild child of the family early on, and that title followed him throughout toddlerhood. Jack loved to run, so much so that he started running (before walking) at 9 months old. Imagine that for a moment – a 9-month-old, precious, handsome boy lunging towards you, ready to escort you to his next adventure. From very early on, I couldn’t imagine how I was supposed to, one day, drop him off at school and miss out on so much of his day-to-day learning and life. I disliked school from Pre-k all the way through college, so maybe those feelings followed me into motherhood, but my heart hurt at just the thought of not being with him for such a large chunk of his childhood.
In 2018, at 21 months old, Jack was diagnosed with Autism. This diagnosis made the blessing of raising him on the farm even more apparent to us. Our wonderful family, amazing community at White Oak Pastures, wide-open spaces to run, and bugs to dig up, all made this place perfect for him. He worked hard from that point on with his speech and social skills, and in 2021, much to my dismay Jack started Pre-K at a local charter school. Although I was terrified for this new journey, the teachers and staff were so good to him and his mama’s. Thankfully, he did really well. The teachers always complimented his work and effort, and he only ended up in the principal’s office once…but that’s another story for another day. From the outside looking in, he was thriving. He was doing the work, making friends, and trying new foods in the cafeteria, but deep down he was not my happy little boy anymore. Every morning on the way to school throughout first and second grade, he cried and begged to “go to school at home.” When I dropped him off at the schoolhouse doors, I prayed that his teachers would help keep him safe, his classmates would be sweet, and he would know how much he was loved. All I could think about was getting back to him at 3:00 each afternoon.
So, we did try the traditional school route, but Jack wanted to be on the farm with us and we had to find a way to make it happen. I was not in a position to step away from work to homeschool him, and now baby sister Lottie was a part of the equation as well. Thankfully, long before I found myself in this situation, I read books and articles about nature-based learning and forest schools. I couldn’t help but think that White Oak Pastures was the perfect place for something like this. We could teach children through outdoor play, deep in nature, and with the brilliant experts we have in so many different professional fields. We educate our customers, our guests, and started a non-profit for adults to learn about regenerative systems on their farms, so SURELY, we could figure out how to teach our own children on the land that has served us well for six generations. I began to research every night after our bedtime routine. I contacted nature-based programs trying to understand the ins and outs of how they operated, and I found a way to bring up my idea in conversations with guests or other parents on the farm. I wanted to gauge their interest levels and concerns. I watched their facial expressions tell me exactly what they thought of this potential venture. Some of the reactions I received looked and sounded like excitement, some worried it wouldn’t work at such a small scale, others were interested in learning more when we were closer to opening, and even the usual that homeschool parents hear – “what about socializing? Aren’t you scared he will miss out on so much?” The truth is that I was scared, but it couldn’t be any worse than dropping him off at school in tears every day, right?
Now, we can get to the good stuff. In August of 2025, Bluffton Outdoor Academy was a real life, dream come true. For the first 3 months, lessons were taught in a room with a desk, rolling chair, and US map taped to the wall in one of our rental houses. Jack and his teacher, Michelle, spent lots of time in the pastures, learning about trees, bugs, and how cool it was that we could incorporate math with a muscadine jelly recipe. The change we saw in Jack was immediate. The stress and pressure he put on himself in the traditional school setting disappeared when BOA began. I cannot say that there were not and will not be more hard days, but everyone that knew Jack before BOA can see the difference in my sweet boy today. Later, we moved a tiny house to Bluffton and this became our little red roof schoolhouse. Jack and Michelle finished off the first year with amazing test results, positive personality changes, much less anxiousness around the word “school”, and an overall new found love for life and learning. Jack’s 3-year-old sister officially became a BOA student in August of 2026, along with 3 other amazing kids.
I do not take this opportunity for granted. I am thankful every day for this farm and this program where kids can learn freely at the level they need to thrive personally and academically. Jack and Lottie are my most precious gifts. Being their mama is my favorite and most exhausting title. Bluffton Outdoor Academy is my gift to them, my attempt to show them my deepest love, and I am thrilled to share it with others. Many children love the traditional school setting, and others want to learn in a different environment with less whiteboards and more hands-on lessons. White Oak Pastures took a chance for Jack, and now other kids get to experience the amazing life lessons taught inside and all around our tiny schoolhouse.
I hope you will stop by the next time you’re in Bluffton. There’s a high chance you will see kids with dirt on their clothes and smiles on their faces, and you might even hear them before you see them, but you will know you’re in the right place. This blog is the first of many, where we will answer questions that we frequently hear about BOA. We hope to post several times each school year. If you’re looking for a less wordy, more frequent update, please follow along with the fun on our Facebook and Instagram.
