The Brightside: ROOTS Youth Development program
GEORGETOWN, Del. – A non-profit youth development group in Delaware is sowing the seeds of empowerment, growth, and unity through unique and experiential learning efforts. “We want to be self-sufficient, and we want to help the earth, people, and ecosystems and just build the community in general; that is something we have always been passionate about,” says Talon Holleman, Program Director of R.O.O.T.S Youth Development.
“Reaching Outside of Traditional Schooling,” or ROOTS for short, is a youth development program that collectively bridges the learning gap through unique methods. “Non-traditional schooling, and teaching self-sufficiency and practical life skills including homesteading, nature studies, bushcraft, Re-Genitive farming and just learning ecosystem an altruism throughout the community,” says Talon. She adds, “They’re going to learn best when they’re most regulated and interested so that’s kind of our niche spot of where do we need to be.”
Talon and Travis Holleman, an RN and banker by trade respectively believe in the benefits of teaching the next generation about how to connect with the world around them. What started as a way to be home more often with their kids, grew into a passion to teach – in a new way. “Here they’re practicing community and they’re practicing team building, they’re practicing all these practical life skills and interpersonal skills 36 executive functioning and so many transferable skills for real-life purposes and practice,” says Talon. “Gauge it towards that auditory learner, that visual learner, experiential learner, hands-on learning.”
ROOTS consists of summer camp, after-school programs, home-schooling classes, yoga, toddler nature classes, community collaborations – any way that helps students and families find what works best for them and the way they learn. “So to be able to see kind of this and how so many children can adapt, but thrive outside and with the ability to have some autonomy over what they do and how they do it and what they learn,” says Travis, Talon’s husband and also a program director with ROOTS. “For me, it seems like they really care a lot more about the material and what the experience is and also kind of imprints that into their memory.”
For Travis, we’re told this hits home. He explains that it wasn’t until his 20s he found out he had neuro-divergent attributes – ADHD. While he’s able to make sense of his struggles as a child in school now, he says it’s a full circle moment seeing how he’s able to help other kids find what works for them. “For me, I think it’s important that the outdoor structure, the child-led structure some of the exploratory learning I think is critical for a lot of kids and that’s what I wish I had.”
The program started a few years ago with just 30 students and has now grown to over 500; Reiterating its overall mission is working. “We’ve had several families start their compost system at their houses with our guidance and teaching and encouragement and support,” says Talon. “The confidence in these children and family members of now their child is in a safe space and able to learn, because they’re wanting to learn.”
Now with more families being impacted, Talon and Travis say they’re hoping to expand their ideas to families across the state for years to come. “It really taught us to be flexible and adapt with those families and we again get to learn a lot with them and things they’re going through and how we can help be a part of the solution,” says Travis.
For more information on the organization, programming, or how to collaborate, visit their website.