For Wanda Swarr, whose professional educational background includes decades of evaluating homeschoolers, competing with technology to educate youths had become a formidable obstacle. "I could no longer be as entertaining as video games, social media," recalled Swarr.
The solution was to combine learning with hands-on experiences in the great outdoors in a micro-hybrid educational alternative setting. Swarr started with a steering committee of local parents in early 2019, and she opened the doors of Pathways School in late summer.
Pathways is located on two campuses. Senior students study at Brubaker Homestead in East Earl and third-through eighth-grade students at Red Run Mennonite Church in Denver. The school offers language, science, math, and history at all grade levels. The 75 students attend in a two-week cycle that has them at school for three days one week and four the next. In between, they do lessons at home. Each school day, mornings focus on math, devotions, and language arts, and afternoons are devoted to history and science, much of which is hands-on and student-directed. Swarr noted that high school students have an opportunity to complete an independent project on a chosen interest. "It can be experiential, experimental, entrepreneurial, or exploratory," said Swarr. One student has restored a Jeep, another trained a therapy dog, and a third started her own business.
"We have two focuses outside of our Christ-centered education," said Swarr, noting that these are environmental stewardship and living history. "Our first job was to take care of God's creation," she stated, pointing out that middle-school science teachers have posed questions about the educational and ethical functions of zoos and then allowed children to research the answers. "(Students) had to design a zoo that would be educational and ethical and exhibit four different habitats," said Swarr.
An emphasis on living history could be witnessed at the lower-level campus, where middle-school teacher Susan Shirk explained that students practiced for an Olympics event based on a social studies unit on ancient civilizations. Chariot races using wheelbarrows and shotput and discus competitions were held to see which students would be the best representatives. At the secondary level, history teacher Rachael Graves works hard to make history come alive by focusing on big picture themes and motives. Students are required to demonstrate early American life skills at Heritage Day in the fall. They also take part in the Lancaster County Long Rifles Rendezvous held at Muddy Run Park, where they live as if it were the early 1800s for several days. "They are in Colonial garb, and there is no running water, no phones, no electricity. They cook over an open fire. They live history," said Swarr.
Looking ahead, Swarr sees the school as helping students to determine God's calling for their lives. "We want to prepare our children for whatever path God has for them," she said. Readers who would like to know more may visit http://www.learningatpathways.org. For answers to specific questions, individuals may email info@learningpathways.org or call 717-715-9953.
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