In most areas of life, when something isn’t working, we look for a better option. In K–12 education, though, children are assigned to public schools based on where they live—and if that school isn’t a good fit, the child is generally seen as the problem. School choice is changing that by expanding access to alternative learning environments. But educational freedom changes lives only if parents and teachers know what options exist, which is why Cato’s Friday Feature highlights the schools, policies, and organizations bringing those choices within reach.
When Talon and Travis Holleman moved from the Baltimore area to Delaware, they were looking for a fresh start for their family. They’d both been working in corporate roles—Talon as a registered nurse and Travis as a banker—and were expecting their second child. They began to ponder their family’s future: “What do we want to do with our lives? How can we spend more time with our kids? And what do we really find value in?”
As part of this journey, they started to think about education. Talon had excelled academically but realized she hadn’t retained much of what she’d learned. Travis, meanwhile, had struggled in school despite being intelligent and capable. When their children faced learning challenges, the couple decided to try homeschooling.
They initially planned to homeschool for just two years before transitioning their children into public school, but they discovered they loved homeschooling. After purchasing a small homestead in Georgetown, Delaware, the family began learning about gardening, raising animals, and sustainable living. “We learned alongside our own children,” Talon recalls. “We had no idea what we were doing. We didn’t grow up in this. We learned alongside YouTube videos, books, podcasts, you name it, mentors.”
They shared their experiences online, and other families wanted to participate. Talon and Travis launched ROOTS Farm & Forest School as a weekly after-school homesteading program that was nature-based and included activities such as canning, making lotion, gardening, and learning about native plants. “Anything kind of in that farm forest realm,” Talon says.
Although they intended to cap it at 10 families, they welcomed 35 families for the first 12-week session and quickly added another session. Soon 85 families were participating. They added birthday parties, summer camps, and then one- and two-day homeschool enrichment classes. “Over the last two years, we’ve added our full four-day microschools” and expanded to other locations, Talon explains. “So it’s blossomed.”
Today, ROOTS operates four campuses across Delaware’s three counties, serving approximately 225 families each week through its programs. Current programs include preschool, homeschool enrichment, summer camps, and four-day elementary and middle school microschools. Approximately 72 students participate in the full-school programs.
The flagship Georgetown campus on the Holleman’s family homestead occupies two and a half acres, with gardens, farm animals, forest areas, and outdoor classrooms. Additional campuses operate in Milton, Clayton, and Townsend. The four-day microschools meet Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
ROOTS students learn in mixed-age groups, with a student-to-guide ratio of approximately six-to-one. Although the setting is unconventional, academics are central to the program. ROOTS uses a standards-aligned academic continuum that allows students to progress according to their individual abilities rather than traditional grade levels.
A typical day in the elementary microschool begins with a morning gathering, classroom chores, and individual goal setting. Academic time includes math and writing activities tailored to each child’s abilities and interests, with guides providing individualized or small-group instruction. Students might demonstrate mathematical understanding by measuring garden beds, grouping natural objects, or following recipes. “We want to see it in more of a practical lens, a real-world lens, so that we know that they can understand the why behind it and when they’re going to use it in their actual life versus contextualize on a worksheet,” Talon explains.
After lunch and free play—which might involve climbing trees, building forts, playing sports, or visiting farm animals—students participate in read-alouds and independent reading. Afternoons focus on hands-on ecosystem-based projects that incorporate science, history, and social studies. The day concludes with cleanup and reflection on the goals students set that morning.
The middle school follows a similar daily rhythm but puts greater emphasis on independence, collaboration, and longer-term projects. Students work on individualized academic goals in the morning, while afternoons provide opportunities to explore their interests through ambitious, student-directed activities.
Recently, middle schoolers participated in a Shark Tank-style exercise in which they pitched projects, including a mushroom farm, an art studio, an outdoor kitchen, and a trail featuring various architectural shelters. Students developed written proposals, created blueprints, researched materials, and prepared budgets before beginning construction. “We’re teaching the whole project cycle,” Talon explains. The experience integrates academics with entrepreneurship, problem-solving, teamwork, and practical life skills, giving students ownership of their learning.
ROOTS also provides free workshops through local libraries and works with public schools, extending its educational approach beyond tuition-paying families. Looking ahead, Talon and Travis hope to add a high school program and help other education entrepreneurs establish similar learning environments.
For aspiring founders, “let it grow organically” is Travis’ advice. “We could move a little bit faster,” he says. “We have grand ideas and plans and visions—like things that we’ve dreamed up and want to implement.” But sometimes they pull back because they realize something isn’t sustainable. The ones who will suffer in that situation, he adds, are the children.
For her part, Talon emphasizes the importance of staying focused on their purpose. “Always coming back to your why would be my biggest thing because stuff’s going to get hard a lot, especially as founders,” she says. “Keep coming back to your why and also making sure you’re staying on your mission and living up to that, specifically because that’s what’s going to keep you going when things get tough.”
