Earthwise was started by a collective of parents that wanted an alternative to the standard schooling available in Samara. While academics are important, we wanted our children to grow up with strong roots — knowing themselves, living their values, feeling connected to nature, and learning how to relate to others with kindness and confidence.
Instead of simply accepting that this option wasn’t available in a way that felt aligned, we decided to lean into the community that makes this place so special — and create it ourselves.
Our vision is for Earthwise to be an established alternative for families in Sámara who want to homeschool or choose a different path, without having to do it all alone. We offer structure, a dedicated teacher, and a group of children learning side by side — with room for curiosity, creativity, and an intentional rhythm to the day.
This is a small place, on purpose, and parents are an integral part of the collective — supporting the learning environment, contributing their gifts, and helping shape the vision together.
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Learning as a Living Thing
We follow the thread of real curiosity — the moment something catches a child’s attention and they want to stay with it. Less filling in blanks, more noticing, questioning, and making sense of the world in their own way.
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The Essentials, Done Well
Literacy and maths aren’t a separate “school mode” — they’re part of the daily rhythm. We build strong skills consistently, then use them in stories, projects, practical life, and play.
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Honouring the Slow Life
We trade rush for rhythm. Calm days help children settle, focus, and go deeper — with time to think, to move, to try again, and to let learning unfold without pressure.
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Growing Good Humans
Kindness, courage, boundaries, and making things right are practised every day. We learn how to be with ourselves and with others — not as an extra, but as part of learning well.
Chelsea brings a playful, grounded presence to her work with children, supported by many years of teaching experience. She began teaching in kindergarten, and has since worked across primary and up to secondary levels in a variety of schools in Canada.
Through her teaching journey, Chelsea has become especially passionate about creating learning spaces that support secure attachment and emotional safety. She believes children learn best when they feel seen, respected, and consistently held — with clear rhythm, kind boundaries, and a structured day.
Within that structure, she makes plenty of room for curiosity and wonder (often through hands-on learning, science experiments, and getting their hands dirty).
With a background in holistic wellbeing and years of experience guiding others through personal growth and healthy habits, Chelsea naturally weaves emotional intelligence, mindful routines, and confidence-building into the learning environment. She helps children develop strong foundations while also learning how to navigate feelings, relate to others with care, and stay connected to themselves.
Parent Days are a core part of Earthwise Collective for two reasons: they keep the pod financially accessible, and they make it feel like a real village.
Traditional schooling has quietly moved parents to the sidelines — learning happens “over there,” led by professionals, while families watch from a distance and try to catch up at home. We understand why that model exists, but we don’t think it’s the only way.
At Earthwise, we believe children thrive when the adults closest to them stay close — when school feels less like a service you’re dropped into and more like a small village you belong to.
By rotating two days a week between families, we keep costs down without compromising the quality of the teacher-led days. But it’s not just about affordability — Parent Days bring the community to life. Children learn from the adults around them in a real way: a parent might share yoga, gardening, cooking, music, art, building, dance, or outdoor skills. It shows the children that learning isn’t only something that happens at a desk — it’s part of life, and everyone has their unique gifts to offer.
Parent Days follow a shared schedule, so the rhythm stays consistent for the children, and doesn’t put too much pressure on the parents.
Time commitment (example): with 5 families and 2 parent-led days/week, each family leads about 1–2 days per month (roughly one day every 2–3 weeks).
Earthwise is community-built, and we’d love to connect.
Whether you’re a family looking for alternative schooling in Sámara and feel aligned with our mission, or someone in the community who’d love to support — by sharing a skill, contributing a resource, or simply being part of what we’re building — please reach out.
Send us a message and tell us a little about you and what brings you here. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.