PEP scholarship benefits students 'whose needs don’t fit inside the one-size-fits-all system'

Lily Wheeler loves project-based learning, and she loves to draw. She loves phonics lessons that combine the two. Draw a letter and draw an object that matches the letter.

One lesson from this past school year stands out to her mother, Erica. Lily, a kindergartener, couldn’t stop looking out the window, and she wouldn’t stop asking questions.

What is the sky?

What is space?

How was the Earth formed?

So, Erica pivoted. A phonics lesson morphed into an exploration of the solar system.

“While making a planet mobile, we read about each planet. We talked about how all the planets were formed and wrote down the names of each planet and how far away they are from the sun,” Erica said. “We did phonics, writing, math, and science. We worked on all these subjects in this one project about space.”

Moments like this, where Lily shows an interest in a topic, and Erica runs with it, are why her parents chose home education for their daughter, and why Erica is grateful for the Florida educational choice scholarship that makes it possible.

Lily, the youngest of Erica’s and Courtenay’s two children, receives the Personal Education Program (PEP) that comes with the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (FTC), managed by Step Up For Students.

PEP is for students who are not enrolled full-time in a public or private school. It enables parents to customize their children’s education by allowing them to spend their scholarship funds on various approved, education-related expenses.

Erica and Courtenay own a robotics company and are direct providers to PEP families. This gives Erica a view of the scholarship from both ends – parent and educator.

“The biggest barrier for families to be able to access such amazing (home education) programming is finances,” she said. “Families want to give their kids the best. They want to give them the best education and really cool educational experiences, and all of that comes at a cost. There’s a cost for businesses to run such great programming and create amazing and unique learning environments.

“The scholarships, I think, help to break down those barriers for families to be able to access things that they otherwise wouldn't be able to give their kids.”

To Erica, PEP funds many things: opportunity, joy, confidence, growth, freedom, and hope.

“It’s for kids whose needs don’t fit inside the one-size-fits-all system,” she said.

For the Wheelers, that includes the opportunity for Lily to attend Free Kids Academy in Hastings, a half-hour drive south from their home in St. Augustine.

Free Kids Academy is a K-8 microschool with student-directed learning that emphasizes nature and entrepreneurship.

“It's just been amazing,” Erica said. “We love the school so much, and because of the PEP scholarship, we're able to have her in the part-time school environment, and then also have our home school the rest of the time.”

Lily attends Free Kids Academy twice a week. She has been known to cry on days when she doesn’t attend.

“She loves it so much,” Erica said. “She is always excited to go to school.”

Lily spends her time there immersed in phonics, language arts, reading, mathematics, social studies, geography, and history. Students at Free Kids Academy can also participate in the Wheelers’ robotics classes.

“They tick all the boxes when it comes to educational learning, but the way that it's delivered is a lot more fun and engaging,” Erica said. “Learning is hands-on where they're doing a lot of project-based learning. They also incorporate a lot of outdoor activities and life skills in a way that the kids are thriving and actually want to be at school.”

Liam, the Wheelers’ oldest son, is a middle-schooler who attends an online charter school. It’s an educational setting that works well for him, just as Lily flourished during her first year with home education.

“When my daughter came of school age, I just felt like a more hands-on environment was better in her kindergarten,” Erica said.

And that will continue for Lily now that she has the PEP scholarship to cover tuition at Free Kids Academy, and Erica has the freedom to structure and adjust the day’s learning to meet the needs and interests of her daughter.

“It's so important for kids to be excited about learning and not feel like it's an obligation,” Erica said. “You're creating lifelong learners who are curious, who find things interesting and who want to ask questions. They learn how to ask meaningful questions, explore their curiosity, find reliable answers, and confidently navigate the learning process, equipping them to pursue both their passions and the knowledge they need throughout life.

“That’s what really makes it amazing. You adjust to the way the child learns and what their interests are, and you’re able to structure it so that they're engaged and enjoy what they're learning. They are able to retain what they're learning when they are having fun, feeling relaxed, and really interested in the material.”

Roger Mooney, manager, communications, can be reached at [email protected].