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Contributors Question Who was the teacher who made the biggest impact on you and why? Issue 55 | Keep Learning, Keep Living September/October 2026 Publisher Editor Associate Publisher

Victoria Wise Lee Virden Geurkink Jennifer Kieta

Contributing Writers Buck Elliott

Tabetha

Danette

Lee

Tabetha Weeks

My favorite teacher was actually a principal, Mr. Peoples. I was a bit of a wild child, but when I went to live with my aunt, I tried really hard to turn things around. Mr. Peoples believed in me and supported me. It meant everything, and I still remember his kindness.

Mrs. Humphries was my eighth-grade English teacher. When I tried dropping her class, she told me I was smart, that I was underestimating my abilities, and that I belonged in her class. She is probably why I was a middle school English teacher before I became a photographer.

How long do you have? I was extraordinarily fortunate to have many wonderful teachers, from pre-kindergarten through university. Narrowing it down to only one seems like an insult to the rest.

Victoria

Trish

Buck

Dr. John Freeman, a professor at TCU, stands out to me. While I think I was a pretty average student, Dr. Freeman and Dr. David Whillock and believed in me. They gave me responsibilities and accolades that no other teacher had given me. It helped me believe in myself.

Richard Shaffer was one of my painting instructors. His work was very different than mine, but we spoke each other’s language, ArtSpeak!

Natalie (Dixon) Drake was my high school theatre director and trusted me with roles she probably shouldn't have, but that instilled in me the confidence that I could accomplish anything with hard work and humor. Rumor has it, she still lives on the shores of Lake Lewisville, keeping a Moët et Chandon in her pretty cabinet.

Illustrator Trish Wise

Photographer Danette Adelson

Lead Design Conor Dardis

Cover Design Victoria Wise

Madeworthy Magazine is an extension of Tanglewood Moms, LLC., and serves to tell community stories for a family audience. For website and magazine advertising opportunities, please contact: Victoria@MadeworthyMedia.com Looking for more copies of Madeworthy Magazine? You can subscribe at TanglewoodMoms.com for free or pick up copies at Central Market in Fort Worth.

A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR by Lee Virden Geurkink I'm going to say something that could shock you. If you're not sitting down, you might want to do so before reading the next paragraph. Madeworthy is not a magazine dedicated to hard-hitting journalism. Madeworthy is dedicated to telling interesting stories about interesting people and organizations in our city. It is dedicated to introducing our readers to stories from all parts of Fort Worth, and it is dedicated to making you smile as we do so. Now that you’ve recovered that shocking declaration, read on. From the beginning of Madeworthy, we included an education issue in our publishing rotation. We would ask for nominations for Fort Worth’s favorite teachers and celebrate their accomplishments. We would shine a light on people and programs that helped educate Fort Worthians, whether in a traditional or nontraditional setting. That said, I will admit that pulling together an education issue isn’t easy. The timing is tricky. Logic would say that fall is the perfect time for an education issue because school’s

back, and everyone’s back in the learning groove, while schools would prefer a late winter or early spring issue because that’s when parents are choosing schools for the next school year. Additionally, teachers and administrators are busy with, quite frankly, far more important things than sitting for an interview. You know, like teaching. So, a couple of years ago, we decided to take a break from doing an education issue. But we missed it. Last year, when Victoria and I were coming up with the themes for this year’s issues, we decided we really should do an education issue again. The stories are wonderful. The issue is so celebratory, and we love celebrating. Of course, we decided on this year’s themes before the Texas Education Agency announced that they were taking over the administration of the Fort Worth Independent School District. Well. Once the takeover was announced, Victoria and I had a panicky conversation followed by several more panicky texts. In the end, we decided to go ahead with the issue (which you now hold in your hands) because there is still so much to celebrate about Fort Worth education. In this issue, you will read about three alternative schools that take a very different approach to learning. You will read about a young man who uses

his knowledge and love of sports and his presence on social media to do what all good teachers do – engage and enlighten. You will read about preschools that work hard to instill in their students a love of learning that will last a lifetime. And you will read about teachers. We asked the members of the Tanglewood Moms Facebook group to nominate their favorite teachers, and as always, the members delivered. These teachers go beyond lesson plans and tests. They are passionate about learning and passionate about their students. They don't go home when the final bell rings; rather, they go to sporting events and plays, concerts and competitions. They sponsor clubs, and they open their rooms to all students, not just the ones on their attendance sheets. I’m going to close with something that I wrote for our very first education issue, all the way back in 2018. I can’t say it any better than I did then. “Teachers, whether they teach preschool or graduate school, have to be a psychologist, a politician, a parent, and a cheerleader. They often have to use their own money out of their woefully inadequate salaries to supplement the supplies that are provided to them by the school. They have to deal with often-contradictory

requirements and Byzantine regulations and qualifications from state and national agencies. Public school teachers have to deal with overcrowded classrooms of children of all abilities. They have to pacify irate parents and navigate administrators who may have lost touch with the classroom... “Why, then, would someone be crazy enough to teach? Teachers do not teach for the money or the fame or the adulation. They teach for the love of imparting knowledge and of expanding a child’s worldview… “We hope this issue of Madeworthy, in addition to being a valuable resource for parents, will convey our thanks to the educators of Fort Worth. We do not say thank you enough. So, thank you. Thank you for inspiring and challenging and engaging and loving our children (and us), despite the odds that are most definitely stacked against you. Thank you for being a teacher. You have our everlasting admiration.”

September/October 2026 Sept 3-5 Preservation Is the Art of the City historicfortworth.org/PAC

Sept 19 Mariposa Market facebook.com/ wanderingrootsmarkets

Sept 4 kNOwBOX Dance Film Festival: Preview themodern.org Sept 4 Buddy’s Big Band southsidepreservation.com Sept 5 Brandi Carlisle: The Human Tour dickiesarena.com

Sept 5-6 Panther City Expo: Gem, Mineral, Glass, and Jewelry rockandmineralshows.com Sept 6 TCU Women’s Soccer vs UT Longhorns gofrogs.com Sept 11-14 Cowgirl Fall Roundup cowgirl.net

Sept 20 Terrarium Workshop with Terra Botanical Studio conundrumfarms.com

Sept 11-27 Soul Notes from the Velvet Elk hippocket.org Sept 12-20 Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations casamanana.org Sept 12 Educator Day in the Cultural District humanitix.com Sept 12 Homage to Great Artists cmsfw.org Sept 12 Trinity River Book Festival trinityriverbookfest.com Sept 12 TCU Frogs Football Home Opener gofrogs.com Sept 17 Meet Up at the Museum: Historic Moments cartermuseum.org Sept 17-20 40th Annual Grapefest grapevinetexasusa.com Sept 18-20 Anime Fest at the Modern 2026 themodern.org Sept 19 Mystery at the Museum fwmuseum.org

Oct 9 through Nov 1 Mega Python vs Gatoroid (The Musical) hippocket.org Oct 10 Trick or Trot cowgirl.net Oct 14 From the Heart of Istanbul: Cooking with Özlem Warren centralmarket.com

Sept 20 through Nov 7 Pumpkin Fall Days mainstayfarm.com

Oct 14 through Nov 1 Ajax amphibianstage.com

Sept 20 GOLDEN: A K-Pop Kids Party! tulipsftw.com Sept 24 The Vietnamese Kitchen centralmarket.com Sept 25 Happy Hour: Allegro Guitar Ensemble kimbellart.org

Sept 26 FWO Family Series: The Ugly Duckling fwopera.org Sept 26 & 27 Romeo & Juliet balletfrontier.org

Sept 27 Tiny Wings fwnaturecenter.org Oct 1-25 Ain’t Misbehavin’ circletheatre.org Oct 2-4 Casanova texasballettheatre.org

Oct 16 TCU Women’s Volleyball vs Texas Tech gofrogs.com Oct 16 through Nov 2 Ride the Cyclone stagewest.org Oct 17 Carter Playdate: Special Symbols cartermuseum.org Oct 20 Mariachi Herencia de México: Día de Muertos basshall.com Oct 21 The Jungle Giants tulipsftw.com

Oct 22-24 Chemistry Week fwmuseum.org Oct 23 SiNaCa Studios Fall Market & Pumpkin Patch sinacastudios.org

Oct 2-18 Rapunzel! Rapunzel! A Very Hairy Fairy Tale casamanana.org

Oct 23-24 Red Steagall Cowboy Gathering 2026 redsteagall cowboygathering.com

Oct 2-25 I’ll Be Damned If… jubileetheatre.org

Oct 23-25 Boo at the Zoo fortworthzoo.org

Oct 6 through Nov 1 Thank God I’m a Country Boy: The Music of John Denver casamanana.org

Oct 24 ArtsGoggle artsgoggle.org

Oct 7-11 Christmas in Cowtown Holiday Gift Market eventbrite.libcal.com Oct 8 In the Moment at the Modern themodern.org

Sept 19 Deaf Day at the Zoo fortworthzoo.org Sept 19-20 Bluey’s Big Play basshall.com

Oct 9 John Mulaney: Mister Whatever dickiesarena.com

Sept 20 It’s Goin’ Down! Arena Farewell facebook.com/ fortworthconventioncenter

Sept 25 “Weird Al” Yankovic: Bigger & Weirder 2026 dickiesarena.com Sept 11 Texas German Heritage Dinner centralmarket.com

Carter: Sips & Spirits cartermuseum.org

Oct 24 Hoot ‘n Holler facebook.com/ achchildandfamily Oct 24 Lake Worth Monster Bash fwnaturecenter.org Oct 29 Morrissey: Live in Concert dickiesarena.com Oct 31 Ick or Treat fwmuseum.org

Oct 8 Second Thursdays at the

Oct 31 Treat Street Spooktacular Halloween Festival fortworthstockyards.org

Fresh Family Recipes Fresh Family Recipes has been a Madeworthy feature since our third issue. We love working with local chefs to bring their recipes to you. For our education issue, we realized that two of our Madeworthy friends are teachers (once a teacher, always a teacher!). Katrina Carpenter, owner of Carpenter's Catering, taught at Dunbar before taking a leap of faith and opening her own café and catering company. Stay tuned for an exciting update from Katrina in future issues of Madeworthy . Hao Tran, in addition to owning Hao's Grocery, teaching classes at Conundrum Farms, and opening her dream restaurant, Duong DeVille, later this year, also teaches culinary arts at Trimble Tech (and obviously doesn't sleep).

Katrina’s Famous Broccoli Salad This is a great make-ahead recipe, perfect for school lunchboxes. It's light, healthy, and delicious.

Ingredients

For the salad 6 cups fresh broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces 8 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled, or 2/4 cup bacon bits ¾ cup Craisins ½ cup red onion, finely diced ½ cup grated carrots Optional: ½ cup chopped pecans (adds flavor and texture) For the dressing 2 cups mayonnaise ¼ cup granulated sugar 2 ½ tablespoons lemon juice ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper ¼ tablespoon celery seeds

Directions

For the dressing Whisk the mayonnaise, sugar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and celery seeds together in a bowl until the dressing is smooth and the sugar and salt are dissolved. Set aside. For the salad In a large bowl, combine the broccoli, Craisins, red onion, carrots, and pecans. Pour the dressing over everything and toss until the ingredients are evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate the salad for at least 1 hour, although the longer it sits, the better it gets. Before serving, stir most of the bacon into the salad. (If you add the bacon with the rest of the ingredients, it gets soggy.) Sprinkle the remaining bacon over the top of the salad. Serves 8 to 10 as a side and lasts for up to four days in the refrigerator.

Khao Soi (Coconut Curry Egg Noodle Soup) Hao Tran’s khao soi is a delicious school night dinner, and it’s great as leftovers for lunch the following day.

Ingredients

1 6-ounce package chow mein stir-fry noodles 1 13.5-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk ¾ cup jarred roasted red peppers, drained 1 ½ tablespoons canola oil 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 2 shallots, peeled and diced 3 tablespoons red curry paste 1 ½ tablespoons freshly grated ginger 2 teaspoons chili powder 3 cups chicken stock 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs 1 tablespoon fish sauce 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce 2 teaspoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice To top the soup: ½ small red onion, thinly sliced ½ cup bean sprouts ½ cup cilantro leaves 1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions

Cook the noodles according to the package directions, drain, and set aside. Combine the coconut milk and the roasted peppers in a blender until smooth, and set aside. In a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat, heat the canola oil. Add the garlic and shallots and cook, stirring almost constantly, until tender, about 3 or 4 minutes. Stir in the red curry paste, ginger, and chili powder, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the chicken stock and coconut-pepper mixture, being sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the chicken, fish sauce, and brown sugar to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally until the liquid is slightly reduced and the chicken is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the broth and shred using two forks. Return the chicken to the soup and stir in the lime juice. To serve, place the noodles into individual bowls and pour the soup over them. Garnish with the red onion, bean sprouts, cilantro, and lime wedges. Serves 4 to 6 and keeps in the refrigerator for two days.

"ree Flavor Old-Fashioned Pound Cake Pound cake is, to my mind, better for breakfast the day after, and you will not ever change my mind. Toast it, top it with some berries, and you’ve got the perfect school morning breakfast.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour 3 cups granulated sugar 1 cup butter, softened ½ cup shortening 5 large eggs 1 cup sour cream 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon almond extract 1 teaspoon lemon extract ½ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon baking powder

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325°. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan or tube pan. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream the butter, shortening, and sugar together until light and fluffy. It can take up to 7 minutes to achieve the perfect, fluffy texture. While the butter, shortening, and sugar are being creamed together, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder in a dry bowl and whisk to ensure everything is incorporated.

Once the butter, shortening, and sugar are light and fluffy, add the eggs one at a time, making sure to mix well after each addition. Start to gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating between the flour mixture and the sour cream. Begin and end the alternating process with the dry ingredients. After everything is incorporated, gently stir the vanilla, almond, and lemon extracts in to infuse the cake with Katrina’s signature soulful flavors. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, taking care to smooth the top. Bake for 60 minutes, or until a knife, skewer, or straw inserted into the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before turning the cake out of the pan. Serve with ice cream, fresh berries, lemon urd, or anything sweet your heart desires.

By Lee Virden Geurkink Illustrations by Trish Wise

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Made in Fort Worth: Flatline Robotics by Madeworthy editorial team Courtesy Photos

Education doesn't always take place in schools. Following your passions and doing deep dives into subjects that interest you can spark lifelong learning. Flatline Robotics describes itself as a “hands-on STEM workshop offering robotics and 3D-printing classes for curious makers of all ages.” Founder Josh Masseo wanted to create a space where people learn more than coding. They build real robots using real parts that can be taken apart and reconfigured. Josh recently took the time to sit down and answer Madeworthy’s questions. Madeworthy: What inspired you to start Flatline Robotics? Josh Masseo: In 2021, I had the opportunity to join the Battle Bots team, DragonSlayer, and I witnessed how the sport involved whole families working together on a technical challenge. This inspired me to start my own combat robotics business aimed at getting local kids more involved with STEM.

During our Robot Rumble events over the years, we have continually received inquiries from parents about robotics classes and camps - so we created our own! We still offer private Robot Rumble events, but now we have a brick-and-mortar workshop/classroom and are hosting STEM workshops for ages 9 through 99. MW: Why do you think robotics is becoming such an important part of education today? JM: Robot technology is becoming mainstream; like it or not, the “clankers” are now a part of our daily lives. As such, technology is shifting the labor market - not only in replacing human labor [in traditional jobs], but also in creating a need for the manufacturing, sale, and repair of the robots. A well-rounded education now needs to include a basic understanding of robotics. MW: Many people assume robotics courses are only for future engineers. What would you say to them? JM: [Robots are part of the] future for all people. The creation, distribution, and maintenance of these machines will require skills across many disciplines. So, even

if you are a sales professional or a designer, it would behoove you to be familiar with the field. MW: What do students gain from building a robot that they can't get from reading a textbook? JM: Experiential learning builds confidence (and manual dexterity!) as you get to actually build the thing with your own two hands and have the experience of troubleshooting when things inevitably go wrong. A textbook can teach you the way things are supposed to go, but only by actually building it can you truly learn the ins and outs of how things physically come together. Kinesthetic learning has well-documented benefits for brain development, and in our classes, you also have an experienced in-person guide to help you through the process. MW:Failure is part of engineering, as it is a part of all science. How do you help students embrace mistakes? JM: By making mistakes ourselves! Going back to the benefits of hands-on learning we discussed earlier, when our students are actually connecting wires and running source code, there are lots

of opportunities for things to go wrong and for the students to learn from the experience. There is great joy in finally getting something to work after a failure. Our workshops hold space for making and correcting mistakes. Sometimes you just gotta take it apart and put it back together again. One of our favorite sayings around the shop is: “Have you turned it off and on again?” MW: What excites you most about the future of STEM education? JM: We now have machines that can quickly give you answers to most anything you can ask at the push of a button; real experience that kids can get in workshops like ours is crucial and cannot be copy-and-pasted. I am excited to see a trend of STEMrelated education classes being offered across the country, and I am honored to provide this service in my hometown. MW: Tell us about your classes and how to sign up for them. JM: Our current offerings include "My First Robot" and "Introduction To 3D Printing" with plans to add more classes and private tutoring in the future. You can find our current offerings and sign up for classes at https://flatlinerobotics.com. MW: What's one lesson you hope every student takes away after taking a class at Flatline Robotics? JM: You can do hard things!

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Talking and Teaching Sports, One Post at a Time

by Buck Elliott photos by D Adelson Photography

Education wasn’t always such a flashpoint issue. Children went to all levels of school, consumed the knowledge of an instructor, some things stuck, and some didn’t. Now Gen X and Millennials are parents of those participating in and graduating from the US educational system, in all its varied forms, and life is a bit different than when we older generations were in school. More than a bit, actually, especially when it comes to students’ aspirations, influences, and mediums. It’s common now for kindergarten graduates to include “YouTuber” or “Influencer” in their “What I Want to Grow up to Be” section as they shuffle in their tiny robes across the stage of their schools’ cafetoriums. While our inner curmudgeons may scoff and say, “That’s not a real job,” being an influencer is a very real

job now. Teachers regularly take to social media to share tutoring, specialized subject matter for broader consumption, or simply to express their creativity in ways that might not be allowed in a traditional classroom setting. To cement influencing as a real profession, Arizona State University now offers a Bachelor of Arts in Content Creation through their Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Additionally, as those who are parents of teenagers can attest, your student’s peers will become equally if not more important to children’s learning than their classroom instructors or guardians, if they haven’t already, and this is what made my interview with social media sports content creator Alex Parsons both impactful and relevant.

engaging. Too much information at once is a recipe for disaster and is almost guaranteed to lose your student audience unless it’s already in their realm of interest. Alex manages his “classroom” by engaging with posters in the comments and moderating interactions among followers, so his posts stay light and respectful and his channel is a place where people feel safe expressing differences of opinion constructively.

Alex, a recent graduate from Fort Worth Country Day School, aspires to be a filmmaker and pursue a career in media. Searching for his social media handle @APTalksSports will return a headshot of a handsome, dark-haired young man with his hand formed in the well-known Frog symbol of Texas Christian University (TCU). His following on his social media accounts is modest compared to social media superstars: 7,800 on TikTok and YouTube, respectively, and approximately 4,000 on Instagram. Mind you, for a channel that started with a rising high school junior filming videos in his bedroom roughly two years ago, the growth is quite impressive. Alex’s earliest sports memory is an iconic one for most Fort Worthians, although he wasn’t quite three years old at the time. He remembers watching TCU’s victory over Wisconsin in the 2011 Rose Bowl – a game his father attended. Ever since that historic game, sports have been something he watches, talks about, and uses to connect with people. While the usual sports talk show elements of commentary and analysis are something he’s consumed for years, his channel was born of a desire to produce content he'd want to consume. “It didn’t always need to be louder,” Alex said of the mainstream sports networks’ shows and opinions. His personal presentation style is measured and humorous, leaving subscribers and viewers with an easy takeaway and jumping-off point into one area of sport, usually giving a quick opinion or sometimes performing a skit that anyone from teenagers to octogenarians can relate to and enjoy. The subjects and sports he covers are relevant and timely but not breaking news. Alex admitted that chasing the most up-to-date happenings has interested him, but he realized he was ultimately fighting a losing battle against large media corporations with multi-million-dollar budgets. His niche, as he's refined it, is offering a unique opinion in an easy-to-consume format that even people without extensive knowledge of the subject can take into their day, discuss with their family or peers, or delve deeper into if it’s an area of interest. @APTalksSports covers everything from the typical, largefollowing team pageantry of college football and the NBA to professional fighting, golf, and most recently, the World Cup. Alex doesn't view himself as an educator per se, though he exhibits many hallmarks of effective pedagogy, sometimes without realizing it. Lessons should be – and many teachers strive for them to be – educational and

“I didn’t want a negative following, because you’re going to be wrong about things sometimes, and I’ve seen many creators be completely turned on by subscribers just ready to pounce at the first sign of something like that.” This is another facet of his personality that makes Alex seem much wiser than his 19 years – his vulnerability, an increasingly rare quality in these very loud days, as well as his ability to take criticism in stride and acknowledge that he'll be wrong sometimes. He knows it’s all just part of the work of getting better and building something lasting.

compromise between perfectionism and productivity is essential for everyone, regardless of their goal or industry. Alex is constantly learning about social media, taking advantage of the wealth of information on how to be an influencer, be it suggestions from platforms on the best times to post for engagement or learning new editing software to create an aesthetic and flow that reflect his channel's personality. He works hard to perfect his craft to both grow his channel and lead into the next phase of his life. His commitment to creating better posts for his outlets is admirable, and his output is somewhat staggering for the relatively short lifespan of the channels. A casual Instagram search currently shows he has created more than 900 posts. He jokingly said that he shouldn't be judged by his early endeavors, but that he would rather show progression and a steadfast desire to deliver a better product to his audience.

“”

Alex sees himself as a storyteller – as most great teachers do – and as a filmmaker who really enjoys sports. Great teachers aren’t always experts in their subjects but specialize in connection with students. In an effort to connect with his followers, Alex undertook a most ambitious challenge: drawing and coloring a small baseball-type card for each one of his new subscribers, which he hung on his bedroom wall. It was, to say the least, an audacious task that he admitted started to dominate his life. He begrudgingly abandoned the cards because finals and Advanced Placement testing season demanded he must. Still, as with many good things, the effort should be recognized as much as the end product. The channel should be required viewing for neophyte content producers because Alex works hard on it. He estimated spending between three and five hours per day on shooting, writing, or editing to post four or five times per week, as well as creating quick social media stories. He probably spends more time creating for his small sports accounts than most people do on their hobbies, but it’s real. He remembered thinking that as his editing and producing skills improved, he would spend fewer hours creating his posts, but instead, the same amount of time now produces cleaner content, something he’s immensely proud of. “The work doesn’t get easier; you just get better at it.” As Alex’s channel has grown, so has his perspective on the balance between creating a perfect product and publishing enough content to keep his followers engaged and commenting. Alex acknowledged that quality versus quantity can be a tough trade-off, describing posts that had taken him hours of production time that he was extremely proud of but flopped in terms of viewer numbers. “It’s more important to be consistent than to have an absolutely perfect product” is a valuable lesson for both students and those in the workforce alike. A

Despite his love of TCU, Austin will be Alex’s new home for the next several years as he majors in Radio-TelevisionFilm at the University of Texas (UT). While he says he’ll always be a TCU fan, the possibility of working in production for UT athletics is exciting.

Alex sees himself as a storyteller – as most great teachers do – and as a filmmaker who really enjoys sports. Enrolling at UT represents what he felt was the best way to continue that passion. In addition to UT, Alex was accepted at both Texas A&M and New York University, though NYU’s offer wasn’t for film, so it wasn’t nearly as alluring as UT’s. He sees his professional future more as a producer than as an on-screen talent, though he clearly possesses the capacity for both, even though he spends the lion's share of his time working on the former in his bedroom. At a time when many people dismiss social media as a lot of sound and fury that ultimately signifies nothing, a young person is condensing information he’s passionate about into entertaining vignettes to entertain, spark curiosity, and express himself artistically. Because after all, teaching – at least when it’s done well – is an art. @APTalksSports serves as both a resource for a nonsporting demographic and a as useful example for people in our lives, or those we parent, who might have misconceptions about the tenacity and work ethic of the influencers and social media personalities we follow. Alex should also serve as a reminder that supporting our creative outlets can, and often will, lead to valuable personal growth, and maybe even grow into something else tremendously worthwhile. So, if you need something to discuss with that coworker who always seems to have opinions-with-a-capital-O about sports, or you’re searching for an icebreaker when you’re in the stands at your kids’ game pretending to know what’s going on, drop @APTalksSports a follow to begin taking your survey of sport with Alex. You will probably learn something, and you will definitely be entertained.

And fans of @APTalksSports will be happy to know that he has no plans to slow down on his personal channel. “@APTalksSports is always something that will exist,” said the aspiring filmmaker. He added that he’d be interested in trying out different formats, like interviews, podcasts, or long-form journalism that goes deeper into specific sports opinions he's very passionate about. While most sports commentators maintain an air of smug omniscience, Alex likes to find creators with a similar humility who are more specialized in their fields to learn as much as he can from them before passing that knowledge on to his followers. He said, “I’m decent at predicting fight outcomes,” when asked about prognostications. “But I’m famously bad at picking college football games, though I’ve been approached about sponsorship from betting sites.” He shuddered in a way that signaled that gambling advice or advertisement would be counter to the culture he’s worked hard to create and preserve. “I did convince my group to stay at the Alamo Bowl; that might go down as my best prediction ever," he said, smiling while recalling TCU's famous 31-7 halftime deficit against Oregon in the 2016 Alamo Bowl. The group of friends he traveled with was eager to walk back to their hotel to beat the room-service cutoff and order dessert, but he convinced them they should wait and watch some of the third quarter. Of course, this game will go down as one of the largest bowl comebacks of all time, so perhaps he’s not as bad at predictions as he claims.

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Start them off right! By Lee Virden Geurkink Preschools are still a hot topic, even now that school has started. Fortunately for Fort Worth parents, there are many great preschools in our community to choose from. Here are just a few of the wonderful options to help you narrow down your choices.

Mildred Haupt Preschool

Inside Arlington Heights UMC 4200 Camp Bowie Blvd Ages 12 months through prekindergarten Children need a happy, safe environment with caring teachers to learn, play, and explore. Mildred Haupt Preschool is that place. For decades, Mildred Haupt has been preparing their students for elementary school and beyond. The teachers are caring and patient, helping children feel comfortable as they learn new things, which, let's face it, can be scary at times. The school helps children develop important skills such as counting, recognizing letters, drawing, and communicating with others while allowing them to experiment and play. Every student leaves Mildred Haupt more than ready to tackle all that kindergarten has to offer. Most of all, the students at Mildred Haupt Preschool have fun while they’re learning. (Just don’t tell them they’re learning!)

Lena Pope Early Learning Centers 3200 Sanguinet Street and inside UNT Health Ages six weeks to five years

Lena Pope Early Learning Centers provide young children with a safe, caring, and fun place to learn and grow, while offering their families a supportive community, complete with extra resources and programs to support their child's wellbeing. With two locations in Fort Worth, Lena Pope focuses on helping children build strong academic, social, and emotional skills from an early age. The centers offer activities that encourage learning through play, creativity, and hands-on experiences. Teachers and staff help guide their students to become confident learners, ready for all future school experiences. The learning centers are more than just places for children to spend the day - they help lay a strong foundation for their future in elementary school and beyond.

Mi Casita

6002 Southwest Boulevard Ages three months to five years Mi Casita Preschool in Fort Worth is a fun and welcoming

place where little ones can learn, explore, and grow. The Spanish immersion preschool offers project-based learning to inspire students to learn through play. From fun classroom activities to creative play, kids have plenty of opportunities to explore their interests and make new friends. Teachers encourage curiosity, creativity, and confidence while helping children develop socially and academically. It’s a place where learning doesn't feel like work and where students enter kindergarten with a deep educational grounding and a love of culture and the Spanish language.

Trinity Episcopal School

3425 Bellaire Drive South Ages 18 months to five years Since 1952, Trinity Episcopal School has nurtured children to become lifelong learners and good human beings. Combining learning, community, and fun, the school gives students plenty of opportunities to grow both inside and outside the classroom. What makes Trinity special is its focus on building a strong community. Students are encouraged to be curious, confident, and kind as they learn to work with others. Teachers help make classes engaging and support students as they take on new challenges. Students enter kindergarten prepared and confident, ready to take on the world.

Kinderplatz of Fine Arts 2701 Riverglen Drive Ages 18 months through kindergarten

Kinderplatz at the Fine Arts School Let’s face it. Kids need to move. Kinderplatz of Fine Arts is a fun, creative place where young kids prepare for elementary school through the arts. It gives children a chance to express themselves through activities like music, movement, art, and other hands-on experiences. The program is designed to make learning exciting while helping kids build confidence, creativity, and social skills. What makes Kinderplatz special is its playful atmosphere – children can have fun while also learning new things and making friends. It’s a great introduction to the arts in a welcoming

environment, especially for kids who love to create, move, and try new activities.

First United Methodist Church Day School

800 West 5th Street Ages 3 months through prekindergarten First United Methodist Church (FUMC) Day School believes that learning, especially in preschool, should be fun. The school focuses on early childhood education while helping children build important social, emotional, and academic skills. Through age-appropriate activities, students are encouraged to play and be creative as they explore the world around them, becoming more confident learners. What makes FUMC Day School special is its focus on creating a warm, supportive community for both children and their families. Teachers work closely with students to help them feel comfortable, valued, and ready to learn each day, which creates happy, confident learners for life.

Lil Goldman Early Learning Center

4050 South Hulen Street Ages two months through prekindergarten Preschool should be a time of discovery and wonder. Lil Goldman Early Learning Center wholeheartedly agrees. Since 1952, it has offered Fort Worth’s little ones a place to learn, play, and grow socially and academically in a fun and supportive environment. Their students build important early skills such as creativity and curiosity with plenty of smiles along the way. From handson activities to opportunities for social interaction, kids get to explore the world around them while learning at their own pace. You can feel good knowing your little learners are spending their days in a place that values both education and childhood fun while laying the foundation for them to become lifelong learners.

Museum School at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History 1600 Gendy Street Ages three through six

Museum School at the Fort Worth Museum of Science

and History is a wonderful place for your preschoolers to learn outside of a traditional classroom. Students get to explore science, history, and technology through handson activities and interactive experiences IN A MUSEUM. Instead of reading from textbooks, Museum School lets students see, touch, and experiment with what they are learning, using the museum's exhibits and programs to make their lessons more exciting and easier to understand. Students are encouraged to ask questions and explore their passions, all while gaining a solid educational grounding that will serve them well in elementary school and beyond. Museum School shows that learning does not have to be boring – it can be an adventure!

Greenspace Nature Preschool

2630 South Polaris Drive Ages six weeks through six years More and more studies are showing that children need to get outside. Greenspace Nature Preschool in Fort Worth is a fun, hands-on place where little ones go outside to learn, explore, and maybe get a little messy. Instead of spending the whole day inside, children enjoy the outdoors, connect with nature, and learn through play. From discovering bugs and plants to splashing in puddles, climbing, creating, and asking lots of curious questions, every day can feel like a new adventure. The nature-based approach encourages kids to build confidence, independence, creativity, and a genuine love for the outdoors. It’s a great fit for families looking for a preschool experience that feels relaxed, playful, and connected to the natural world.

KinderFrogs School at Texas Christian University 2805 Stadium Drive Ages 18 months through six years

A hidden gem on TCU’s campus, KinderFrogs School is a fun and welcoming place where young children with Down syndrome get to learn, play, and grow in a supportive environment. KinderFrogs gives students plenty of opportunities to explore their interests while

building important social and learning skills. The teachers work with parents to prepare their students for inclusion in elementary school and beyond. They work to create developmentally appropriate curricula for each student while offering physical, occupational, speech, and music therapy. The school is a laboratory school for TCU's College of Education, so you can be sure your child is receiving the best early intervention education around.

Arborlawn Children’s Academy

5001 Briarhaven Road Ages eight weeks through five years Arborlawn Children's Academy at Arborlawn United Methodist Church focuses on creating a safe, positive environment where kids can build confidence and develop important social, emotional, and academic skills. Teachers work with children through age-appropriate activities that encourage curiosity, creativity, and learning. They help their students feel comfortable and supported throughout the day. From classroom activities to playtime, children have opportunities to interact with others, explore new ideas, and practice becoming more independent.

The Little Learning Preschool

4175 Sandshell Drive Ages six weeks through prekindergarten With over 20 years of nurturing the next generation of scholars, Little Learning Preschool in Fort Worth is a welcoming place where young children can learn, play, and build important skills in a comfortable environment. The preschool focuses on early childhood development while giving kids plenty of play-based opportunities to explore and have fun. Teachers work with children on age-appropriate activities that can support social skills, communication, creativity, and early learning. For parents, finding a preschool that feels safe, friendly, and engaging is important, and The Little Learning Preschool offers a community-focused setting for all families. Their graduates enter elementary school as confident, independent learners.

FORT WORTH'S TOP TEACHERS, CLASS OF '26

Name, if you can, a more challenging profession than that of teacher. Nursing? Combat medic? But no job in the world requires such a commitment of a person’s heart, mind, body, and soul, as well as a goodly chunk of their salary. We entrust teachers with our children’s brains and bodies every day. A gift card to Starbucks or a coffee mug with “World’s Best Teacher” on it given at the end of the school year isn’t nearly enough to express our gratitude. These teachers are the best of the best in Fort Worth; these are the words of grateful parents and colleagues.

Katy Wampach Pre- kindergarten

E.M. Daggett Elementary School ”As a sophomore in college, Katy spent her spring break working at an elementary school in New Orleans. The children she met there stuck with her. After the sudden need to find a new job, she signed up for alternative certification and visited principals in Fort Worth ISD. A chance conversation led her to E.M. Daggett Elementary, where she has devoted herself ever since. Some think pre-kindergarten is just coloring, playing, and singing songs, but it’s not. Yes, she has to dig into data like any modern teacher, but more importantly, she has met each of her students where they are. She has been foundational to so many. Katy not only works very hard to internalize her lessons, cutting out each piece of lamination, packing each Winter Break goody bag, tracking down just the right book from the public library to read to her students, but she is also a small child magnet when out in public. Some cynically say that those who can't do, teach. To watch Mrs. Wampach is to know those who can inspire, do.” Written by Dave Wampach, fellow teacher (and husband)

Hao Tran Culinary Arts

Trimble Technical High School “Hao is much more than an exceptional chef. She is an inspiring educator whose passion for food, culture, and community has transformed the lives of countless students and home cooks. She makes every student feel capable and welcome. Her classes are about more than cooking—they are about building confidence, creating connections, and celebrating culture through food. Students leave her classes not only with delicious recipes but also with a deeper understanding of ingredients, flavors, and the traditions that make each cuisine so vibrant. Her enthusiasm is contagious, and she inspires people of all skill levels to step into the kitchen with curiosity and confidence. As someone who has known Hao personally for nearly two decades, I can confidently say that her kindness, generosity, and commitment to sharing her knowledge are as remarkable as her culinary skills. She is exactly the kind of educator

who deserves to be recognized and celebrated.”

Koppes.”

Written by Emma Barry

Written by Veronica Gary

Dave Wampach AP US History

Tyler Nesci Music

I.M. Terrell Academy for STEM & VPA

Rolling Hills Elementary School “I was a teaching assistant briefly at Rolling Hills Elementary. I had the pleasure of observing Mr. Nesci’s music class. He is incredible! He gives 100% to every student and makes sure every child, no matter their ability, can participate in a meaningful way. He is so organized, fun, and constantly incorporates best practices in education.” Written by Lauren Stroope

Terry Buckner Journalism, Newspaper, and Yearbook R.L. Paschal High School

“The Fort Worth teacher I am nominating is Terry Buckner at Paschal High School, who teaches journalism, newspaper, and yearbook. Ms. Buckner is simply the best and goes above and beyond for every student who has the privilege of being in her classroom. She's the first person to be at every sporting event, every dance recital, every theater performance, and all the in-between. I had the absolute joy of being her student all four years of high school and have stayed connected with her even now, as I graduate from college. The impact she has had on my life and on so many others should not go unnoticed. Her dedication to her work is unmatched, and she is truly one of a kind. Everyone deserves a teacher like her in their lives!” Written by Morgan Bangert

Sara Koppes Kindergarten

Rolling Hills Elementary School Sara Koppes is the most engaging, exciting, loving, and caring teacher we have ever had. Every parent I know hopes that their child will be in Mrs. Koppes' class. She truly cares about each child and makes them feel like they are the most important person in the room. Mrs. Koppes meets kids where they are and teaches the whole child. She makes learning fun and engaging. But my daughter didn't just learn academics; she learned how to be a better human being. Mrs. Koppes taught her how to be a good friend, use manners, and show grace to those around her. I have seen these lessons play out at home over the past year. Mrs. Koppes gave my daughter confidence, and I will be forever grateful. If anyone deserves to be recognized for the incredible role a teacher plays in a child’s life, it is Mrs.

“When thinking back on beloved teachers from my school days, one brought the past to life, one made learning fun, and one truly understood me. All three of those qualities, and more, reside in Dave Wampach. Through his lectures, projects, and class discussions, students comprehend not only the past but also its connection to today. He weaves the fine arts into source texts so that his scholars gain a deeper understanding of the world beyond and within them. His role goes beyond the four walls of his classroom. He mentors leaders and celebrates knowledge as the coach of Whiz Quiz, while celebrating all students and attending countless performances and competitions. His greatest gift to his students is his ability to truly see each student for the unique individuals they are, making them feel validated and worthy. He pushes them to do more and work harder because he sees their potential. One never to sit by and miss a moment, he continues seeking knowledge himself and instills the same in all he teaches, guiding them to dive ever deeper into their own understanding of the world and self.” Written by Katy Wampach, fellow teacher (and wife)

Stephen Pierce CTE and Tennis

South Hills High School “Coach Pierce is the head tennis coach at South Hills High School. South Hills is a Title I school, and typically tennis programs don’t thrive in that environment. He either has the highest participation in tennis in the school district, or is second to Paschal, which has a very different demographic. His kids absolutely love him, and he's a fun father figure, and his athletes are always a great reflection on him and themselves.” Written by Buck Elliott

Ernie Moran Spanish

I.M. Terrell Academy for STEM & VPA "Ernie Moran is truly one of the best people I know. He's warm, funny, and passionate, with Stephen Hawkinglevel brilliance. He went to TCU for journalism, worked for the StarTelegram, and came to teaching as a second career. He absolutely believes in the power of education. He reminds most people of Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society; he speaks up for his beliefs and spends every waking moment supporting his kids. His

teaching is legendary, but he’s so immensely humble that he shies away from the spotlight. He is the type of person you want teaching your child.” Written by Megan Henderson

Angelica Ortiz Pre-kindergarten

George C. Clark Elementary School “Ms. Ortiz genuinely wants to know each one of her students AND their families. Her students love her, and we parents are so glad that our kids have her as a teacher!” Writer wishes to remain anonymous

Ian Connally German, Linguistics, AP Capstone R.L. Paschal High School

“Ian Connally is one of those legendary teachers that you hear about long before your own child, or the children of your friends, find their way into his classroom. His tenure at Paschal High School has spanned more than a decade. His students talk about his impact on them for years after. Passionate, charismatic, creative, and dedicated, Mr. Connally is the type of teacher who has real-world experience to frame his curriculum, making his lessons relevant and exciting. But beyond the lesson plans, Mr. Connally is dedicated to his students’ success. From his steadfast support for his students' extracurricular activities to his own professional development, Mr. Connally is a mentor who shapes the lives of students within his orbit. Multilingual, well-traveled, active in various sports and health pursuits, and drawing from his previous careers as a chef and bartender, Mr. Connally is not only a well-rounded educator but an upstanding citizen and role model for our young scholars. Curious and passionate, his efforts continue to deliver world-class education with an inspired teaching philosophy to Fort Worth’s students.” Written by Megan Henderson

Janae Corrado Art

Tarrant County College “Janae Corrado is an artist who delights in teaching her students about art. She’s supportive and passionate, and she’s really funny! She is familiar with all kinds of technology and is happy to teach you how to use it. She’s a tough grader, and she gives great feedback. Even better, she’s available to her students and really wants us to succeed!" Writer prefers to remain anonymous

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Boundless Opportunities:

Inside a School Built Around Community by Tabetha Weeks Courtesy photos

"Keller ISD will be voting to close schools." "Grapevine-Colleyville ISD has voted to close two campuses." "Fort Worth ISD has been taken over by the state after continued decline." For many Dallas-Fort Worth parents, headlines like these have made one thing clear: the traditional educational path is no longer guaranteed to remain the same year to year. So, families are looking at education sideways, at options that did not exist a decade ago. One of the more unusual school options is Boundless, which operates in three-month cohorts across eight locations worldwide, from Portugal to Bali to Japan. Families relocate to a new country together. The kids attend a Finnish-inspired, hands-on program with project-based learning incorporated into it, and the rest of life unfolds in a new country as a family. It sounds, on the surface, somewhat like a school. Talk to the people who run it, however, and it becomes clear the real product is not the classroom. It is the community built around the classroom. A typical day starts with connection time, a morning ritual where the class works through social and emotional lessons and mindfulness exercises before anything academic begins. From there, kids move into mastery subjects like math and English, then into quests, project-based work tied to a real problem in the town where their families are living that season. Every quest links to a United Nations Sustainable Development Goal, so a lesson on measurement might be wrapped inside a project about clean water access in that community. Culture time covers the local language and history, and every other Friday features a field trip out in town. "I think our retention rate, our repeat customer rate this last cohort was 75 percent of families booking again," said Rekha Magon, Boundless cofounder and chief education officer. "They love the experience, and I would say predominantly, it's the community that makes it stick." That community forms fast, by design. Every cohort starts on the same

day, in the same small town, with families who are all strangers to each other and to the place. "Everyone is leaving their hometown," Magon said. "They're leaving their brother who lives down the street, their best friend they've known for twenty years, and everyone is starting on the same date in this foreign country, together for the next three months." Within days, she said, families who arrived as strangers are eating dinner together, planning weekend trips together, watching each other's kids. "Families call it ‘the Boundless magic.’" The model draws on Blue Zones research on the world's longestlived communities, where daily life occurs within a short walk of home. At Boundless, the school, the grocery store, and the shared workspace all

back to her own life: the moments she actually learned something, she said, rarely happened in a classroom. They came from being forced to build something real, on a deadline, in the world. Magon did not set out to build a village. She trained as an accountant at KPMG before a difficult pregnancy put her on strict bed rest for five months. With a laptop propped above her, she built her first company: a mindfulness curriculum for public schools, developed years before Calm or Headspace existed, which went on to win a Canadian EdTech Innovation Award. A second moment, years later, pushed her toward Boundless. Her son started kindergarten, and something did not sit right. "I felt like nothing had changed [in education],"

“”

"e program also carves out Boundless Time, loosely modeled on Google's old practice of letting employees spend part of their week on a project of their own choosing. sit close together, so families run into each other constantly. Dads have formed informal groups to talk about fatherhood. Moms have their own circles. Parents teach sessions on whatever they know best and are passionate about, so the students learn from a rotating cast of working professionals, not just classroom teachers.

she said. "The system had been the same for 260 years. It became evident to me that it didn't need another well-intentioned add-on. It needed to be designed from the ground up." She pulled her own kids out of school, homeschooled them, and eventually partnered with a fellow founder who wanted more families to have access to the kind of life hers already had.

The program also carves out Boundless Time, loosely modeled on Google's old practice of letting employees spend part of their week on a project of their own choosing. Students get dedicated hours to pursue something they are passionate about, unconnected to any subject on a report card. Magon traces the idea

Just days before this interview, Boundless announced that four of its eight locations, Sintra in Portugal, Syros in Greece, and locations in Tuscany and Andalusia, Spain, had been accredited by WASC. This globally recognized accrediting body typically reviews one school at a time. The remaining four locations are

scheduled for review later this year. Magon calls the four-site approval a first for worldschooling anywhere, and it matters for a practical reason: families who do a single three-month cohort and then return to traditional school need that transition to go smoothly. Accreditation, she said, "makes the conversion back to traditional school or any school a lot smoother." But ask Magon what actually changes families, and she does not point to curriculum. She points to what happens when parents and kids are both learning at the same time. "Those shared new experiences really bring a family unit together in a way that's hard to experience back home," she said. Figuring out a foreign grocery store or a new language together does something a school pickup line never will. That inclusiveness extends beyond the students technically enrolled. Boundless serves ages 1.5 to 12 at every location, with three sites adding 13- and 14-year-olds this fall. A family with an older teenager who does not fit that range is not turned away. The older sibling simply joins the community, attending events, language lessons, and outings alongside everyone else. "They still get access to the community," Magon said. "The majority of our families stay with Boundless because of the community." At one point in the conversation, the comparison came up: this is a little like going away to college, but for the whole family. New place, everyone unsure, everyone suddenly open again to learning. Magon paused. "I never thought about that," she said. "That's really accurate." You are not just learning how the locals live, she explained. You are watching families from all over the world live differently than you do, and it reshapes how you see your own. For families weighing whether a building makes a school, or whether a school can be a village instead, that reframing might be the whole point.

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as H m u g o h r o I T o t g r n s i s n W a n l here Te C Ru k e e A Cr for grades seven through 12, extending the same nature-oriented approach beyond the K-6 campus.

by Tabetha Weeks Courtesy photos

Twelve minutes off the highway in Euless sits a public charter school with 20 wooded acres, walking trails, and a creek running through campus. Treetops School International has been teaching kids there for nearly 60 years, and it offers Dallas-Fort Worth families an educational option that doesn’t replace traditional school but delivers the same state-mandated education in an environment that looks nothing like a traditional campus. Treetops started as a private school in 1969 and converted to a charter school in 1998. Like every Texas charter school, it is public, tuition-free, and open-enrollment, meaning any family in the state can apply regardless of which district they live in. Treetops currently accepts students from more than 40 DFW-area school districts, including Fort Worth and Arlington, as well as Keller, Grapevine-Colleyville, and Northwest ISD. Because demand consistently outpaces the roughly 340 available seats from kindergarten

through sixth grade, admission is handled by a lottery rather than a waitlist that a family can sit at the top of.

On paper, Treetops looks similar to any other public elementary school. It teaches the same TEKS curriculum required by the state in every public school, administers the same STAAR testing from third grade up, and is rated a Met Standard campus by the Texas Education Agency. Families are not signing up for a school that is academically unaccountable. They are signing up for the same educational benchmarks, just delivered differently. That difference starts with the campus itself. Rather than a single building surrounded by pavement, Treetops was designed around its natural setting, with outdoor classrooms, trails, and a creek woven into daily school life. Class sizes run smaller than the district average, with roughly 17 students per teacher, and the school describes its approach as a cooperative model, one built on the idea that education is a shared responsibility between teachers and families rather than something that happens exclusively inside a classroom. The school also runs a summer camp and offers virtual and hybrid options

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"Nature isn’t just a backdrop for us; it’s an active co-teacher. Families shouldn't have to choose between strong academic standards and a rich, naturefilled childhood. We show that you can have state accountability paired with the freedom to learn outdoors,” said Dr. James Whitfield, Superintendent of Treetops.

One parent who has had children at Treetops for a decade described what that looks like day-to-day in a public review of the school. "They added an outdoor learning class, specifically geared towards learning about all the things around the campus," the parent wrote, describing lessons that include watching insects in their natural habitat and learning about composting. Lunch, the parent added, happens outside. Small daily details came up too: teachers greeting every student by name each morning with a smile. That kind of specificity is common in how Treetops families talk about the school. It is not usually the test scores that come up first. It is the creek, the outdoor lunches, the sense that a teacher knows a child's name before the child even reaches the classroom door.

That combination, statestandard academics wrapped in a setting built around nature and community, is likely why Treetops draws families from so far outside its immediate neighborhood. A charter school does not have the built-in advantage of a nearby subdivision automatically feeding it students. Families choose it deliberately, often driving in from other cities, which means every seat is filled by a parent who went looking for something specific for their child and decided this was it.

That mirrors a pattern showing up across DFW right now, as more families weigh options beyond their zoned public school. Some are drawn to homeschool co-ops built around nature and community. Others want their kids fully immersed abroad for a season. Treetops represents a third path: a public, tuition-free school that keeps the state's academic framework intact while rebuilding the environment around it, trading fluorescent lights and blacktop for trees and creek water, without asking a family to leave the public school system to get it. For a DFW parent weighing where their kindergartner belongs, this may be the most useful thing to know about Treetops: it is not an alternative to public education. It is what public education can look like when the campus itself is treated as part of the curriculum.

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Amber Brown was not trying to start a nonprofit that would eventually reach 24 states. She was trying to solve a problem for one kid. Her third child, she noticed, needed to be outside. So, she started researching school philosophies built around nature and found herself pulled toward forest school, a movement begun in Scandinavia and built on a simple idea: children learn best when they lead; when they meet outdoors in the same space every week regardless of weather; and when their physical, emotional, and mental health count as part of the curriculum. The research backed it up. Kids who spend more time outside in unstructured play tend to do better academically, not worse. There was only one problem. Brown, who lived in Keller at the time, looked at the forest schools already operating around Dallas-Fort Worth and could not find one that fit. Some had pieces of what she wanted. None had all of it. She posted in a Fort Worth-area homeschool Facebook group and asked a simple question: did anyone want to start a forest school with her? Madeline Braden answered. She had already been part of a couple of forest school groups, but her child was about to age out, and something

DR. DAVID KOSTOHRYZ

DR. GREG SCHEIDEMAN

IF IT DOES NOT EXIST, BUILD IT by Tabetha Weeks courtesy photos

about Brown's post felt right. Brown sent her a message that said only, "No, I'm serious." Braden wrote back, "I'm serious too." The two women, who had never met, sat down together and planned an entire first semester in about two hours. "I love this idea, and it seems like fun, and it's exactly what I want to do," Braden said, describing that first conversation. "We can figure this out, and we'll figure it out together." What they built became Barefoot University, and from the beginning, community was not a side benefit of schooling. It was the point. "We wanted it to be community-focused," Brown said. Activities are deliberately designed to build relationships among families, and every group takes part in community service several times a year, from wildflower restoration projects to making holiday wreaths with nursing home residents. The idea worked so well that it became a problem almost immediately. That

first semester in Keller, roughly 80 families, more than 200 people, started showing up every week. "We thought, ‘We don't like this, this is too many people’," Brown said. "You cannot get community deep with that many people." So, they split into two smaller groups, then helped other parents start their own. Word kept spreading, first across DFW, then across Texas, then into 24 states. The model stayed the same as it grew. Groups meet weekly, outdoors, rain or shine, with an opening activity, a hike, a main lesson tied to that year's science theme, and long stretches of unstructured play that often run past when school officially ends. Kids of all ages, kindergarten through high school, learn side by side, one-roomschoolhouse style, so younger kids watch older kids dig deeper into a project, while older kids get pulled back into the kind of play they thought they were too old to do. Braden calls it kids "being brought back to play." The founders kept it deliberately

DR. WILLIAM RUNYON

accessible: $150 a year per family, plus a $50 supply fee per child, covering 36 weeks of curriculum, books and handson materials, from microscopes to butterfly kits, shipped straight to group leaders. Enrollment stays open through the end of December, so a family whose school year starts somewhere else and is not working still has a door open. Ask Brown what she would tell another mom sitting where she once sat, wanting something for her kids that does not exist yet, and her answer is immediate. "If what you are looking for your child's education is not available, then just create it," she said. "You are never going to regret doing that for your family, for your kids." Neither founder set out to build an organization. Brown was in the middle of mission work overseas when this story came together, still building a life around service in more than one place. Braden was raising a teenager and, by her own account, still surprised each year by what a two-hour planning session accomplished. That may be the real lesson in Barefoot University's story: it did not start with a business plan. It started with one mother deciding her son deserved better and refusing to wait for someone else to build it.

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107 college representatives visit Oakridge annually

81 100% $7 million 170+ 35+

zip codes across DFW

college acceptance rate

in merit scholarships earned by the Class of 2026

performances, colleges and universities exhibitions, and offer admission to Oakridge showcases annually students annually

Most Diverse Private K–12 School in the DFW Area

Centrally located in Arlington, with 5 DFW-area bus routes, including Chisolm Trail Parkway. Learn more about our admissions process at THEOAKRIDGESCHOOL.ORG

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The Oakridge School is a coeducational, college preparatory day school enrolling students from age 3 through grade 12. The Oakridge School is an independent, college-preparatory school that inspires students to seek their potential through academic excellence, enriched by the arts and athletics.

Teaching Children to Become Good Humans by Lee Virden Geurkink

photos by Sophie Rushing Photography

“!e children of today will make all the discoveries of tomorrow. All the discoveries of mankind will be known to them and they will improve what has been done and make fresh discoveries… !e future generation must not only know how to do what we can teach them, they must be able to go a step further.” Maria Montessori Walk with me down a shaded sidewalk next to Broadway Baptist Church in the Near Southside. Behind the church’s impressive sanctuary is a door that leads to a wonderland.

easy, and Ms. Emily quickly realized it was becoming too much. "I decided that we should all join together. Let’s come together to create a cohesive learning space for everyone.” And so Fairmount Montessori became part of Near Southside Montessori.

Near Southside Montessori is a new preschool based on the teachings and observations of Maria Montessori, an Italian doctor and educator. Montessori initially resisted becoming a teacher, a profession that was one of the few open to Italian women in the 19th century. She became one of the first women physicians in Italy, specializing in both psychiatry and pediatrics. She established the first Casa dei Bambini in Rome and opened her classroom to underserved children deemed incapable of learning. Through what she termed ”scientific pedagogy,” Montessori created a model of education that focused on hands-on learning to teach real-world skills.

Near Southside Montessori parent Cole Payne said of Ms. Emily, “My son was in Ms. Emily’s class, and my daughter was going to be moving into her class when we heard that she wouldn’t be returning for the next school year. And her parents got together at a park where she volunteered, and she told us that she was thinking of starting a school. We were all like, ‘Where do we sign?’ And now, we’ve got such a strong community of supportive parents and families, all thanks to Ms. Emily.”

By the middle of the 20th century, Montessori schools had opened around the world. As Montessori did not trademark her “scientific pedagogy,” anyone can open a school and call it a Montessori school. However, the best Montessori schools all agree on the following elements: • • • •

• •

Mixed-age classrooms that allow older children to model for and teach younger children, Students’ freedom to choose from a prescribed range of activities, Uninterrupted blocks of work time, A learning environment that is created to be accessible to children, often with equipment made of natural materials rather than plastic, A trained teacher who can observe a child’s tendencies and talents and help build skills, and No external rewards that will create competition merely for the sake of said rewards.

As you walk through the halls and classrooms of Near Southside Montessori, you'll see older children helping younger classmates with projects and play, open classrooms that encourage exploration and experimentation, and teachers smiling and encouraging their pupils. You'll notice that the student-to-teacher ratio is low, which allows the teachers to really understand what motivates their students. And you'll meet Ms. Emily. Ms. Emily (also known as Emily McDermott to her grown-up friends) is the founder and director of Near

Southside Montessori. A native Fort Worthian, Ms. Emily left our fair city to roam the world before coming back to Fort Worth just in time for the COVID pandemic.

were going to lose their school.”

When asked why she started a Montessori school, Ms. Emily said, “I was the first in my friend group to have children, and it was lonely. So when I hit my teaching career, I wanted the parents to know that I’m here for them as well as their children and that community is really important. So, when I was able to create my own school environment, it was really important to me to make sure that our parents were just as involved in their kids’ educations as we were.” Near Southside Montessori is actually the second school that Ms. Emily started. Less than two years ago, she founded Fairmount Montessori with her partner, CW Martin, at College Avenue Baptist Church. However, the church and the school were never able to develop a truly symbiotic relationship. “Right before Christmas,” Ms. Emily remembered, “I got a call from Megan Henderson [of Near Southside, Inc.] who told me that she wanted to introduce me to the pastor of Broadway Baptist Church because she thought that the relationship between Clayton [Youth Enrichment] and Broadway Baptist was coming to an end, and there were 47 children who

After much soul-searching, Ms. Emily decided that she couldn't leave the children at Broadway Baptist without a school, and that, since she knew how to open one, she would take that leap of faith. Near Southside Montessori opened in March of 2026.

“Continuity of care is so important, especially for preschoolers,” Ms. Emily said. “For those parents at Broadway Baptist to be told that their children’s preschool was closing and a Montessori school was coming in was hard. I told them that what we do is different than what they were used to, and I’m not going to make you pay for it. We’re going to honor the Clayton tuition because I want you to experience what we have to offer.” Of course, founding two Montessori schools within one school year is not

“It was so empowering,” Ms. Emily said. “It’s a real validation for parents to say that they’ll follow you from an established school to an unknown.” Last July, Fairmount Montessori started with 12 students. At the end of the year, Near Southside Montessori had 67 students ranging from six weeks to six years old. Ms. Emily said, "Getting to watch this little baby whose diapers you changed now showing a younger kid how to carry a tray or clean up after a project is everything." But more than teaching children their ABCs or how to work together, Near Southside Montessori teaches them how to be good humans.

"Empathy and kindness shouldn't be a happy byproduct of learning," Ms. Emily said. "Empathy, kindness, and compassion should be why we teach. Even back in 1905, Maria Montessori understood that we're all connected, that every decision we make impacts another person. Every parent wants their children to be resilient and kind. We want to help them become resilient, kind, compassionate people.”

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