Inklings Academy provides support for homeschool families

Brittany Daniel is passionate about families and education, and she strives to build a support system for homeschool families in the area.

Daniel is the owner of Inklings Bookstore and co-owns Olde Holyoke Square along with her sister, Brianna Brauer, and their grandma, Patricia Farnes.

Daniel is also the leader of Inklings Academy, and every Friday from September to May is Inklings Academy Homeschool Co-op Day, which has been held in Inklings Bookstore since November 2020. It was held in Brauer’s home from September to November of that year.

Inklings Academy is officially registered with Christian Home Educators of Colorado. Daniel is registered with CHEC as a home education leader and point of contact.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in history from Colorado State University and her master’s in teaching social sciences from Western Governors University in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Daniel said that in 2018, her son, Brodyn, was kindergarten age, and she knew of no one else near that age in homeschool in Holyoke at that time.

She began taking Brodyn to Wray, which Daniel said had a thriving homeschool community at that time and continues to have one today, so he could attend a writing co-op there. Daniel added that her daughter, Dawsyn, was able to attend kindergarten-level classes through the co-op at age 4.

Inklings Academy is a subgroup of Home Education and Righteousness Training, which helps connect homeschool families in the region. COVID-19 hit, and the space being used in Wray was no longer available. Daniel said she saw the need to provide another space.

HEART has 17 mothers involved in the region, and Inklings Academy has 11. Daniel said the academy defines the 11 families as a group, and every month, one of the Sundays is used for a fellowship potluck and other activities. Approximately 30 students take part in the co-op days.

“We wanted to be sure we were providing social experiences for our kids,” Daniel added.

She said the student population of Inklings Academy began to increase as more homeschool families moved to Holyoke.

Noting that many parents of Inklings Academy students want to make sure their kids are provided a Biblical worldview, Daniel pointed out that anyone’s welcome and it is not restricted to Christians.

“Your Christianity can only be your own if you truly believe it. You can’t inherit it,” she said, adding that they allow the children the opportunity to decide for themselves what seems logical after making them aware of different viewpoints.

Daniel said the primary reason families stop homeschooling their children and return to public school is the lack of community. She is passionate about fostering that sense of community and finding like-minded people who will do the same. She said the support system is important because there can be uncertainty among moms regarding their ability to educate while instilling a belief in Christ.

“That’s where you find your strength, leaning on your community and support system,” she said. “This day once a week fills their cup so much,” she added, saying that the kids are getting that community, socialization, and time to interact with their friends and peers.

“Every mom’s goal is to find their child’s aptitude and then foster that,” Daniel continued. “They have the ability to tailor a homeschool curriculum around that and help them find their calling in life.”

Daniel teaches science from 12:30-2 p.m. during Inklings Academy Homeschool Co-op Days on Fridays, which is a larger group of kids compared to the smaller groups that Brauer teaches art to earlier in the day. Daniel said bigger groups can add an element of excitement when conducting science experiments or working on group projects.

“When we blew up a volcano, it was like the best day ever,” she said with a smile.

Brauer breaks her students into smaller groups for art class to allow for more individualized attention based on the children’s unique learning styles. In doing so, she helps the kids find their art style, perfect it and understand what makes it their own.

Brauer developed a strong aptitude for art in high school, and she was an intern for the Art League of Denver. She also regularly did arts and crafts workshops out of Inklings Bookstore from 2014-16, when her art and photography business was run out of the building. That business is now run out of her home.

On the co-op days, Brauer, who is affectionately called “Nanna” by her students, teaches art to 3- to 6-year-olds from 10-11 a.m. and to 7- to 10-year-olds from 11 a.m.-noon. The classes are known as Little Doodlers and Canvas Kids, respectively.

Brauer said they work on things like mixing colors, painting with different types of brushes, and using chalk, watercolors and pastels, to name a few. The students start the day by drawing in their sketch book to kick-start their creativity. Additionally, they make projects that are aligned with themes pertinent to the time of year.

Students 11-18 years old participate in Inklings Academy Art League from 1-2:30 p.m. This is a student-led group, since they have generally found their niche in art at that point, and Brauer seeks to continue to develop it.

Mary Belle Rafert also teaches piano lessons to the students in individualized 30-minute sessions on those Friday afternoons. The kids have lunch and recess from noon-12:30 p.m.

Daniel available and happy to help parents create their homeschool curriculum to find out what works well for their families. She said the sky is truly the limit for curating a curriculum that can be true to each child’s learning style and the family’s belief system. Children with special needs can also be accommodated.

Daniel said that her teaching certificate has expired since she initially received it, but as a licensed teacher with a master’s, she said she can give standardized testing, which is offered at Inklings Academy for parents to submit their required testing for the state.

Those interested in more information can view the HEART of the Plains Region Facebook page, message Daniel on Facebook or call Inklings Bookstore at 970-854-3153.