Faith, childhood & a family growing together
Raising children
with purpose.
Growing
alongside them.
Thoughts and practical resources for Christian mothers shaping a Christ-centered childhood and education—at home and beyond.
Current portrait to be selected
You’re thinking about
who your child
is becoming.
You care about reading, writing, and math. You also want a child who asks good questions, takes responsibility, knows they are loved, and has the courage to try something hard.
We’re growing too. Our children learn from how we love, listen, care for ourselves, walk with God, and begin again. This is a place to explore that work—with conviction, practical ideas, and grace for the learning.
From the journal
Life first. Lessons along the way.
Outdoor learning
Childhood & learning · From the archive
The Role of Nature in Developing a Growth Mindset in Children
A reflection on outdoor learning, challenge, and the opportunities nature gives children to explore.
Nature’s Playground · A free place to begin
Give childhood
more room to roam.
Explore the value of outdoor childhood, with practical ways to get your children outside more.
Start with your family, the space you have, and a willingness to explore.
Final resource image to be selected
Hello, I’m April
A mother.
A maker.
A lifelong learner.
I’m a mother, educator, and photographer. Denny and I are building Agape Adventure Academy, a Christian microschool in St. Louis, and learning a great deal along the way.
My work began with a camera and a curiosity about people. Today, that curiosity shapes the questions I ask about childhood, education, faith, marriage, and the culture we create at home.
I write from the life we’re living—the things that work, the things that don’t, and what God is teaching us through both.
Learning in practice
These ideas, in practice
Meet Agape
Adventure Academy.
Our St. Louis microschool brings Christian faith, outdoor learning, creative projects, and meaningful responsibility into children’s days.
Full-time and two-day hybrid education for local families.
Resources & work in progress
Ideas you can bring home.
For educators & school founders
Nature Lab
An introduction to creating a nature-based learning environment or small microschool.
A book by April & Denny
The Compliance Trap
Questioning education centered on compliance and exploring what it means to raise capable, thoughtful children.
Forthcoming
Follow the work →
For homeschool families
Learning beyond
St. Louis.
We’re exploring how the materials we create for Agape families can serve families learning at home.
Curriculum in development
Stay in the conversation →
Archive portrait
The story before the school
Some things begin
with simply noticing.
Photography, travel, weddings, portraits, and 10,000 Smiles are part of the path that brought me here.
I’m keeping that history. It belongs to the story.