We recently connected with Tisha Sparks and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Tisha thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I refer to my journey as a “seed story” because it truly grew from a tiny idea and has blossomed into something much greater than I originally envisioned. As a mom of 3 and an educator who had been working in the public school system, I found myself needing to take a step away from the traditional and professional world of teaching to focus on my family. I’ve never been one to stand still, so as part of my sabbatical I began a deep-dive into the various educational philosophies and approaches offered around the world. Around this same time my family moved across the country and relocated to Southern CA, which was a huge change from what we had been accustomed to in our rural-small town lives. It was exactly what I needed to expand my mindset and experience education unlike I had before. Shortly after my family made the decision to come back to our hometown and plant roots. I knew then it was my mission to bring a nontraditional learning program to our small town community. It would be a culmination of the experiences, countless hours of research, my educational expertise, and entrepreneurial spirit that would bring it to fruition.
Lil’ Sprouts Prep Academy opened in January of 2020 in my main floor dining room. Initially it was a half-day early enrichment preschool program with 6 children enrolled. By that summer we expanded our classroom and grew to serve 18 children, growing and thriving even through the pandemic. In summer of 2021 we moved to a new location and our program grew into it’s own allocated space serving up to 30 families. I hired an assistant and we grew in our Montessori practice and student-led approach. By the fall of 2023 I had completed my Montessori diplomacy and applied through the state of MO to be recognized as a Private Montessori school.
Presently, LSP is now transforming into Wildwood Montessori School. Our vision includes serving our community as a full-through school, serving children ages 2-15, and eventually growing through high school. With our launch we are moving to a new location, located just outside of the pocket of our home-town. Our hope is to serve our community, educate and share with families about best practices, child-development, and gentle parenting as well as the benefits of a Montessori education.
Tisha, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I have been drawn to working with children and tapping into authentic learning since I was young. I’ve always been drawn to a lifestyle of life-long learning and am inspired to constantly evolve in my craft and expand my wheelhouse.
Educationally and professionally I obtained my BS in Elementary Education and AAS Early Childhood Development from Central Methodist University. I went on to obtain several specialized certificates/training, Reggio/Montessori-Pedagogy training, and most recently obtaining my formal Montessori Certification in Primary ages 3-6 and continuing into the Early Elementary diplomacy program.
I have professional experience in directing children’s programs, as well as my role in small business start-ups including my family engagement program “Sing n’ Sprout with Tisha,” my preschool LSP, and as the co-owner of my husband’s residential construction company.
I consider myself a seeker, dreamer, optimist, and trailblazer. I love to collaborate with other creatives and surround myself with passionate individuals who are also wired to think outside the box. I am an advocate for progressive, nontraditional learning opportunities and feel passionately that education is not a one size fits all approach. I own it as my mission to bring light to this idea and provide a quality program for those families and children who align with those values.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
There hasn’t been an exact road-map for the journey I’m on to launch a school. In the small business world I feel this is a unique circumstance with so many variables that are a direct reflection of the location, population, and preexisting educational standards in the community. Similar to other small-businesses it is my duty to authentically reach into the community and tap into what the needs are how to best meet them while following all the local and state mandates and licensing standards.
With that said, the biggest hurdle I have experienced in the growing is finding and securing a physical brick and mortar while navigating all the logistics that come with launching a school. I’ve had to be creative, take chances, and finally move in a completely unexpected direction to reach the goal of securing a physical footprint to expand into.
My advice is to take the time to research and become an expert for your specific county, local, and state requirements on all fronts. It can be daunting and exhausting to muddle through all the red-tape but it is necessary to fully execute confidently your vision. If taking on that task alone is too much, align yourself with a trusted confidant who is open to supporting and advising you in those decisions.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
In May of 2023 we purchased property to build our new school and house our campus. Unfortunately, there were some land restrictions that were unearthed and short story, we were not granted approval to move forward with the build because it didn’t meet the residential restrictions. Faced with the decision to either use our energy and financial resources to overturn the decision or use those same resources to pivot in another direction, we decided to go a different direction. We instead purchased a building that can easily be converted to the space we need as well as accommodate our future growth. It benfited the time-line and finically pressures that we were facing with the initial plan of new-construction. It turned out to be the best case scenario and I chose to push forward and not be discouraged by the reroute.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.wildwoodmontessorischool.com
- Instagram: wildwood_montessori_school
- Facebook: Wildwood Montessori School