Emotional intelligence and inner work.
In-person. Allotment compatible. School-agnostic.
Ember & Oak Institute is a local educational institute serving the Mat-Su Valley homeschool families. We blend timeless wisdom with modern, hands-on, Socratic learning. All programs satisfy both State and Federal requirements.
Founded by Richard Garrick and Aimee Loomis. In-person gatherings in the Wasilla area for ages 10–17.
This is the hardest and most important fire we keep. We practice staying in the room when conversations get uncomfortable. We learn to name what we feel without blaming. We repair after we hurt someone.
Staying present when things are hard — learning to sit with discomfort instead of running or shutting down.
Speaking truthfully and processing feelings — naming what we feel without blaming others, so real conversation can happen.
Repairing what we break — the quiet, brave work of making things right after we have hurt someone we care about. This path is taught by our medic and group facilitator, who brings deep experience helping people communicate and work through hard emotions.
Many parents tell us this is the program their children ask to return to. The skills travel home. They change how families talk to each other long after the gathering ends.
Typically 8–14 students. In the Wasilla area. We meet around tables and sometimes around real fires. The circle itself is the teacher.
We still work with voice, story, and presence. Technology is a guest at the table, never the host. In Alaska, where winter nights are long, these skills matter.
Most of what matters is learned while listening to someone else across the fire. We protect time for real conversation between generations.