Meet Our Team
Blossom Barden
Founder, Wildwood Community School
Wildwood Community School Board President
Course Coordinator, Wildwood Learning Center
2020-present Online Course Facilitator
Blossom Barden has taught various courses through the years in various settings; homeschool, co-op, online. Her interests tend toward history, which she has been teaching online for eight years, but she appreciates the arts as well. Mrs. Barden is the founder of Wildwood Community School, a non-profit educational resource for Ohio adhering to the educational philosophy of Charlotte Mason. She is a co-coordinator for the annual Ohio Set Your Feet retreat focusing on preparing parents and teachers for each new school year. Mrs. Barden holds a BA Liberal Studies in Anthropology/Sociology & History and a MA Ed. in Leadership.
Founder, Wildwood Community School
Wildwood Community School Board President
Course Coordinator, Wildwood Learning Center
2020-present Online Course Facilitator
Blossom Barden has taught various courses through the years in various settings; homeschool, co-op, online. Her interests tend toward history, which she has been teaching online for eight years, but she appreciates the arts as well. Mrs. Barden is the founder of Wildwood Community School, a non-profit educational resource for Ohio adhering to the educational philosophy of Charlotte Mason. She is a co-coordinator for the annual Ohio Set Your Feet retreat focusing on preparing parents and teachers for each new school year. Mrs. Barden holds a BA Liberal Studies in Anthropology/Sociology & History and a MA Ed. in Leadership.
Jennifer Dages
Wildwood Community School Board Vice-President
2020-present Online Course Facilitator
Jennifer Dages has been formally homeschooling since 2003 and has graduated 3 of her 4 children. She is a retired RN who teaches senior fitness classes and does health education.
Jennifer also loves books and reading and relaxes with a book whenever she can. She is a Member of the Board for Wildwood Community School.
Watch the introduction video with Jennifer here!
Wildwood Community School Board Vice-President
2020-present Online Course Facilitator
Jennifer Dages has been formally homeschooling since 2003 and has graduated 3 of her 4 children. She is a retired RN who teaches senior fitness classes and does health education.
Jennifer also loves books and reading and relaxes with a book whenever she can. She is a Member of the Board for Wildwood Community School.
Watch the introduction video with Jennifer here!
Barbara Gifford
Wildwood Community School Board Secretary
Mrs. Gifford has been married for over 28 years and home educating for over 20 years. She has graduated her 4 children primarily with a Charlotte Mason education. At her local co-op she has led a variety of classes including Nature Study, Outdoor Geography, Biology and middle school physics. Mrs. Gifford is an excellent example of the lifelong learner! She has also presented talks at the Ohio Set Your Feet Retreat.
Wildwood Community School Board Secretary
Mrs. Gifford has been married for over 28 years and home educating for over 20 years. She has graduated her 4 children primarily with a Charlotte Mason education. At her local co-op she has led a variety of classes including Nature Study, Outdoor Geography, Biology and middle school physics. Mrs. Gifford is an excellent example of the lifelong learner! She has also presented talks at the Ohio Set Your Feet Retreat.
Katie James
2025-2026 Online Course Facilitator
Katie James graduated from Piedmont College in Virginia in 2001 with a certificate in sports massage therapy. A born novaturient with missionary leanings she's lived in four states and three countries. She had a 20 year career owning businesses in multiple locations with a short stint teaching medical massage anatomy/kinesiology in South Carolina, ultimately partnering with physical therapists, Olympic athletes, and chiropractors in Texas. In 2013 she read For The Children’s Sake, joined the AmblesideOnline forum, and began studying the classics for herself.
Katie began formally educating her two sons at home in 2020. She also moved to Spain and began Tetragon Lift, a blog to encourage other group leaders and autodidactic pilgrims. She has facilitated online international groups for the last two years supporting AO parents and teens because she adores philosophy, espresso, and texting at 2am.
2025-2026 Online Course Facilitator
Katie James graduated from Piedmont College in Virginia in 2001 with a certificate in sports massage therapy. A born novaturient with missionary leanings she's lived in four states and three countries. She had a 20 year career owning businesses in multiple locations with a short stint teaching medical massage anatomy/kinesiology in South Carolina, ultimately partnering with physical therapists, Olympic athletes, and chiropractors in Texas. In 2013 she read For The Children’s Sake, joined the AmblesideOnline forum, and began studying the classics for herself.
Katie began formally educating her two sons at home in 2020. She also moved to Spain and began Tetragon Lift, a blog to encourage other group leaders and autodidactic pilgrims. She has facilitated online international groups for the last two years supporting AO parents and teens because she adores philosophy, espresso, and texting at 2am.
Chris Horrell
2025-2026 Online Course Facilitator
Christopher Horrell is a home schooling parent of three wonderful children. He and his wife have been studying the Charlotte Mason philosophy for three years. He employs this both at home and at church where his work as a pastor involves extensive teaching. Apart from these things Christopher cares for many patients in his work as a hospice chaplain. Christopher holds a Master's of Divinty and much of his interest lies in the realm of philosophical theology. When Christopher isn't pastoring or parenting you can probably find him reading a book or watching baseball.
2025-2026 Online Course Facilitator
Christopher Horrell is a home schooling parent of three wonderful children. He and his wife have been studying the Charlotte Mason philosophy for three years. He employs this both at home and at church where his work as a pastor involves extensive teaching. Apart from these things Christopher cares for many patients in his work as a hospice chaplain. Christopher holds a Master's of Divinty and much of his interest lies in the realm of philosophical theology. When Christopher isn't pastoring or parenting you can probably find him reading a book or watching baseball.
Liz Talbot
2024-2025 Online Course Facilitator
Liz Talbot is a second-generation homeschooler who lives in Hilliard, Ohio. She graduated from CIU in Columbia, SC, with a B.S. in Bible and Psychology. Her love of the literary arts has led her to homeschool her own children using AmblesideOnline, work at the public library, start book clubs, volunteer with Set Your Feet, and teach middle school and high school language arts at her local co-op. She is passionate about developing the art of thinking and writing in children and young adults through excellent literature.
Watch the introduction video with Liz here!
2024-2025 Online Course Facilitator
Liz Talbot is a second-generation homeschooler who lives in Hilliard, Ohio. She graduated from CIU in Columbia, SC, with a B.S. in Bible and Psychology. Her love of the literary arts has led her to homeschool her own children using AmblesideOnline, work at the public library, start book clubs, volunteer with Set Your Feet, and teach middle school and high school language arts at her local co-op. She is passionate about developing the art of thinking and writing in children and young adults through excellent literature.
Watch the introduction video with Liz here!
Stephanie Neujahr
2023-2025 Online Course Facilitator
Stephanie Neujahr has been educating her children at home since 1997. She has followed Charlotte Mason's principles since 2001, extensively using the Ambleside Online curriculum, and has graduated 6 of her 11 children. Mrs. Neujahr has led and taught homeschool co-ops in 5 states, teaching various classes on Composer Study, Artist Study, Nature Study, Folk Songs, Plutarch's Lives and Shakespeare. She is currently chairperson for the board of education at St. Peter's Lutheran Church and sitting chairperson for the Classical Christian Academy in Shaker Heights, Ohio.
Her greatest joy in home education has been teaching her children to read and have them discover a love for the written word. Mrs. Neujahr and her husband reside in Shaker Heights, OH with 5 children still at home.
Watch the introduction video with Stephanie here!
2023-2025 Online Course Facilitator
Stephanie Neujahr has been educating her children at home since 1997. She has followed Charlotte Mason's principles since 2001, extensively using the Ambleside Online curriculum, and has graduated 6 of her 11 children. Mrs. Neujahr has led and taught homeschool co-ops in 5 states, teaching various classes on Composer Study, Artist Study, Nature Study, Folk Songs, Plutarch's Lives and Shakespeare. She is currently chairperson for the board of education at St. Peter's Lutheran Church and sitting chairperson for the Classical Christian Academy in Shaker Heights, Ohio.
Her greatest joy in home education has been teaching her children to read and have them discover a love for the written word. Mrs. Neujahr and her husband reside in Shaker Heights, OH with 5 children still at home.
Watch the introduction video with Stephanie here!
Wildwood Learning Center, as part of Wildwood Community School, Inc., admits parents, teachers, and students of any protected class to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities accorded or made available to parents/teachers and students at the school or through its extended programs. It does not discriminate on the basis of protected class in administration of its educational policies, athletic and other school-administered programs. Wildwood Community School, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
