I've been working in some capacity with children for as long as I can remember. I wanted to be a teacher early on in my childhood and I followed through, graduating with a BS in Elementary Education and then a Masters in Educational Leadership. Between completing my Bachelors and my Masters, I have served in a variety of leadership roles in the public and private education realm, but none seemed to match my passion. 

​

My entire childhood was spent creating and spending time in Nature. I often ran around barefoot and Summer was a time of endless play-filled possibilities for my neighborhood friends and I.​      Here We Grow was born to provide children with the opportunity to have a childhood of freedom and exploration in nature. 

​

The beginning years of Here We Grow were spent partnering with working families to provide an environment for children to explore in nature, while providing secure attachment with consistent care providers. This was my calling and mission for nearly 10 years until the prayers of my husband and I were answered through the long-awaited birth of our son, Jacob, in 2021.

 

When Jacob was born, I transitioned from working full-time to the role of full-time motherhood. Owning a childcare center, while not utilizing childcare myself, created a disconnect and I realized God was beginning to close one door, while showing me which one He was opening next.  My husband and I had already decided we would be choosing home education for our family, but as I began looking for opportunities to connect with other Mothers, I soon realized that what I was searching for did not exist. I found many opportunities for structured home education, but none quite aligned with what I had envisioned.  So, in Summer 2022, I launched a pilot model with a membership-based play group for families with children ages birth through 12 years. During this time, I discovered the difference between what I thought I wanted and what my heart truly desired ...

​

and that desire was not just a gathering of people - but a village. 

​​

Motherhood was not meant to be spent alone. We were not meant to be in our homes alone raising children. There is a movement in America right now for self-sufficiency, and while I can appreciate the motivation behind the movement (which for many is to find more holistic and organic resources), we were not created to live in isolation doing everything ourselves. We were created to live in community - in a village. The beauty of the village is that we are able to fulfill our goals without living in isolation or trying to manage everything on our own. During the pilot model I learned that membership-based playgroups are a need, but they are not a village; and as important as it is to understand one's vision, it is equally as important to understand what is not. 

​

With my vision more clearly before me, in August 2024, I made the transition completely out of childcare and fully into creating the village that so many are seeking. Along the way our son had begun to call our village "The Grow House"; what a perfect description of the vision.

​

So, if not playgroups, then what? The answer is that we are in the foundational stage of growing the village. We have the land, we have the building, we have resources, but the people are just coming together. Villages do not come together on their own; they involve resources, time, and above all commitment. The current families of The Grow House have been working together to lay the foundation, and we are excited for others to join us.  

​

The Grow House has community rooms filled with open-ended materials for children of all ages to explore, as well as a lending and resource library, dedicated space for members of our community to share their talents and skills through classes, and a spacious one-acre fenced outdoor exploration area. More details about features and goals of our village can be found by visiting our "Vision Board".  

 

The all-encompassing component of our environment is Faith. We value relationship, not religion, with God and as such prayer and talking about His work in our lives is a foundational element of our environment. We believe that we have a Creator, who purposefully created two genders and who knew us before we were born when He knit us together in our mother's womb. Our society has a great deal to say when it comes to gender and relationships, and we believe in protecting the innocence of children. Books and conversation seeking to undermine our Creator's design are not welcome here. We are a fully private environment and do not participate in financial programs, government funded or otherwise, who choose to undermine our values. ​Finally, we value medical freedom and the parent/individual's right to choose what is best for their family. 

​

If you value nature, learning through experiences, and a relationship with God, and are searching for a village, welcome home. Our vision is to create a space where families can form consistent friendships, share resources and skills, and create opportunities for families to learn, play, and grow together in a space that feels like a second home. 

​

We're excited you're here and we're excited for you to join our wonder-filled community.  

​

Elizabeth Bangert

Founder and Owner​

​