Small businesses as acts of responsibility.
Making things your neighbors actually need. In person. Allotment compatible.
Ember & Oak Institute is a local educational institute serving Mat-Su Valley homeschool families. We pair timeless wisdom with hands-on, Socratic learning. All programs satisfy both State and Federal requirements.
Founded by Aimee and Richard. In-person gatherings throughout the Mat-Su Valley for ages 10 to 17.
Oak Ventures.
Here, a good business is something your neighbors need and can afford to fix. We build with care for the place it comes from.
Real ventures students have built
One student took a second-hand laser etcher and started making coasters, simple things people actually wanted. They priced them fairly, set up at local markets, and learned what it takes to show up and change course when something does not sell.
We teach a personal finance course inside this branch, so students understand the numbers behind a venture. How to track costs, set a price that works, and see what they are building toward.
Another student is now writing real business plans, using skills they first practiced in our Ember Tech courses. Same careful, questioning approach they learned building with code.
We study pricing, storytelling, and what you owe the people who rely on what you make. The work is rooted in place. A business that takes care of its home tends to last.
How we actually gather.
Small and in person.
Usually 8 to 14 students, across the Mat-Su Valley. We meet around tables, and sometimes around an actual fire. The tools work for the person and the place.
Hands before screens.
We still work with soil, wood, words, and customers face to face. Business is a craft here. Competence builds confidence, and in Alaska it buys real freedom.
The circle is the curriculum.
Most of the learning happens while listening to someone else. We slow down on purpose, so every voice gets heard.