Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Ludlow-Vargas.
Hi Sara, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I began my work in the field of education when I was 16 years old. I began earning college credits in Early Childhood Education. I’ve always known I wanted to work with children; I was undecided in what capacity. I went on to work with children with autism for several years before becoming a Mom. After I had my first child, my oldest son, I began to meet other parents and hear their concerns about the education system, and the more I learned, the more I realized the education system needed a major reboot. My son began Kindergarten in 2019. He did well educationally and behaviorally, but became categorized as ‘visually impaired’ during a vision test at school because he mixed up a color on the exam. Though this was not a huge issue, I became intrigued by the way children were being so quickly labeled with disabilities or issues because of a standardized set of ‘rules.’ My educational focus became focusing on the ‘whole child’ and the wellness factor and needs surrounding the embodiment of child psychology. It slowly became abundantly evident to me that I wanted to find a way to reform the educational journey for my child and other children, as well. 2020 came along, and schools shut down due to the pandemic. I, like many parents, was thrust into homeschooling and becoming my child’s sole educator, which I soon realized I was fully capable of. Though in our area, homeschooling wasn’t the norm, opportunities for socialization with peers were sparse, and I did want my child to experience outside educational resources, as well. Once we moved to Tennessee, my children attended traditional school as a means for me to work and for them to build connections with other children. I quickly learned there was a huge community of homeschoolers out here and re-visited my idea of creating a learning pod. My mission was and is still to create a safe, welcoming space for children and caregivers to feel comfortable enough to learn, thrive and grow and make it as fun as possible! Alas, Scout’s Haven was born.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There were struggles along the way. I’m a homeschooling mom of 4 young children, with a husband who works full- time, so I have my kiddos with me 99.9% of the time. Suffice to say, building the business (literally-putting things together, mounting things to the wall) has been a family affair! We had a week from the moment we received the keys to the building until our grand opening to get Scout’s Haven ready. Really, we had a 3-day weekend; Fortunately my Father-in-law used his handyman skills to help my husband build a million toys, make sure electrical systems were up to code, and so much more. My Mother-in-law and sister-in-law took the helm, wrangling my kiddos, while I designed, decorated, and built away, to make Scout’s Haven what it is today.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Scout’s Haven and the idea behind Scout’s Learning Pod is different from anything else because it has truly been a passion project. I am the owner, I’m also the primary educator, the one who is there greeting people for parties, when we have a party venue rental, the one cleaning up after the parties, if you come in for open play, I’ll be there. Though I hope we can expand (just a little), I will always be very much involved in the day-to-day operations, and you will always have a 99% chance of seeing me during your time spent at Scout’s Haven. We didn’t take a ton of loans or have a lot of startup capital. This ‘business’ is a business, but it is truly so much more to me. Scout’s Haven has become my children’s second home, an inviting place for families to enjoy learning and play, and it is my hope we always maintain the charm of a true, family-owned and operated business.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
None of this would’ve been possible without the support of my husband, who has listened to me gripe for years, while teaching and working administratively at various educational centers, about how I would do things or the lack of care, etc., etc.- My husband has always encouraged me to chase this dream and has been my biggest supporter. My children have been amazing and have gladly tried out many toys, educational tools, and climbed on many structures to ‘test’ them out, and have been wonderful during this entire experience. We’ve been in our location for a few months now, and the love & support from the community has been monumental, and I truly couldn’t thank the community more.
Pricing:
- We offer Homeschool Enrichment programs Monday & Wednesdays
- We offer Preschool drop off programs Tuesdays & Thursdays
- We offer private venue rental to child development professionals during the afternoons and weekends
- We offer private party rentals, as well. The entire venue to yourself!
- We have community events, dance classes, music classes, workshops and more
Contact Info:
- Website: https://scoutslearningpod.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scouts_haven_tn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Scouts-Haven/100089769565638/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/scout-s-haven-gallatin
- Other: https://maps.app.goo.gl/1N2stqSooJg8SBCWA
