PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Rooted. Redeemed. Ready.

This unique gap year experience is designed for young women seeking to grow in spiritual depth, emotional health, and practical wisdom for life and home. Set on 40 acres of rich woodland and creek-fed land, this program invites participants to root themselves in the Word of God while also reconnecting with the natural rhythms of creation. These programs will be run on a schedule of alternating weeks - Thursdays, August 27, 2026 through June 3, 2027, with spring, fall and holiday break.

Week A

Ready

Herbalism and Homemaking

In a restless world, we return to rooted rhythms.

We learn not simply to make, but to understand:

Each week, we will be introducing the plants, skills, and concepts we’re focusing on. We will practice the art of nature journaling to learn to see and recognize our native plants and understand their uses. Alongside this, we’ll study the human body, touching on its different systems and how living well and giving our bodies what they need supports each one. We’ll learn about nutrition, the basics of fermentation, and why grinding your own wheat is so valuable for health. We will also observe and care for small livestock, learning best practices for raising them naturally and responsibly. Together, we will put this knowledge into practice by crafting tinctures, teas, and salves with the plants God has provided, cultivating skills that nurture both body and home.

Crafting tinctures, salves, and teas with plants God has provided
Weaving homemaking into a rhythm of beauty and stewardship
Honoring the old ways of nourishment, cleaning, and self-care
Tending gardens and foraging the wild harvest with wisdom

These skills are not hobbies. They are acts of resilience, creativity, and care—equipping young women to steward both their homes and their health.

WHY THE EDEN YEAR

Rooted and Redeemed

Why growing in biblical truth, discernment, and emotional maturity matters

Spiritual formation isn’t just about learning facts—it’s about developing discernment, resilience, and a deeper understanding of both God’s character and ourselves. The Rooted in Wisdom study invites young women into that process of growth through a thoughtful blend of biblical teaching, reflection, and practical application.

Drawing from trusted biblical counseling resources—including but not limited to select materials from the Association of Biblical Counselors (ABC) —students will explore how to understand their own hearts and the world around them through the lens of Scripture. This isn’t about earning a certificate. It’s about cultivating wisdom that shapes how we live, love, and make decisions.

Students will also engage with The Self-Authoring Suite, a journaling framework developed by psychologist Jordan Peterson, which guides participants through writing their past, clarifying their present, and envisioning their future. This practice helps transform vague thoughts and feelings into clear insights and purposeful direction—fostering both emotional maturity and personal responsibility.

To deepen spiritual reflection, students will learn to use the Examen Prayer—a historic Christian practice that teaches us to notice God’s presence in our daily lives, reflect on the movements of our heart, and align our desires with His will.

Through these disciplines, Rooted in Wisdom equips young women to:

Grow in biblical discernment and resilience
Reflect on their personal story through a redemptive lens
Cultivate habits of self-examination and prayer
Gain practical tools for navigating relationships, choices, and challenges with grace and wisdom

This isn’t just a study. It’s a journey toward becoming rooted in truth and prepared for whatever path God places ahead.

The Art of Readiness

Why cultivating skills, stewardship, and resilience matters

The Eden Year offers something increasingly rare: the space to grow in wisdom, skill, and faith while becoming deeply connected to God’s creation. In a world that often encourages distraction and dependence, this year invites young women to become rooted, resilient, and ready — not only for their own growth but to serve others with strength and grace.

This is not about turning away from modern life, but about reclaiming what has always been ours: the agency God has entrusted to His people. Scripture reminds us that “the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof” (Psalm 24:1) and that He has given us plants “for food and for healing” (Ezekiel 47:12). For thousands of years, people stewarded the land, fed and clothed their families, and cared for one another using the abundance God provided. What was once considered ordinary knowledge has now become rare — yet it remains deeply relevant.

In The Eden Year, young women will learn to recognize and gather from both cultivated gardens and wild places. They will come to know the names of plants, their seasons, and their habitats. They’ll understand which nourish, which heal, and which can be gathered for food or crafted into simple, wholesome remedies that support the whole body gently and effectively. This is not the study of abstract herbalism, nor a course in treating illness, but a hands-on education in stewarding what grows around us and gently aiding the body in health and wellness — the same way families have done for generations.

They will practice making herbal remedies, salves, hot and cold tea infusions, decoctions and oil infusions. Basics in canning,seed starting and gardening, caring for small livestock, composting basics and using manure to enrich the land. They will learn how to create natural cleaners and body care, and prepare a seasonal foraged dish that nourishes both body and community. Alongside these skills, they will develop discernment — understanding how to observe creation, listen to its patterns, and gather from it responsibly and gratefully.

To learn these things is to gain both resilience and freedom. Imagine the confidence that comes from knowing your garden and the wild places near your home, from being able to gather a wild harvest, grow food, and supplement the ordinary needs of life with calm resourcefulness. Skills like these build strength. They foster self-reliance and the quiet readiness to care for family, neighbors, and oneself without fear or helplessness. This readiness does not merely prepare for times of crisis — it enriches daily life with peace and joy.

In uncertain times — whether economic, environmental, or personal — it is far better to seek agency than to wait for rescue. Trusting God does not mean passivity. It means faithfully stewarding the body, the land, and the resources He has entrusted to us. By practicing homesteading, gardening, herbal knowledge, and homekeeping, young women do more than prepare for the future — they live out their trust in God’s provision here and now.

The Eden Year is not a retreat from the world but preparation for a life well-lived. It is a year to slow down, to grow wise and capable, to walk closely with the Lord, and to discover the quiet strength that comes from being equipped. It will form not just a young woman’s hands but her heart — teaching her not to diagnose or treat others, but to care, create, and steward a holistic life that brings glory to God.

We invite you to step into a path that honors beauty, wisdom, and readiness. This is not simply a year of learning; it is a year of becoming. And it is deeply needed in the world today.