The educator behind it
Wild & Rise is where it all comes together.
I'm a momma of two boys, an educator, and the face behind Wild & Rise. I've spent close to twenty years in the world of education at every level, in both public and private systems. I started out in Physical Education and Outdoor Education, moved into specialized settings and inclusive programs, and have taught in classrooms from Kindergarten through post-secondary. I have, quite literally, done it all. I hold Bachelor's degrees in Physical Education and in Education, and a Master's in Education focused on supporting children's mental health and autism research.
Wild & Rise began on my second maternity leave. I found myself thinking about new ways to give back to the education community, especially in this ever-changing landscape we are all navigating right now. I wanted something that brought together my values and my expertise, let my creative side come alive, and gave me the gift of time with my boys. Around the same time, I watched my oldest start Kindergarten, and friends began choosing to homeschool theirs. When I went looking at the resources out there, so many were American, few were secular, and most were missing the Canadian content I wanted. Hardly any included every subject, which left families piecing things together. So I started building and writing my own.
I have spent late nights, early mornings, and every nap time since building a program I am truly proud of. One that brings together current educational practice, developmentally appropriate outcomes, and inclusive approaches with every child's success in mind. Then I wrapped it all up in an easy-to-use, parent-friendly, grab-and-go, play-based package. And voila. Wild & Rise.
The full Wild & Rise Kindergarten year opens for 2026/27. It's for my boys, and for yours. For slower mornings, real time together, and a Canadian curriculum that respects what these early years are truly for. If you'd like to follow along as it comes together, I'd love to have you with us. Sneak peeks are coming soon.
Kimberly Anne
What went into it
Nothing in Wild & Rise is there by accident. Every week is built on the same foundations I spent twenty years learning to trust. The science of reading, so that phonological awareness and phonics arrive in the order the evidence actually supports. Fundamental movement skills, woven through the full year instead of saved for a gym block. Occupational-therapy-informed handwriting, where hand strength and posture come before the pencil ever touches paper.
The shape of the days comes from somewhere too. Play as the engine of learning, not the reward at the end. The environment as a teacher in its own right. Time outdoors and on the land, with Canadian seasons and Canadian context running through everything, because a child learns the world by standing in it. One anchor concept each week, explored through every subject, so the learning connects instead of scattering.
And underneath all of it, the principle I care about most: every lesson is designed so every child finds a way in. An entry point for the child who needs a little more support, and room to climb for the child who's ready to run. That isn't an add-on. It's the architecture. Built from a career spent making sure every child gets to rise, right alongside everyone else.