A Central Florida mother has taken a creative approach to homeschooling, using the four Disney World theme parks as a living classroom for her daughters.
Jordan Ashley told WESH 2 in an exclusive interview, “We don’t always homeschool at Disney World every single day. That’s not the only place we learn.” But for the former Disney cast member, incorporating the parks into her children’s education has become a natural extension of family life.
School At Disney?
“As Disney locals here in Mickey’s backyard,” Ashley said, “it just was inevitable for us to start learning in the parks, whether we were in Toy Story Land, we saw all the letters and wanted to practice our letter recognition.” She added that her husband, also a former Disney employee, fully supports the idea: “He used to work for Disney as well, and so he is supportive and on board, especially since he sees the results.”
Ashley’s creative curriculum spans all four parks. At Animal Kingdom, the family learns from zookeepers, with Ashley explaining, “That has been a fun and engaging way to incorporate animal science for me.” Meanwhile, trips to EPCOT’s American Adventure Pavilion give the girls a chance to explore international cultures. “We go and learn about countries that we will be visiting in the future,” she said.
The family also integrates storytelling and creative writing at Hollywood Studios, with Ashley noting, “We use it as inspiration, and we dive deeper into stories that they’ve already developed there.” At Magic Kingdom, the Carousel of Progress in Tomorrowland has become a springboard for lessons in invention. “We brainstormed our own inventions, and we drew it, we wrote about it,” Ashley explained.
The Start of a Trend?
Math, while primarily taught at home through their core curriculum, is also brought into the parks. “Oh, good question,” Ashley said. “So most of our math is actually done at home in our traditional core curriculum. However, we have a ton of math activities that we incorporate at the parks as well.”
Ashley’s approach is part of a growing trend of Florida parents choosing to homeschool, particularly following the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. “There was no opportunity to send her anywhere,” she said, highlighting the practical and creative benefits of bringing education to the “most magical place on earth.”
