Story & About

Juniper began as a question. It became an act of faith in Christ, vision, and community.

And it continues as a work of formation—for students, teachers, and families alike. Lord, have mercy.

The book of 1 Kings 19 tells the story of Elijah: He had just called fire down from heaven, experiencing a victory on the mountaintop, defeating the prophets of Baal. He heard rumors that the queen had threatened his life, so he fled to the wilderness. He lay down under a juniper tree, hoping to die. An angel appeared to the prophet and offered him bread, a symbol of the Word of God, and water, a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Along with these provisions, the angel declared, “Take and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” After sitting under the juniper tree and receiving what he needed in the bread and the water from the Lord, Elijah was able to make a supernatural journey of 40 days to the mountain of God.

Similarly, we are encouraged, as the Lord says to us, “Yes, this journey of educating children is too much for you.” The task is too much. We are unable to do this in our own efforts. So like Elijah, we, too, want to sit under the juniper tree, receive the Word and Holy Spirit from the Lord so that we can complete this journey with His supernatural provisions. A key form of ironic encouragement in Juniper communities has emerged: You don’t got this. The journey is too much. The Lord is with us.

Why the Name “Juniper”?

The Juniper Tree

Junipers grow in some of the most inhospitable landscapes imaginable, thriving in an environment of baking heat, bone-chilling cold, intense sunlight, little water and fierce winds. Often they appearto grow straight out of solid rock...

The juniper can withstand drought conditions that often kill other plants and trees. Its hidden secret: a massive underground root system which can account for two-thirds of a tree’s total mass. A juniper’s tap root can penetrate 25 feet straight down in search of water. It can also send outlateral roots 100 feet or more from the tree. The roots are especially hardy: even when knocked over by wind, junipers often continue to grow.

No two junipers ever seem to look alike. Junipers can be identified by their bark, leaves, and fruit. (Source: National Park Service)

Influences

CHRISTIAN CLASSICAL EDUCATION

The cultivation of wisdom and virtue by nourishing the soul on truth, goodness, and beauty, by means of the seven liberal arts and the four sciences so that, in Christ, the student is better able to know, glorify, and enjoy God. - The Circe Institute

CHARLOTTE MASON

Inspired by this British educator from the 1800-1900s, a Charlotte Mason education focuses on viewing children “as born persons” and nourishes their minds and bodies with living books, ideas, and nature.

NORMS & NOBILITY

This treatise on Christian Classical education by David Hicks informs and shapes understanding how education ought to be done: with a mind toward right thinking and right acting. Hicks writes, “The supreme task of education–the cultivation of the human spirit: to teach the young to know what is good, to serve it above self, to reproduce it, and to recognize that in knowledge lies this responsibility.”

POETIC KNOWLEDGE

Taught throughout much of history and more recently renewed by James Taylor (author of Poetic Knowledge) and his co-teachers, poetic knowledge provides encounters with the thing itself - a real fish, a real tree, a story, a well-read poem - so that the student can know and engage with reality, rather than an analytical diagram or a virtual depiction of the thing.

THE CIRCE INSTITUTE

The Center for Independent Research on Classical Education (Circe) has been a prominent voice in the renewal of classical education. With grateful hearts, Juniper leadership has received training and certifications from The Circe Institute.

What Makes Juniper Unique?

• Education and formation for whole families (preschool, children, teens, teachers, parents)

• Flexible: we aim to provide structure, solutions, and support that are the “just right” amount: not too rigid, not too loose

• Liturgical and ecumenical

• Poetic knowledge focus - beauty first approach

• Whole family cycles and learning

• Curricula and training for teachers and parents

• Supra & Feasting culture

• Whole person (body, mind, and soul)

Juniper students at weekly all-campus community hour

Juniper Beginnings

Juniper Classical began not as an institution, but as a question.

January 12, 2023: I was on a winter walk, on a phone call with my dear friend (and now Juniper board member), Christina. I was, once again, pouring out my heart about what kind of education I wanted to offer to my kids and to other families. Emma, my oldest, was getting ready to graduate, and Anna, my youngest, was finishing her first year of high school.

For years, I had been pondering questions on what an ideal classical education could be. When Emma was in middle school and Anna was in late elementary, I started asking, “Why can’t we….? What if we….?” Specifically, I remember asking, “Why can’t we have a program in which high school students read The Iliad, middle school students read Black Ships Before Troy, and littles read a more abridged version of the Iliad?” These ideas rolled around in my mind. I kept a journal by my bed… I read, listened, and learned—especially through the Circe Institute—always with the sense that this might be something for “one day”.

Patiently listening, Christina replied, “Danielle, you’ve been talking about this idea of a program for years. Why don’t you start it when you can give it to your own daughter instead of waiting and creating it for other people? Why don’t you give your daughter what’s in your heart?” Until that moment, it had always felt distant. Suddenly, it felt near.

My husband was on a business trip in Florida. I called him while waiting in the parking lot to pick up Anna from driver's training. “Hey, Hon,” I said, “I think it might be time to start that school thing.” This was his incredible response to me: “Okay. Let’s pray about it.”

We weren’t sure what we would do, but we were praying. I had this notebook of ideas. I called two dear friends, Meredith and Lynda, and they were excited and on board. Maybe we could start in my living room with our handful of kids. Maybe we were going to do this thing in the fall. I talked to a handful of friends: they were excited and on board. Officially, it was late February before we had decided to move forward with it. That group of friends (Danielle, Aimee’, Faye, Lynda, Meredith, Laura, and me) became the launch team.

But what would we call it? One Sunday, as I was deeply feeling the weight of all these decisions, our Pastor preached on 1 Kings 19. He told how Elijah was overwhelmed and under the Juniper tree. The angel of the Lord appeared to him stating, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you,” and gave him bread (a symbol of the Word of God), and water (a symbol of the Holy Spirit). With the power of the Word and the Spirit, Elijah was then able to make a supernatural journey to the mountain of God. This story from Scripture was analogous to the homeschool journey. We chose the name Juniper Classical. We had a name.

We weren’t going to invite or advertise because it was brand new, and we had to plan out everything for that coming fall. Yet, people were interested. More people were interested. In March, we hosted two info meetings for people who had reached out to us. Within a short time, nearly 100 students had signed up. But then, we needed teachers for those students. Teachers came. Generously, sacrificially, they stepped in. The director team worked and prayed, prayed and worked. The launch team worked and prayed. The families, teachers, and students showed up with everything they had. Six years after I picked up that book, that journal that is now full of notes and scribbles, Juniper became a living, breathing education dream.

Juniper Launch Team, 2023

Hodgson Family, 2023 (From left to right: Emma, Daniel, Danielle, Anna)

In the summer of 2023, as Juniper was launching, Emma and I started the Circe Teacher Apprenticeship under the mentorship of Matt Bianco. I cannot think of words that explain the ways in which Matt and the Apprenticeship has shaped us and has formed Juniper. That same summer, Dr. Bianco started visiting Juniper twice a year to train and encourage teachers.

As Juniper was starting, I remember very clearly having this sense that Juniper would be bigger than this group of 100 children and their families. I knew we’d duplicate: have more campuses, and that we’d help train teachers and cultivate other classical programs. We thought and planned and prayed about this. In the Spring of 2026, expansion became official. Juniper now has partner sites with Foothills Christian School in South Carolina and St. Basil in North Dakota. Lord willing, we will continue to expand as we open more Juniper Hearth Communities (partner sites), offer more consulting and teacher training, start a gap year program, publish curriculum, and one day a classical college.

Juniper began as a question. It became an act of faith in Christ, vision, and community.

And it continues as a work of formation—for students, teachers, and families alike. Lord, have mercy.

- DANIELLE HODGSON, JUNIPER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Juniper Network

THE JUNIPER NETWORK CURRENTLY HOUSES:

1. Juniper Classical: a homeschool community with 100 students in Metro Detroit (501c3) - Limited to 100 students and a waitlist of 50+ students

2. Foothills Christian School, South Carolina

3. Juniper Press: a new publishing company (for-profit)

Leadership & Board

Danielle Hodgson

JUNIPER CLASSICAL FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Danielle Hodgson is the founder and executive director of Juniper Classical. She homeschooled and graduated her two daughters. Her oldest, Emma, graduated in 2023. Danielle and Emma, together, are graduating from the Circe Apprenticeship this summer. Her youngest, Anna, graduated from high school at Juniper in 2026. She is done homeschooling! Danielle has been married to her amazing husband, Daniel, for 25 years. At Juniper, Danielle leads parent and teacher equipping and teaches high school literature, history, and writing.

Meredith Ammons

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

Meredith Ammons lives out what her name means: Protector of the Sea. She is a champion and guardian for her family, her faith, her students, and Juniper. Meredith was trained and certified at The University of Michigan in K-8 Education, and then taught Language Arts & Social Studies at the junior high level. Meredith didn’t intend to homeschool for life; rather she thoughtfully committed to a year at a time. Yet both the joys and struggles of homeschooling captured her heart for life: a heart for the formation of her children toward wisdom and virtue for the glory of God. Now, she’s the Assistant Director and co-builder of Juniper Classical, where she leads parent & teacher training, and teaches Senior Thesis, Good Books, Choir, and Civics. She has four children and is parenting and homeschooling across the seasons of elementary to a rising senior. She and her husband, Jeff, have built a life marked by faithfulness, sincerity, and love. Meredith is beginning the Circe Teacher Apprenticeship this year as she continues to grow in her calling as a classical educator.

Daniel Hodgson

CO-INCORPORATOR & FINANCE MANAGER

Daniel is proud of his “Little Women”: his wife, Danielle, and his two homeschool-graduated daughters. He’s worked with church planting teams for 20 years, as well as serving on staff at his local church as Administrative Pastor and Tech Director. He’s taught high school Algebra, Geometry, and Story, and 3rd/4th Math, and Story at Juniper. He’s an anchor of steadiness and strength to Danielle, his girls, his students, and Juniper. Organizationally, he works hard behind the scenes at Juniper Classical overseeing much of the finance and legal in conjunction with the Board of Directors.