Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Lidberg.
Nicole, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am a teacher and have worked in the public education system in Europe and Asia for 25 years. When I moved to the US, from Sweden, in 2023, I wanted to stay in education but, after a quarter of a century of frustration from working in a rigid and out dated public school system, I wanted to open something that ignited a love of learning and curiosity among children.
In August 2024, I opened Nest Academy Alpharetta with 7 students and a big dream. A little learning pod where the focus was on individualized learning, hands-on projects, community and lots of outdoor fun.
Just 18 months on, we currently have 20 students and 5 staff and we are growing fast!
Our students range from 5-14 and we are often in mixed aged spaces, enabling the children to interact with each other, to be inspired by their peers and to learn patience and kindness.
Through focussed core skills time, project-based learning and time set aside for real life skills, entrepreneurship, language learning and art appreciation, the children at Nest are given a well rounded education, based on mastery of skills instead of testing and exams.
The dream I had of creating a space where learning is fun and children are actually excited to be at school has become a reality.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It is never easy to start something new and in the field of education, where the traditional model is so well known and valued by many, it is a daunting task to branch out and persuade parents to embrace a new method of education.
However, the families I have met along the way have been incredible. There is a need and a desire to find alternative ways to educate children and it is a pleasure to be able to share my vision with others and find that they share my dream.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
There are many things that set Nest Academy apart from other schools and learning environments.
We focus on the individual and tailor make a curriculum specifically based on the child’s level and learning style. This ensures that each child learns at their own pace with no pressure to keep up, or hold back. This in turn leads to motivated and confident learners.
Another things that we do at Nest which is uncommon in other educational environments, is that we look at help forming a complete human being. Through community projects we teach how to give back and to help others. Through life skills, such as entrepreneurship, we teach financial literacy and encourage the children to set up their own small business and by spending a great deal of time outdoors in the park, hiking or on field trips to places of interest in the area, we help the child become connected to nature and the world around them
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Atlanta and the area around the city has so much to offer. We like to spend time exploring the area and learning about the important role Atlanta has played in history. The semester alone, we have visited Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield Park, The Atlanta History Center and Stone Mountain.
The one thing that can be a struggle is dealing with the traffic! Time stuck in traffic, is time away from exploring!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nestacademyalpharetta.com
- Instagram: @nestacademyalpharetta
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564314812220
