We had the good fortune of connecting with Danielle Hodges, Sammi Flores, And Cassidy Younghans and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Danielle Hodges, Sammi Flores, and Cassidy Younghans, is there something you believe many others might not?
One piece of conventional advice we disagree with is the idea that children need to be constantly managed, directed, or kept on a strict path in order to succeed. Traditional wisdom often says that kids won’t learn or grow without heavy oversight—but we’ve seen the opposite to be true. When children are trusted, given space to follow their interests, and supported in making real choices, they flourish in ways that are deeper and more meaningful than any prescribed curriculum could produce.
At Wild Roots, we believe that freedom and responsibility go hand in hand, and that young people are capable of extraordinary things when they are given trust and respect.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Wild Roots Collective & Learning Community began as a dream imagined in a local library. From those early conversations, we slowly and intentionally built what is now a worker-owned cooperative dedicated to creating a safe, loving, and inclusive space for children and families. What started as a one-day-a-week grassroots program has grown into three days a week, with a vision of expanding to a full five-day community in the future.

What sets us apart is our commitment to self-directed education and cooperative ownership. Our learners are not just participants—they share power and make decisions together. We are most proud of the way children, facilitators, and families co-create a culture of trust and respect. The deep relationships our learners form with one another and with their wider community open the door to beautiful, authentic learning opportunities every day.

Getting here hasn’t always been easy. We’ve had to navigate the challenges of funding, accessibility, and the natural growing pains of building something outside the traditional education system. But we’ve learned that growing slowly and intentionally is key. By not rushing, we’ve been able to take better care of ourselves and our community, ensuring that the foundation we are building is strong and sustainable.

The lesson we carry forward is that meaningful change takes time, collaboration, and care. We want the world to know that Wild Roots is more than a program—it’s a movement toward more humane, learner-centered education. Our story is one of imagination, persistence, and community power, and we are excited to continue growing a space where children thrive, families feel supported, and education is reimagined.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We are located in Denton and serve learners and families all over North Texas!

Our learners love spending time on the Denton Square, heading from the infamous Atomic Candy candy shop to the 3 level independent reuse bookstore, Recycled Books. Other shops and places we love are Denton Maker Center, Yoga Project, Bewitched! For food, our community has some favorite Denton spots like Graffitti Pasta, Royal Yum, Aglio pizza, and Aura Coffee. We also enjoy meeting up as a community at local nature spots, and specifically have enjoyed Heritage Park in Flower Mound and Clear Creek Nature Preserve in Denton.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
We hold deep gratitude for the mutual aid and community care organizations that have come before us, as well as the self-directed education advocates and learning communities who have paved the way. Their wisdom, courage, and practices continue to shape and inform the work we do today.

Website: https://www.wildrootscollective.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildrootslearningcommunity/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100024590976848

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@wildrootscollectivelearnin190

Image Credits
Photos by Wild Roots Staff

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutDFW is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.