📚🐴 Soulstride Junior Literacy Club

Session I: Stories of the Herd

An 8-Week Nature & Equine-Inspired Literacy Experience | Mondays | Ages 10+

Every horse has a story. Every child has a voice worth sharing.

Soulstride Junior Literacy Club is an immersive eight-week experience where literature, creative writing, and horses come together to inspire imagination, confidence, and connection. Designed for children who love books, animals, nature, or creative expression, this unique program encourages literacy through meaningful experiences alongside our rescue horses.

Rather than sitting at desks, participants will read beneath the trees, write beside the pasture, observe horse behavior, and discover how the natural world can become our greatest storyteller.

📖 Session I: Stories of the Herd

During this eight-week session, participants will explore:

Reading aloud to the rescue horses
Nature journaling and observation
Creative writing inspired by the herd
Poetry, storytelling, and descriptive writing
Character building through horse behavior
Vocabulary and communication activities
Collaborative story creation
Reflection, imagination, and confidence through writing

Each week includes time for reading, discussion, writing, creative activities, and peaceful interaction with our rescue horses.

📅 Fall 2026 Schedule

Mondays | 5:00 PM–7:00 PM

September 14
September 21
September 28
No Class – October 5
October 12
October 19
October 26
November 2
November 9

Program Details

Duration: 8 instructional sessions

Class Length: 2 hours

Investment: $200 per participant for the complete 8-week session

Ages: 10 years and older

Enrollment: Limited to 12 participants to provide an intimate, engaging learning environment.

🏅 Earn Your Soulstride Herd Badge

Soulstride Junior Literacy Club is part of our year-round Junior Program. Upon completing this session, participants earn the Stories of the Herd Soulstride Herd Badge, recognizing their commitment to literacy, creativity, and thoughtful connection with the horses.

Each future session introduces a new theme and a new badge to collect as participants continue growing within the program.

💚 Your Enrollment Changes Lives

Every registration directly supports the rescue horses who make this program possible.

Your tuition helps provide feed, veterinary care, hoof care, enrichment, and daily care for the horses while giving children an opportunity to discover the healing power of books, storytelling, and nature.

Together, we're nurturing compassionate readers while supporting horses who deserve a second chance.

🐴 Ready to Get More Hands-On?

The Junior Literacy Club focuses on storytelling, creativity, and building meaningful connections with our rescue horses. For participants who would also like to learn horse handling, grooming, groundwork, barn responsibilities, and practical horsemanship skills, we encourage enrollment in our Soulstride Junior Horse Club.

Completion of the Junior Horse Club qualifies participants to attend our Junior Volunteer Days throughout the year, where they can continue learning, serve alongside the horses, and remain actively involved with the Soulstride community.

Families who enroll in both Junior Literacy Club and Junior Horse Club receive a special multi-program discount.

Please contact us before registering to receive your discount code.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Sibling Discount

We love welcoming families! Families enrolling more than one child are eligible for a sibling discount.

Please contact us before registering to receive your sibling discount code.

What to Bring

Participants should wear comfortable clothing appropriate for outdoor activities and closed-toe shoes. We recommend bringing a reusable water bottle and a journal if they'd like, although all literacy materials are provided.

Reserve Your Spot

Space is intentionally limited to create a peaceful, encouraging environment where every participant feels seen, heard, and inspired.

Come discover the stories waiting to be found—in books, in nature, and within the herd.

Soulstride Sanctuary is a nonprofit equine rescue and education program devoted to giving draft horses a second chance and creating a place where horses and humans can heal together.

We rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome draft horses who have been overworked, neglected, or at risk of slaughter, offering them the care, nourishment, and compassion they deserve. Some horses find lifelong sanctuary here, while others are adopted into loving homes that share our values of respect and stewardship.

Beyond rescue, Soulstride Sanctuary is also a space for connection and learning. Through equine-assisted learning, community programs, and nature-based education, we invite people of all ages to rediscover empathy, confidence, and peace through their relationships with horses and the land.

Our mission is rooted in compassion, stewardship, and connection, building a sanctuary that nurtures healing for both humans and animals. Every act of support, every hour volunteered, and every dollar donated helps us take another stride toward a world where kindness leads the way.