Kirsten Kisling

03/30/2026

Goat Shenanigans at Horses with Hope @ Gilfillan Farm!!!

03/30/2026

Any Homeschoolers in the neighborhood!
We still have seats for our PA History Experience!
NOT A TALKING HEADS FARM TOUR...
This course is designed to give students a “mental bookmark” for history. By connecting literature, primary sources, animal encounters, farm work, and place-based learning, students build sensory and emotional anchors that deepen future textbook studies and museum experiences - and they have fun doing it.
If you have any questions about materials or expectations, please feel free to reach out.

03/28/2026

On the technology front... "Ai education content directed at toddlers". Maybe the milder of damaging content. Imagine a video promising to teach road safety - that features animated children dancing in traffic! Check out the article in the comments section from Children's Health Defense.

03/27/2026

Why should your student participate in this hands-on project focused on developing real skills and personal growth? Because...

In this sensory garden project, students don’t just plant flowers—they actively shape every part of the experience. Here’s how you’ll develop along the way: Discover your strengths (and stretch into new ones) by identifying what you’re good at—whether it’s sketching designs, choosing plants, organizing materials, or leading a team—and then stepping into areas that challenge you.

Tackle meaningful challenges and build new skills, such as researching and selecting sensory plants for sight, smell, touch, sound, and even taste; calculating budgets and quantities; or learning basic construction techniques for paths and raised beds.

Take the lead in initiating and planning by brainstorming the garden’s layout, creating timelines, mapping the site, and deciding on features like textured pathways, fragrant herb zones, or gentle water features.

Show commitment and perseverance by following through from early sketches all the way to planting days, ongoing maintenance, and adjusting plans when unexpected issues (like weather or supply delays) arise.

Collaborate effectively with others during group design sessions, shared building tasks, plant research, and decision-making about what will make the garden welcoming and accessible for everyone.

Engage with bigger issues by researching Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) to build genuine empathy for peers who experience the world differently, then applying that understanding to create features that support mental wellbeing, biodiversity, and accessibility.

Think carefully about the ethics of your choices—such as sourcing eco-friendly materials, ensuring the garden is authentically inclusive for peers with SPD, avoiding invasive plants, and creating a space that truly respects and welcomes diverse sensory needs.

And finally, while your student is preparing to step into his/her role as a Homegrown Community Leader, they are serving the community in a meaningful and lasting way and the Program Fees further that work by supporting the ongoing program costs such as food, bedding, vet care and enrichment for the animals who live here and serve our community through Animal Assisted Activities.

03/25/2026

What is Homegrown Community Leaders all about?

At Horses with Hope @ Gilfillan Farm, we are on a mission to share our mission with the next generation. To accomplish this, we offer a variety of educational opportunities to the surrounding communities — serving those who need support today and those who will carry our mission into the future.

One powerful example is our Project-Based Learning sensory garden. Junior high students are taking full ownership of the project — researching how their peers with sensory processing disorder might experience sensory inputs differently, planning the garden, sourcing supplies, and planting it themselves. On one hand, the completed garden creates a peaceful outdoor space where children with SPD can calm down, enjoy nature, experience gentle sensory input, and build the curiosity and confidence to explore. On the other hand, through this hands-on work and their research into sensory differences, our middle school students are developing a deeply empathetic posture and discovering that together they really can make a meaningful difference.

In this way, our Homegrown Community Leaders program nurtures resilience and independence for children who need it now, while simultaneously growing compassionate, capable leaders who will carry our mission forward for many years to come.

We’d love to hear from you! Have you seen the power of hands-on projects like this in building empathy and leadership in young people? Or do you have ideas for future Homegrown Community Leaders projects? Drop a comment below — let’s keep the conversation going!

03/24/2026

03/21/2026

What life is like when your Shih Tzu thinks he’s really a sheep (with short legs)…

03/21/2026

Don’t you just LOVE babies?

03/18/2026

Send your kids outside to experience farm living like it's 1849! Our Pennsylvania History Experience is coming around again. Choose Monday & Thursday or Tuesday & Friday. Drop off at 9:00! Pick up at 10:30. More details in the comments section.

03/17/2026

What's going on at Gilfillan Farm?
New activities starting soon. Find info in the comments.
Mon & Thu . April 20 - May 28 . PA History Experience
Tue & Fri . April 21 - May 29 . PA History Experience
Wed & Sat . April 22 - May 30 . PBL 1: Sensory Garden