Meet the Founders
We're intentional parents, just like you - and we built the school we always wished existed.
The Wonderstorm Origin
We vividly remember our experience of unimaginable excitement intertwined with overwhelming feelings of responsibility for the new life we had just learned was coming.
About to become Mom and Dad for the first time, we - like most parents - wanted the absolute best for our child. We soon found ourselves ignited with a passion to discover the structures and methods that develop the awareness and capability necessary for one to take full control over their own destiny. In our pursuit to structure our home life with the optimal mix of fun, love, rigor, development, ease, and joy, years quickly passed and additional children were born into our family. Before we knew it, we arrived at the big decision point all parents end up at: “Where were our kids going to attend school?”
For Holly and me, this was an unusually difficult decision. Growing up, we both had endured a stress-filled schooling process that robbed all the joy out of learning and seemed far more interested in forcing conformity, compliance, and obedience than it was in fostering a love of learning and the full blossoming of our true potential. Knowing how formative the time they spent at school would be to the outcomes of their lives, we were committed to finding something better for our children.
"We were committed to finding something better for our children... an educational experience that would fully blossom their intelligence."
In our pursuit of the ideal learning environment, we toured over 30 schools before finally saying yes to a top Montessori school, which we grew to love. Although Montessori served us well for many years, it had its limitations. We were looking for an educational experience for our children that would fully blossom their intelligence and equip them with 21st-century skills as they gained mastery over their innate gifts and talents. After searching for these things in all the schools we toured and never quite finding what we were looking for, it became clear to us that we got to be the ones to create the educational experience we envisioned.
Wonderstorm Academy was born!
Our Team
The visionary leaders behind the Wonderstorm methodology.
Holly Yarbrough
Co-Founder & Lead Empowerment Coach
Holly is a mother of six children, wife, Montessori educator, and leader who dreams of being the catalyst that unlocks the highest possibility in every child while igniting their hearts and minds.
She is passionate about supporting children in actualizing every drop of their potential as she celebrates and works to blossom the unique genius that exists in every child.
Holly specializes in developing experiences that spark each child's eagerness to learn in the ways that best support their individual needs. She loves coaching young leaders to explore the feelings that drive behavior and helps them develop a deeper understanding of themselves, others, and the world around them.
BS in Child and Adolescent Development (CSUF)
Credentialed Montessori Educator (UCI)
Dave Yarbrough
Co-Founder & Community Champion
Dave is a dedicated father of six children and loving husband, whose lifelong dream has been to transform the paradigm of education by creating a revolutionary new type of learning center - one that advances a new science of human flourishing.
For over 25 years, Dave has rigorously pursued the study of how to most effectively develop human potential. His single-pointed aim has been the creation of an education center that functions as the premier learning laboratory for the exploration and demonstration of the specific methodologies and metrics that result in a child achieving his or her ultimate potential.
Dave envisions a shift being created in consciousness around what is truly possible for our children, for human development, and for the entire education system as a whole.
Dave holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of California, Santa Barbara. His areas of specialization include applied analytic reasoning, psychology, sociology, learning theory, and communication.
“Opening this paradigm-changing school has been a lifelong dream for me. The time has come for a radically different approach to schooling - one that ignites a love of learning and transforms the educational experience into a true adventure of self-discovery.”
- Dave Yarbrough
Our Core Foundation
The principles and promises that guide everything we do.
Our Promises
We promise your child will:
- Begin building sovereign systems for lifelong success.
- Develop into a curious, independent, lifelong leader.
- Cultivate a deep respect for economic, political, and religious freedoms.
- Cherish the arts, the wonders of the physical world, and the mysteries of life on Earth.
- Discover their most precious gifts and learn to use them to solve difficult problems.
- Understand the importance of strong character and a healthy lifestyle.
Our Beliefs
We fundamentally believe:
- Each child has a unique genius that can make a profound impact on the world.
- In a closely connected family of lifelong leaders.
- In developing the whole person - mind, body, and character.
- In economic, religious, and political freedom.