Workshops + Supplies

The Westside Store was created with the future in mind. Our purpose is to provide opportunity for community collaboration, strengthen services through vocational workshops, reinforce civic duty, and offer educational books, gifts, and supplies.

When I asked my smart 9-year-old grandson to name our new school, it took him only a few minutes to say, ‘Wings of Freedom Academy”.  

He had been bullied in his 3rd grade classroom and his parents agreed it was time to exit public school and start to learn at home 24-7. 

But Wings? Freedom?  For a 9-year-old, freedom means flying away from the constraints of a public-school classroom where he had been singled out by a bully and was not protected nor the bully reprimanded by the teacher or administration. It means many other things too—freedom to learn without indoctrination by government mandates, it means following his curiosity, his passions, field trips and more. 

His bullying experience sparked our family to remember our venture into home schooling in the late 80’s.  It was a time when the pioneer spirit led me to home school four children and a new baby in a small 3 bedroom home in Costa Mesa, CA.

The movement has grown over the years, and today there are many more resources and supports for families to educate their children at home.  

Our Wings of Freedom Academy under the umbrella of our nonprofit Westside Store offers families an affordable opportunity to focus on civics and history with practical projects to teach children and grandchildren how to be an influence for good in the public square.

We’re going to learn about the operations of the school board, the city council, county board of supervisors, water and sanitary districts and go to meetings and speak up on issues that affect quality of life in our various communities.

I want to use my 35 years of experience as an elected and appointed public official and volunteer to teach others how to make a difference.

We hope you will join us in this adventure into the public square and share our unique idea with others.