Our Story, Mission & Vision
Earthbound Academy offers immersive, in-person camps and educational experiences in Puerto Rico where youth connect with nature, develop leadership skills, build community, and learn through authentic real-world experiences. Students discover and experience tropical rainforests ecosystems, coastal environments, caves and karst formations, sustainable farms, rich cultural traditions, community-centered learning and International influences.
Founded in Miami and rooted in Puerto Rico, Earthbound Academy was created to address today’s educational and environmental challenges by cultivating eco-conscious leaders grounded in agro-ecology and community leadership.
Earthbound Academy is designed as a holistic model that integrates:
- Emotional well-being
- Academic rigor
- Environmental stewardship
- Global leadership
- Cultural empathy
Through hands-on, experiential learning, students build a deep connection to nature and communities while developing the knowledge and resilience to navigate a changing world.
Earthbound Academy is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization
Our Mission
To reconnect students, families, and communities with nature while fostering a sustainable, adaptive mindset rooted in ecological balance, emotional wellbeing, social equity, and cultural respect.
Our Vision
We envision a vibrant world-schooling hub that honor local traditions and ecosystems, bringing together local students, community members and global learners in shared stewardship.
Outcomes
- Leadership skills
- Greater confidence
- Environmental literacy
- Community engagement
- Cultural awareness
- Real-world problem-solving skills
We empower students to grow into resilient, knowledgeable and engaged global citizens.
Our Offerings
Restorative Education
Our Approach
We are rethinking education to live up to the challenges of the 21st century. We are helping the next generation become leaders of the world by connecting them to nature, by teaching them sustainable practices, by fostering well-being, by developing cultural empathy and global leadership.
We are growing a sustainable future through experience and education.
Nature Connection
Bridging the gap between human environments and the natural world through earth-based learning.
Sustainable Practices
Teaching hands-on traditional skills and ecological stewardship for a regenerative future.
Community Leadership
Empowering students to lead restoration projects and drive collective action within their local communities.
Cultural Empathy
Integrating ancestral wisdom and global perspectives to cultivate deep-rooted respect for all living cultures.
Emotional Resilience
Building inner strength and mindfulness through nature-integrated practices that support mental and emotional well-being.
Eco-Conscious Leadership Model
Earthbound Academy offers a transformative, nature-based approach to education rooted in agro-ecology. Students learn to lead through:
Self Leadership
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Emotional resilience
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Responsibility
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Reflection
Community Leadership
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Teamwork
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Service
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Collaboration
Environmental Leadership
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Stewardship
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Sustainability
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Conservation
Global Leadership
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Cultural awareness
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Empathy
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Systems thinking
The Earthbound Agenda:
Camps & Workshops
Our Leadership & Board
With a deep love for nature and sustainable living, Alisha is devoted to helping communities reconnect with the earth. As an Ayurvedic practitioner and equine therapist, she weaves holistic wellness, emotional healing, and earth-based practices into every program. Through Earthbound Academy, she creates spaces where people build practical sustainability skills, stronger communities, and a more caring relationship with the land.
Contact Alisha at alisha@earthboundacademy.org
Co-Founder & CO-CEO
ALISHA JACOBS
ORIANNE TAIRUM
Orianne is a lifelong learner from Switzerland whose path has been shaped by education and travel. After studying and teaching in Switzerland, the UK and Australia, she two masters' degrees in Literature, History, and Secondary Education and became a high school teacher. As the Program Director of Field Academy in Miami, she is dedicated to helping each student feel seen, valued, and inspired. Her work centers emotional well-being, intrinsic motivation, and deep connection with nature, animals, and diverse cultures.
Contact Orianne at orianne@earthboundacademy.org
Co-Founder & CO-CEO
JUDY DEJEAN-SUBIRATS
Judy has over 20 years of experience as a homeschooling mom, guiding her three children from home education to college and beyond, including Field Academy, Miami Dade College, and Berklee. She combines her background in education with entrepreneurial and arts experience from running a family cake shop and stage managing non-profit dance programs. As a success coach, she supports children, teens, and families in reaching their goals and thriving together.
director and president
Joaquin’s relationship with horses began early, when his first horse opened a world of truth and love. After studying Psychobiology and Molecular Biology and working 22 years as an analytical chemist, a lab accident led him back to his true path. In 1993 he founded Pan-Equus in Grass Valley, CA, a nonprofit exploring the healing bond between humans and horses through training, therapeutic riding, and trauma-focused equine-assisted psychotherapy, especially for veterans.
director and secretary
JOAQUIN JACOBS
director and TREASURER
FERNANDO TAIRUM
Fernando brings over sixteen years of experience as a Senior Project Manager in the financial sector. He has a keen interest in innovative technologies and is passionate about impactful projects that inspire the next generation. Originally from Portugal, Fernando moved to Switzerland as a teenager and later relocated to Miami, gaining valuable insights from diverse educational systems. As a strong advocate for smart education, he believes in its transformative power to change lives and uplift communities.
Empower Restorative Education
Your donations directly fuel our eco-conscious leadership initiatives. We believe that investing in earth-based learning today creates the restorative solutions our future needs. Every contribution makes an impact. Your donation will go towards scholarships, supplies, building and expanding and eco-friendly campus with eco-friendly buildings.
Investors & Donors
Earthbound Academy is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization
Reach Out & Root Together
Whether you're looking to book a workshop, a camp, volunteer, support our mission or simply ask a question, we invite you to connect with us. Every seed of inquiry grows into community connection.