JACOB
was born and raised on a dairy farm in the Viroqua area and was one of the founding students of Youth Initiative in 1996. He attended Deep Springs College and the American University in Bulgaria before receiving an MA in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago. A trained Waldorf high school teacher, Jacob served as Program Director of YIHS between 2004 and 2017, during which time he taught courses across the humanities and natural sciences as well as acting as college counselor and faculty chair. Jacob is currently serving as Executive Director of Thoreau College, a microcollege in Viroqua inspired offering gap year programs, guided internships, and shorter programs focused on regenerative agriculture, immersions in nature, and the arts. He is also a founder and instructor with the Driftless Folk School, the community education branch of Thoreau College which offers classes in homesteading skills, folk arts, and nature observation for adults of all ages. Jacob and his wife Sofya live on a small farm near Viroqua with their four children, Josie, Cyrus, Evelyn, and Natalia. He is proud to be a YIHS alum, parent, and teacher of astronomy and meteorology during the 2023-2024 school year.
was born and raised on a dairy farm in the Viroqua area and was one of the founding students of Youth Initiative in 1996. He attended Deep Springs College and the American University in Bulgaria before receiving an MA in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago. A trained Waldorf high school teacher, Jacob served as Program Director of YIHS between 2004 and 2017, during which time he taught courses across the humanities and natural sciences as well as acting as college counselor and faculty chair. Jacob is currently serving as Executive Director of Thoreau College, a microcollege in Viroqua inspired offering gap year programs, guided internships, and shorter programs focused on regenerative agriculture, immersions in nature, and the arts. He is also a founder and instructor with the Driftless Folk School, the community education branch of Thoreau College which offers classes in homesteading skills, folk arts, and nature observation for adults of all ages. Jacob and his wife Sofya live on a small farm near Viroqua with their four children, Josie, Cyrus, Evelyn, and Natalia. He is proud to be a YIHS alum, parent, and teacher of astronomy and meteorology during the 2023-2024 school year.