Jaelyn Farris, Ph.D.
Founder & Director
Dr. Farris is a developmental psychologist and former clinical mental health counselor who grew up just across the state line in New Castle, Pennsylvania. After graduating from New Castle High School, she earned her bachelor's degree at Allegheny College in 1998, her master's degree in community counseling from Youngstown State University in 2000, and her Ph.D. in developmental psychology from the University of Notre Dame in 2007. Prior to founding Flying Trees Academy, Dr. Farris was a full-time college professor at YSU who was regularly teaching classes in child development and the psychology of education. Her research and scholarly activities for nearly two decades had focused on promoting healthy child development and preventing youth problems, often through supporting parents by teaching them science-backed approaches to child development and parenting, but her focus shifted when her own daughter entered preschool. At that time, Dr. Farris shifted her scholarship to an approach in which whole-child healthy development could be promoted through parent-school partnerships. She spent the next couple years developing plans for a new educational model which blossomed into The Farris Method. She put this new method to the test by launching Flying Trees Academy in the 2021-2022 school year. Dr. Farris is thrilled to offer the greater Mahoning Valley an innovative and transformational approach to education which is uniquely grounded in the science of child development – an approach that cannot be found at any other school and which is groundbreaking in its fusion of evidence-based approaches from the fields of psychology and education.
Dr. Farris is frequently asked why she chose the name “Flying Trees Academy.” Flying Trees are a metaphor for growing, developing, living things that have roots and wings. There is an old saying which suggests that there are two lasting bequests we can give our children: one is roots so they know where they came from and the other is wings to show them what they can become when they’re ready to fly. Dr. Farris finds so much joy in supporting our students develop their roots and wings so they can become flying trees.
Mentorship and Volunteering
As an innovative school utilizing a nontraditional educational method, we refer to our faculty as “Mentors” rather than “teachers.” Our Mentors hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree but typically a master's degree. Mentors obtain FBI/BCI background checks and CPR/First Aid/ AED training prior to employment. Mentors must have an up-to-date educator license – consistent with the requirements of the Ohio Department of Education – prior to beginning employment; our hiring procedures include a licensure check through the Educator Profile on the Ohio Department of Education & Workforce website.
All Mentors are trained in "The Farris Method" by FTA’s Director. In this way, they are well prepared to facilitate students’ personal and academic development in a manner consistent with developmental science and the mission, vision, and values of FTA. Mentors
work under the ongoing supervision of the Director to ensure that they are continually supporting students in attaining their age- and grade-level learning standards and personal development. Mentors are trained to use a combination of traditional (direct instruction) and nontraditional (constructivist/child-directed instruction) approaches under the “respectful education” approach of The Farris Method. The Mentors work as a team to create an atmosphere where each student feels safe, welcomed, and cared for.
FTA welcomes appropriate volunteers (e.g., parents, college students) to serve in our classrooms. All regular volunteers must obtain, typically at their own expense, the same FBI/BCI background checks and CPR/First Aid/AED training as FTA staff. Volunteers are trained in the fundamentals of "The Farris Method" as they serve under the direction of Mentors and the Director.
Although parents are welcome to volunteer at FTA, volunteering is optional and has no impact on a student’s enrollment status. Parents who volunteer are still required to pay full tuition and fees.