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Education
For the future.
Everything we do is for a fertile future, for the Earth and the children. Ensuring lush ecosystems and vibrant culture. Replenishing. Restoring. Regenerating.
Folk Farm School
Due to the critical need in communities for holistic, land based, nurturing outdoor education, that especially encourages the inherent individuality, beauty and the irreplaceable experience of childhood in the natural world, we offer Folk Farm School: an emergent, child-led education community that supports children 2.5-9 years old. Folk Farm School is a developmentally appropriate education system inspired by Forest Schools adapted to a farm ecosystem to inspire connection to land, food, culture and social systems.
Folk Farm operates as an outdoor based education program that organizes emergent learning into weekly single-skill camps. We choose a weekly skill as a focus based on what is alive in the education community and plan our curriculum, exploration, and investigation around that topic. Weekly single skills are responsive to student interest, support the development of life skills, and connected to the rhythms of the Earth.
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Education in Nature
We move through the land engaging our sense in embodied presence, exploring connection, asking questions, and co creating our learning environment. In the ritual of our day we have an opening and closing council, these are whole group moments where we raise the expectation for all the children to be present in our community. Outside of these times and moments where we tend to physical needs, we let the Earth and children guide us. The aim is to foster rich learning experiences, ecological literacy, and healthy living by connecting children to nature. This process is robust with thoughtful curricular provocations that are planned weekly by all teachers. Children are given the freedom, so long as they remain respectful of keeping themselves, their friends and the environment safe, to explore the land and lead the adults that hold the container of curiosity and critical thinking around them. As we build a healthy relationship to the Earth, we innately build qualities of resilience.
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The Model
This model of education is inspired by the Waldkindergartens and Forest Schools of Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Finland, where children spend the early years of their education in entirely outdoor settings, and incorporates the learning elements of ecological and social systems present on regenerative agriculture land sites. All of Folk Farm classes are held outside, rain or shine, building healthy resiliency and regulation through exposure to the elements. Practicing embodiment, clear speech and consistent responsibilities are pillars within this system.
We offer a different program model for each age group, designed to support the holistic learning of each child.
Our Programs
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This program is not currently running but keep an eye out for its revival.
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FAQs
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Our student to teacher ratio for our Elder and Young Child program is 1 to 5. Our ratio for the Middle School program is 1 to 8.
Educators are expected to hold a sacred container of safety around the freedom we offer in a child-led nature based program. This means we trust the children to hold their respect for self, others and environment first, allowing their capabilities to shine and helping them develop self confidence and efficacy. This looks like always keeping children in line of site and paying close attention to each student to ensure safety boundaries are held. Every teacher has a first aid kit and student emergency information accessible at all times. All staff maintain CPR, Basic Life Support, and Preventing Child Sexual Assault certifications.
Yes! We honor your commitment to tuition fees and allow for make up opportunities that support your families needs within the duration of the semester.
