Orcas Island Forest School FAQ
Q&A session: Wednesday, Aug. 19 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Co-op
First Day of School: Sept. 14, running through June
Student/Teacher ratio: 5:1
— from Colleen Stewart —
Forest School Board of Directors
Muddy boots, raindrops and revelry, Orcas Island Forest School will enroll their first class this September under the precept: there is no bad weather, just bad clothing.
The school will be open September 14 to students ages two and a half to six years old and will be based in “emergent curriculum” and “interest led” learning that entails outdoor all-weather play en lieu of lesson plans and academic benchmarks.
“Above all, we want to honor the curiosity of each individual child,” said Serena Burman, one of the eight founding members.
The lifelong implications of children having early intimate experience with the natural world around them are vast said Emily Youngren, one of the founding parents who will send her daughter to the Forest School this September.
“They will be running, jumping, climbing, carrying, really getting into their bodies and developing those gross motor skills.”
As childhood obesity, ADHD, and anxiety disorders are on the rise, so is the awareness of the importance of outdoor education. The book Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv goes in to depth to explain how our disconnect with nature is affecting children and resulting in stunted academic and developmental growth he calls Nature Deficit Disorder (NDD.)
“Reconnecting to the natural world is fundamental to human health, well-being, spirit and survival.”
― Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder
Children in nature, he claims, become more physically aware and develop higher critical thinking, problem solving, and emotional coping skills when they experience outdoor play that is unstructured, imaginative, and exploratory.
A day at Orcas Island Forest School, which will be held in the woods at Camp Orkila, may include anything from counting rocks, to drawing in the dirt, building with branches, or identifying different flora and fauna. The Forest School model puts large emphasis on autonomy and independence as well as on cooperation and being a member of a group. The day will flow with the curiosities of the students who will be accompanied by newly-hired teachers Ryan Weisberg and Kimberly Worthington.
Weisberg has a B.A. from Evergreen State College, an M.Ed. in Environmental Education from Western Washington University, a certificate in Northwest Natural History and is a Wilderness First Responder who has worked for 10 years as a seasonal naturalist for North Cascades Institute and Mount Rainier Institute. Worthington received her degree in Environmental Education from Warren Wilson College and recently completed her Forest Kindergarten Teacher Certification from Cedarsong Nature School.
Finding the right teachers, the right location and overhead support to make the school possible has happened in a matter of months, blossoming from casual dinner conversations. Board Members include: Emily and Andrew Youngren, Hailey Averna, Heidi Bruce, Serena Burman, Ken Katz, Sara Lucia and Victoria Shaner.
The school is under the umbrella of 501(c)3 nonprofit Island Stewards, which helps foster young organizations dedicated to sustainably nurturing the land and environment. Donations are being accepted for startup expenses and need-based scholarships that will assure Forest School is accessible to everyone.
Families are welcome to enroll for just one day a week, which is one way they are trying to make the program more accessible for families who are committed to other programs or homeschooling.
The feedback they have received from the community has been enthusiastic, said Burman.
“I think this is a direct testament to how deeply each person’s own experiences in nature have impacted their lives, and shows that there is a growing sense of urgency, in light of screens and the increased scheduling of children’s lives, to preserve that for future generations.”
“The more slowly trees grow at first, the sounder they are at the core, and I think the same is true of human beings.” —Thoreau
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This is incredible and a great way to get kids outside in the fresh air. When I was in 6th grade we went on a field trip to Weyerhauser and each of us got to plant a tree. At 73 I will never forget how awesome that was and still think of it from time to time. I was also fortunate that my parents both loved the outdoors and we went on many Sunday drives out in nature where I grew to appreciate and enjoy what we have.
Much wonder abounding in our island to enchant children and parents. May you all thrive in this endeavor.
Scheduled activities for children seem to be a part of current reality
Every child deserves the right to have unschedule time to “drift” in nature and day dream and to occasionally be challenged by boredom and find some inner creative solutions for themselves. The best place for this is in a woods, on a beach, in an open pasture, in nature. Bravo Serena and all those that are providing this opportunity for children who live by schedules!