Today I visited The School in the Woods in Black Forest, Colorado. One of my students, Jon Wuerth, is the lead teacher and one of the founders there and his passion for this jewel of a school is contagious! I am always impressed with educators who do whatever it takes to advocate for the needs of their students and create highly engaging, relevant, rigorous and safe learning environments. The School in the Woods is a "choice" school in Colorado Springs and each year accepts approximately 52 fourth graders. It is a one year program that focuses on naturalistic studies that are integrated throughout all content areas. Located on 10 acres in a Ponderosa forest, this school offers the wilderness as a classroom for eager young naturalists to explore the life in their surroundings through scientific inquiry.
It's important to showcase the wonderful things going on in education. We spend so much time pointing fingers and shining a spotlight on where we fall short that often it is difficult to see the "forest for the trees."
If you have the opportunity, I encourage you to visit and support the efforts of The School in the Woods. In fact, visit and support the efforts of your local school. If you know of a school or program that is doing "what works" in a way that is a little "outside the box" let me know and I will profile it here.