Our Approach

At our school, we cultivate curiosity and creativity through a holistic approach to education by fostering deep connections between students, teachers, and the natural world. We believe the learning process is meant to be alive, tangible, and personal, with heavy emphasis on project-based experiences in the natural world. Every child is seen, valued, and respected in a supportive environment, empowering them to grow into confident, capable, and compassionate humans.

Our Driving Beliefs: 

• We believe all children are born curious and wild- it's our job to help them retain their wild nature, and nurture their innate drive to learn. 
• We believe in covering the core subjects in a way that feels connected and meaningful to children. 
• We believe that hands-on, project based learning provides an opportunity to put knowledge directly into action. 
• We believe that a mixed-age classroom is immensely beneficial to all learners- our small class provides opportunities for younger students to learn from older classmates, and for older students to master their knowledge through mentoring their younger peers.
• We believe that the traditional school system is not designed for all children to truly thrive. We're breaking the cycle and pioneering a new way to learn. 
• We believe that the family should be at the core of all learning; our class supplements your family values with an individualized, holistic curriculum, while connecting with a community of like-minded learners. 

Our core curriculum is rooted in the cyclical patterns of each season. We use real-world, hands-on lessons that teach all the core subjects seamlessly. Each season's curriculum is carefully crafted by our school, creating open-ended learning experiences that are applicable to all students, regardless of their academic level. Projects are designed to challenge each child to learn new skills in traditional knowledge, while engaging meaningfully with their environment and peers. 

In the spring, the children spend many hours in the garden learning how to grow, harvest, and preserve food. From soil science to vermiculture, pollinator gardens to food forests, we explore deeply into the blossom of springtime and the science of plants and food systems.

In our summer camps, outdoor play is at the heart of school- splashing in creeks, and relishing in sunshine. Curriculum focuses on small-scale projects and community-building during these shorter sessions. 

In autumn, the change in season brings new curiosity, and our focus shifts to the rhythm of seasons, weather, trees, animals, and the world around us. 

In the winter, we spend more time in our one-room schoolhouse; cozied up in a warm space for history lessons, story time, or crafting creations. Daily outdoor time is still vital, and students come prepared for all weather. 

Each family comes to Chicory School for a different reason; some may be homeschoolers looking to foster community and try a new option for education, while others may be seeking a more supportive environment for their child than the traditional school system can offer. With this in mind, each student's curriculum is scaffolded with individualized learning plans.

Prior to beginning the school year, students, families, and teachers gather together to establish goals for the upcoming school year. With this information, our school crafts an individualized education plan for each and every student to work toward their goals. 

A portion of each day is spent in small group and independent work, with teachers supporting students in their activities. This will look different for every student, as our program is designed to serve each individual's needs and goals. 

For those families who want their child’s education aligned with state standards for their grade level, we might spend this time working on reading and writing, grade-level math instruction, or passion projects. For those who follow a child-led approach, we might spend time working on a passion project, personal goals, developmental reading and writing curriculum, reading a book, or creating art. Every child will have clearly defined goals and plans for their education program.