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Freeform Forest School

A Queer Run, Covid Conscious, Outdoor Forest Preschool/Summer Camp Rooted in Social and Environmental Justice Located in Portland, Oregon

Our Program

Freeform Forest School runs 4 days a week from 9AM to 1PM Monday-Thursday. Our school caters to children ages 4-12. Our program is designed to promote social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development through play-based learning in nature through age appropriate book reading, crafting and nature based exploration activities. 

Our Philosophy

At Freeform Forest School, our teaching is strongly rooted in social and environmental justice. Children are the future, truly. We foster an environment that engages children in developing empathy, understanding, and encourage questions of all kinds! Our program helps to raise confident children who are able to stand up, use their voices and become agents of change in a society riddled with injustice, lack of equity and resources. Our curriculum is age appropriate and engages young minds to dream up a brighter future, rather than instill fear of the present. Freeform Forest School's curriculum was created to embrace every child's background, color and family structure, including LBGTQ+ families. 

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  • Queer Liberation- We believe in the rights, liberation and joy of all queer and trans individuals and families. Our program is queer led, meaning the teachers have firsthand experience navigating the world as a queer people. Our curriculum utilizes age appropriate lessons on acceptance, support and knowledge surrounding any gender or sexuality or family structures. 

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  • Anti-racism - Our curriculum embraces the importance of equity and helps our students to understand their own privilege in the world. Students will learn about various forms of oppression people face in this country and around the world and we will work together to dismantle injustices through age appropriate activities and book readings.

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  • Covid Safety - Covid-19 is still very serious and life threatening. 30% of Covid infections result in Long Covid. Children are not immune nor exempt from this. At Freeform Forest School we believe in Disability Justice, protecting People of Color and Trans and Queer folks and caring for our immunocompromised and elderly community members--all mentioned are amongst the most at risk of death and disability from Covid. As we envision a safer future, we implement practices that model that. N-95 (or better) masks are required and must stay on unless a student is eating or drinking. 

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  • Community Care and Mutual Aid - We believe that community care and mutual aid are vital components towards living in a just world that centers disability justice, equity, abolition, trans, queer and BIPOC folks. Teachers and students dream up ways we can help those experiencing poverty, racism and have access needs. We share skills that are useful to each other and work on mutual aid projects. Children will learn through empathy and practice direct and compassionate communication-- key components to resolving conflict, understanding the world and working alongside their peers.

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  • Outdoor Learning Environment - Making mud soup, bird watching, identifying plants and animals, making forts and shelters, climbing trees, playing games, going on scavenger hunts are all fun and important activities to help kids understand the world around them while promoting natural curiosity. Being outdoors allows kids to be kids--free from the confinement and rigidly of a traditional classroom which stifle children's creativity and autonomy. We are able to learn about the importance of conservation and preservation, we are able to admire the earth's natural beauty and understand the interconnectedness of all things. 

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Meet our Lead Teacher

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Leland (they/them) holds a BA in Early Childhood Education and Critical Pedagogy from The Evergreen State College. They have been teaching preschool aged kids for over a decade, mostly in outdoor schools. Leland is passionate about accessibility, abolition, nature, writing, music and rest. Leland enjoys spending time camping throughout the Pacific Northwest with their wife, Eve and two dogs, Ralphy and Rickie. Leland is an outspoken activist and works in educating the public regarding the dangers of Covid-19 and risk mitigation. 

Meet our Art Teacher

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Eve (they/them) is passionate about working with children and helping them discover their interests, the world they live in and how to express themselves through arts and crafts.

Eve recently moved to Portland from Melbourne, Australia. They love being in the outdoors of the PNW, exploring, swimming and picnicking. In their spare time, they love cuddling their dogs, working on a variety of art forms and spending time with their wife, Leland.

Schedule and Tuition

We are currently enrolling for the 2024 Summer camp!

Our first day is June 17, 2024

 

This is a 10 week camp! All weeks are nature themed. From learning about sea life to plant life!

You do not have to commit to the full 10 week camp.

You may pick and choose which weeks you'd like to attend.

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Freeform Forest School offers two payment options. We want to ensure equity in our community. We ask that families reflect critically on what they can afford, so that we can continue to offer reduced market rate for those who truly need it. 

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​Option 1: For families who can afford to pay a low market rate tuition. 

Option 2: For families who can comfortably afford market rate tuition, therefore supporting the health and sustainability of Freeform Forest School. 

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Option 1: Monday-Thurday 9AM-1PM

$300/week or $1,000/month

​Option 2: Monday-Thursday 9AM-1PM

$200/week or $750/month

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*Please reach out of neither option is accessible*

Schedule

9:00

Drop off + Check-ins

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9:30-10:30

Free play

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10:30-11:00

Circle Time

(reading, making music, games)

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11:00-11:30

Snack 

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11:30-12:30

Crafting, Scavenger hunt, Foraging, Social + Nature Lessons

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12:30-1:00

Free play

Please email us if you are interested in applying or would like to set up a virtual meet & greet!

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© 2022 Freeform Forest School. All rights reserved.

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