"The Forest Children are truly children of the earth. In our world today, unstructured free roaming play is an almost obsolete choice for many kids. Yet these children emanate with a kind of light, laughter and health that reminds one of the true beauty and magic of what childhood can, and should be. They are living examples, seeds of life, and of light."
--Amorn OConner, Forest Children Program Intern, 9 months, fall 2006 - spring 2007
What is the Forest Children Program?
We are an Earth-based community creating an integrative homeschool resource
and enrichment activities for Earthaven members and local families. We take
advantage of our natural setting at Earthaven Ecovillage in the Appalachian
mountains of western North Carolina, encouraging each child to develop
a deeper understanding of the cycles of nature and sustainable stewardship
of the earth.
We currently have about a dozen children enrolled, ages 6 through 12.
Our multi-age setting encourages the older children to mentor the younger
ones, and inspires new levels of social learning. Our day includes time
together as a whole, and time divided into different age groups.
The Forest Children Program facilitates an individualized learning journey for each child, using each child's own aptitudes and interests as the starting point. We emphasize each child's strengths, and suppport homeschooling parents in seeing that the child's overall learning experience meets or exceeds state standards each year. The children in our program love to learn, and they take charge of their own learning. Each child learns something new every day, and we've created a caring community that supports social, emotional, and academic growth.
Weaving together individual homeschooling and a supplemental experiential program, we have developed a unique collaborative opportunity for homeschool families. Our structure provides each child with individual attention and focus in specific areas due to our excellent student-teacher ratio.
Forest Children Program Vision
We envision a world of people living sustainably, thinking independently, making decisions cooperatively, nurturing healthy children, families and communities, and allowing the flow of divine spirit through everything.
Meet Kiesa Kay, Program Coordinator
Kiesa
Kay loves to teach children. She has taught all ages, from Emily
Dickinson Elementary and Brideun School for Exceptional Children
to undergraduates at the University of Kansas. She was the program
coordinator for Universal High School at Silver Creek, an alternative
high school in Longmont, Colorado. She also has been passionately
involved in her own children's education at every step of the
way (they're now 22 and 16 years old). The foundation of her educational philosophy rests on Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences and the George Betts Autonomous Learner Model.
Kiesa's academic credentials include a master's
degree and an undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas.
She has two educational anthologies in print, Uniquely Gifted
and High IQ Kids, which celebrate children's rights to express
themselves without labels and to learn in their own ways, kinesthetically
and freely. Kiesa owns a writing retreat in France, www.oleandercottage.com, and she's a freelance writer.
"In our family, we liken Kiesa to Mary Poppins! She has a magic that makes our kids love to learn!"
Homeschool enrollment with the state
As required by North Carolina law, if your child is seven or older, they must be enrolled as a homeschooler with the state, because our program is not a replacement for school. It is a homeschool enrichment program. Parents provide the foundation of their children's learning.
How to visit the Forest Children’s Program
Brief observation: Parents interested in the possibility of enrolling their children in the future may observe for a short period (up to half an hour) from the “sidelines,” and are asked not to get their children involved in the activities. Call the Program Coordinator to schedule the day ahead of time, and attend only after receiving her approval.
Visiting day: Parents seriously considering enrolling their child for the upcoming session may attend for one free day. The purpose of a visiting/observation day is to assess the program and evaluate whether or not it can meet your family’s needs. The child(ren) participate in the program and the parent stays in the classroom to observe the program. Call the program coordinator ahead of time to schedule the day, and attend only after receiving her approval. Bring your own lunch for you and your child.
Further visiting: If the parent desires another visiting day to further assess the compatibility with their child, a drop-in fee is requested for each child (see rates below).
Other drop-ins: Generally, one-day drop-ins (other than above) are not allowed, but with the Program Coordinator’s prior approval, exceptions are sometimes made. The drop-in charges are $38/day for one child and $58/day for two children.
Staff & Intern Positions
If you would like to apply for either of our positions in the program, please download the pdf's below:
Carolina, encouraging each child to develop
a deeper understanding of the cycles of nature and sustainable stewardship
of the earth. 
Kiesa
Kay loves to teach children. She has taught all ages, from Emily
Dickinson Elementary and Brideun School for Exceptional Children
to undergraduates at the University of Kansas. She was the program
coordinator for Universal High School at Silver Creek, an alternative
high school in Longmont, Colorado. She also has been passionately
involved in her own children's education at every step of the
way (they're now 22 and 16 years old). The foundation of her educational philosophy rests on Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences and the George Betts Autonomous Learner Model.
Contact information