Vision

A network of small schools

We imagine a network of 100+ intentional living communities, each centered around a small school — or learning center, or whatever we end up calling it. Close to nature. On farms, near rivers, in forests. Connected to each other through visits, shared classes, and a common set of values (held loosely).

"One Room, One World Schoolhouses" was the original name — OROWS. The idea being that we value both the intimacy of a small, local community and the vast possibility of learning from thousands of like-minded people with diverse skills. Children in Vermont connect with children in New Mexico. A woodworker in one community teaches a class over Zoom to three others.

What a day might look like

We honestly don't know. But we imagine something like: children arrive (or wake up, if they live on site). There's no bell, no schedule imposed from above. Some might gather for a morning circle. Others might already be deep in a project. An adult offers a chess lesson to anyone interested. A group heads out to the garden. Two teenagers are building a shed with a local carpenter. Someone is reading under a tree.

Invitations, not requirements. Poetry, cooking, nature walks, languages, NVC, carpentry, basketball, entrepreneurship, rites of passage. The offerings emerge from the adults and children who are there, from what they know and love.

Adults as learners

The adults in these communities aren't just "staff." They're people living intentionally, doing their own learning, pursuing their own crafts. We believe children learn more from who adults are than from what adults teach. Our staff — if we even use that word — would be a cadre of artists, makers, mystics, and builders. People who are fully alive and comfortable with stillness.

Sustainability

We want these schools to be free, or nearly free. That means we need to figure out financial engines that aren't just tuition. Side businesses run with interested children. Real estate. Adult education. Event hosting. A gifting economy where possible. We're still working this out.

Simplicity helps. If we don't need much, we don't need to charge much.

The network effect

A single alternative school, no matter how beautiful, is fragile. The mainstream world can overwhelm it. But a network of communities that share a vision — that support each other, where the strongest help incubate the most vulnerable — that's something more resilient. We encourage free flow of people between communities, which brings fresh energy, ideas, and connection.

Early seeds

This vision has been germinating since 2020, when conversations began about starting an unschooling school in a barn in Vermont. Since then, the dream has grown to include potential communities in Nevada City, CA and beyond. We're in the early days. If any of this resonates with you, we'd love to hear from you.