Strategic Plan

2023 - 2026

At Wauhatchie Forest School, we celebrate the uniqueness in all creation and recognize the richness that diversity offers. We strive to cultivate an environment that encourages everyone to be their authentic self - safely and respectfully - so we all may benefit.

WAUHATCHIE SCHOOL OBJECTIVES

● Provide young children the time, space and play to develop their fullest potential

● Provide opportunities for all activities to be child-initiated and child-led, with adults acting as

facilitators

● Provide individual attention with small teacher to child ratios

● Build children’s on-going relationship with the land, to one another, and to themselves

● Provide opportunities to develop self-reliance and autonomy as well as work collaboratively to

create, problem solve, and support one another in community

● Encourage healthy habits and lifestyles

● Facilitate children’s risk-taking, made as safe as is reasonably possible

● Increase motivation, self-esteem, and concentration

● Develop respect for the natural world and also respect for its dangers

● Stimulate children’s innate curiosity by being close to nature

● Encourage family involvement in nature-related learning on site and at their homes

Strategic GOAL 1.

Have dedicated space to expand/double enrollment for Jr Kindergarten through 5th Grade.

● Space must include a variety of communal space, adequate infrastructure to allow growth & future development of forest school/nature-based learning.

● Continue improving/developing curriculum & academic value.

● Improve messaging to better communicate the academic program in a holistic/natural environment.

Strategic GOAL 2.

Distinguish Pre-K program from elementary program.

● Play based social/emotional learning

● Increase number of sites with expanded community partnerships

● Provide teacher training as feeder for elementary school faculty

Strategic GOAL 3.

Restructure Organizational Chart to include adequate administrative support.

● Make changes to support the changes in structure & treatment of Pre-K (play-based) and elementary grades (nature-based) as they grow

Strategic GOAL 4.

Develop a way to measure effectiveness.

● Track student performance once they leave Wauhatchie School

Strategic GOAL 5.

Become an employer of choice

● Improve benefits & pay scale