Kickapoo Valley Forest School Update

In June we announced that the Kickapoo Valley Forest School (KVFS) has been funded by a federal charter school grant. KVFS is a new public charter school created through a collaboration between the Kickapoo Valley Reserve and the LaFarge School District. It is set to open for its first class of 4K/5K children in August of 2021. An additional grade will be added each year through the 2nd grade. The school will be open to all children as a free and public charter.

Innovation in education is very alive in Vernon County, Wisconsin, and as we step into beginning a new school within the long history of educational institutions in this area, we are optimistic that creating a school to maximize students' and teachers' time outdoors is a valuable contribution to this education landscape. For more information about forest schools, check out our earlier post and resources here. 

What's New?

Since the announcement of the grant, our leadership team has begun our planning year with weekly meetings. Additionally, the leadership team has been working to recruit and train members for the KVFS Governance Council (KVFS GC). This public board will oversee the mission and vision of the project. The KVFS GC formed on August 13, 2020. Currently the board has 6 members.

Another exciting development was the hiring of our lead teacher, Julia Buckingham, who comes to us with a background in early childhood Montessori education and charter school development. Many in our community may know her for leading camps here at the KVR. Julia and her family call the Kickapoo Valley home.

Additionally, we've hired Ximena Puig as our curriculum coordinator. Ximena has had a foundational role as our Forest Fridays pilot program teacher. She brings a background in Waldorf and early childhood education to our school. Ximena has grown up in the area and is raising her family here, too.

Our website and social media presence will be coming soon, and we look forward to sharing monthly updates here on this blog as well. If you have any questions, please contact Jonel Kiesau, KVR Education Program Director and KVFS Planning & Leadership Team Coordinator, at jonel.kiesau@wisconsin.gov.

August is a season that traditionally involves a focus on returning to school, and this year brings so many more concerns and challenges for many families, teachers, and school staff. The creation of a new school for our region's youngest learners is an exciting prospect despite the struggle of doing so in the midst of a global pandemic. We are grateful for your support and interest in this endeavor. We look forward to sharing more with you soon. 

For more information about forest schools, check out these links:

Preschool Without Walls: A New York Times article about the forest school movement in the United States. 

Are Forest Schools the Way of the Future? An REI-produced video that includes an interview with Richard Louv, data about the increases in number of forest schools around the U.S., and information about barriers and challenges.