School Founders Program
We are generating lots of floating clouds.
We need to ground our ideas so that they can change the world.
Nothing changes unless it is grounded and manifested.
Angeles Arrien
To move toward a world where all life thrives, we need more vitality-centered schools globally. A vitality-centered school puts the power of Life at the center of its design and makes fostering vitality the top priority.
It is important to note that when we say “school” we mean a place of long-term learning. Vitality-centered schools are rooted in place over time, holistic, intergenerational, seek to foster diversity in ways that make sense in their respective place, and meet frequently enough to be a potent place for learning.
Program Details
Becoming a school founder is an intensive, comprehensive, and long-term journey.
The first three years of partnership with Springhouse include a low-residency, structured program of support where school founders use our design and curriculum to create a school that fosters vitality in ways that respect their people and place. The details of the school – the ages served, curriculum specifics, and its location – develop as we work together.
After these first three years, school founders are supported indefinitely through the Sourced Education Network as they partner with us to move toward a culture that takes better care of Life.
The program will begin in October of 2024 and end in May of 2027, followed by long-term partnership and support through the Sourced Education Network.
Is This Program For You?
To determine whether or not this journey is for you, please consider these questions:
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Are you committed to taking care of your life – your body, the sacredness of Life, and growing your self-awareness in some way?
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Do you have a team of two or more people to work with in building this learning community?
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Do you have a place within which you are committed to building your learning community – a region and even an actual location?
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Are you ready to commit at least 5 years to this work, knowing that, with a long-term generational effort like this, it will actually be much more than a 5-year commitment?
If you answered yes to all of these questions, this journey might be for you.
Join us May 9th, 4-5PM ET for an online Information Session
Next Steps
This program has rolling admissions with the application and letter of intent due by August 3rd, 2024. If you are interested in taking the next steps, please complete this short form and submit a letter of intent that responds to the following questions:
How do you cultivate your personhood?
Why are you choosing to invest your time and energy into starting a learning community using Sourced Design and Sourced Education?
What do you resonate with in “Consider the Source” and Sourced Education?
Describe the place where you plan to start your learning community. Why are you choosing that place?
Describe the relationship you have with your team members. How did you get to the place where you are ready to start a learning community together?
What do you think will be your biggest challenge as you start this journey?
What is your greatest gift that will support you in this journey?
We ask that each team member write their own letter of intent. Email your letters of intent as one document to Sarah Stabler and Jenny Finn. Once we receive your letters, we will contact you to schedule an interview with your team.
Tuition
We have set tuition rates for our programs, and we remain committed to ensuring that no one is turned away due to a lack of funds (learn more about our economic approach).
We have three tuition rates for the School Founders Program (cost is per team):
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Pay-It-Forward Rate: $9,000 (Default payment schedule is $1,125/mo for 8 months, October – May)
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Sustaining Rate: $7,000 (Default payment schedule is $875/mo for 8 months, October – May)
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Supported Rate: We remain committed to accessibility, and no one is turned away due to a lack of funds. If you cannot afford either of the rates above, please review our Supported Rate Packet and prepare for a tuition meeting with Chris.
School Founders Program Facilitators
Jenny Finn has designed structures that foster vitality in people, communities, and organizations for nearly 30 years. She holds a Ph.D. in Sustainability Education and is a co-founder of Springhouse. Jenny Finn’s research, mentoring, and teaching invites people to strengthen the relationship they have with themselves in order to serve the world with greater clarity, courage, compassion, and creativity. Her work has taken many forms including non-profit leadership, trauma and hospice care, chaplaincy, clinical private practice, community-building through the expressive arts, and education. Jenny lives on a farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains with her husband Andy and their many furry friends, and she is the mother of Andrew and Lizzie. She loves riding the Peloton bike, swimming, spending time with family and friends, and watching a good British mystery.
Sarah moved to Floyd in 2017 to get involved with Springhouse’s adult programming and became a full-time staff member later that year. She holds a bachelor's degree in Religion with a focus in Buddhism and Western philosophy from Colorado College. Before coming to Springhouse, Sarah studied permaculture design at Quail Springs Permaculture; completed an 18-month sustainable agriculture fellowship with the Allegheny Mountain Institute in 2016; and worked in the field of garden-based education. In 2021, she completed a master’s degree in Ecological Design Thinking at Schumacher College, where she loved meeting people from around the world and exploring where theory and practice meet. Currently, she is the Head of School at Springhouse, where she leads the High School and Elementary School Programs and co-facilitates the School Founders Program. She also leads Sacred Dance and loves working on Springhouse’s sustainability efforts alongside dedicated teenagers.
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