Springhouse School

Education can’t save us.

We have to save education.

Dr. Bettina Love

Springhouse brings people of all ages together. When people of all ages bring their varied perspectives together, the diversity makes for rich learning and a resilient community.

English-Spanish Elementary School

Ages 5-12

High School

Ages 13-18

Adult Programs

Ages 18+

**Our ultimate end must be the creation of the beloved community.**

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

In addition to expanding the age range we serve, we plan to intentionally bring people of different cultures together through our programs. The New River Valley is home to a diverse population, including those seeking asylum in the United States.

In Fall 2024, we will be offering language immersion opportunities in Spanish and English, starting with our younger cohort. This is the first step we will take to bring people of diverse backgrounds together through our educational programs.

Another world is not only possible,

she is on her way.

– Arundhati Roy –

Education is the vehicle through which a culture passes down skills, practices, and values from one generation to the next.

Our conventional education system perpetuates a dominant economic narrative, wherein money and economic gain are prioritized over the well-being of humanity and the Earth. We can change this narrative by changing the educational paradigm in service to a world where all life thrives.

Qualities of a New Educational Paradigm

For education to bring about a new world in which all Life has the conditions to thrive, it will be fundamentally different from what most of us are accustomed to. Springhouse has the following qualities, which are needed for education to be aligned with Life.

Vitality-Centered

Vitality-centered means to honor Life in all its forms. Through intentional community practices and a unique curriculum that teaches us how to take better care of life, we learn how to align with the regenerative power of Life itself. When people, communities, and places choose to center Life in their design, vitality is the fruit.

Intergenerational and Diverse

Vital learning communities bring together people of all ages as well as different backgrounds and experiences. When people of all ages bring their varied perspectives together, the diversity makes for rich learning and a resilient community.

Place-Based

Springhouse is place-based, meaning we are situated in one place over time, and we are committed to fostering vitality in our place. We participate in our local community through service, sharing our learning, and contributing to the renewal of the Earth. Learning communities thrive when they are strong locally and connected globally.

Holistic

A holistic approach strengthens a wide range of capacities within the learner, including but not limited to our ability to reason, experiment, create, empathize, make connections and appreciate differences, and collaborate with others. When we are supported in the unique stage of development that we are in, we live the gift of our lives more fully.

We are excited and curious to see how this paradigm continues to come alive at Springhouse as well as when people use our design and educational approach to start vitality-centered schools around the world.

Our Guiding Curricular Principles

Springhouse articulated Sourced Education, an approach to education that responds to what our culture needs at this moment. It is fundamentally different from what most of us know when it comes to school. This unique educational approach is informed by Sourced Design, and it is a scalable curriculum that supports others as they build vitality-centered schools around the world.

Community

Community is the crucible for learning and transformation

Knowledge

To participate in the cultural renewal needed at this time, we learn about ourselves, the cultural context we live in, and what is possible when we align with Life

Place

We participate in and serve our local community

We learn how to live life more fully when surrounded by those whom we trust and love us for who we are. A strong community is essential to learning that is aligned with Life, and it starts with shared values and a common purpose. The life of the community needs care to remain vital.

To better understand the power of Life, we get to know ourselves, the various contexts we live within, and the power of possibility. We learn in holistic and interdisciplinary ways. What we explore and how we learn depends on the learner’s age and stage of development.

We learn about ourselves and the world in an immediate community we trust. Our learning moves beyond that community when we participate and serve in our larger community, share with others what we learn, and contribute to the renewal of the Earth.