From early January through mid February, 2019, our middle schoolers are taking on the following real-world Quest: How might we improve access to healthcare for rural Georgians? Our learners will play the roles of healthcare advocates and investigative journalists.
Read MoreWhat is school for?
That was the question scribbled on the whiteboard as a Hero led our afternoon launch. Anyone who knows or has ever been a school-aged kid is familiar with the question: Why do we…
Read MoreOne of the trickiest pieces of any democracy is the hand-off of leadership. Heroes prepared for this transition period in a couple of ways:
First, inspired by the communal "house" structure of Hogwarts in Harry Potter…
Read MoreWhat is learning? At The Forest School, it's baked into everything we do. We categorize "learning" into the following four areas…
Read MoreIn December the heroes were invited to create a holiday window display, as you might see in stores during the season. We talked briefly about why stores create engaging displays, and the role of a display designer...the heroes had the opportunity to create a display that both represented the school and caused others to be curious about what (who) was inside…
Read MoreWhat is learning? At The Forest School, it's baked into everything we do. We categorize "learning" into the following four areas…
Read MoreJoin us this Thursday, December 20, 2018, from 4:45-5:45pm at The Forest School for our Session 3 Exhibition, which focuses on our city of Fayetteville, GA! The event will be completely learner-driven.
Read MoreThis week, Heroes took another big step in Studio governance. They saw a need for more accountability to the principles they put forward in the Studio Contract earlier in the year. They needed a code to live by and a clear consequence progression for violating it.
Read MoreThis session is fairly short—Four weeks from beginning to end. As we approach the halfway point, Heroes are starting to feel the "pinch" of time more and more. On a wall in our Studio, they've posted their goals for the session—a certain percentage of Khan Academy, a completed Deep Book Badge, a milestone on their Grammar Badge. These "self-paced" goals are held in tension with our session badges—Quest, Storytelling, and Civilization. How do Heroes manage such a full plate?
Read MoreToday’s Children’s Business Fair from 12-4pm will be located in the Pinewood Studios Production Center’s gymnasium! The address is 461 Sandy Creek Road, Fayetteville. It is across from the north end of Pinewood Forest—at the second roundabout where Sandy Creek intersects with Veterans Parkway.
Read MoreHow is science taught at The Forest School? Heroes are wrapping up week 1 of our Biology Quest, which is set up as an "intensive" deep dive into biology basics. This week, our focus has been on cells. But how do we do this without a "teacher?" Why not make it a game?
Read MoreWe are thrilled to announce our judges for the Children's Business Fair this Saturday, December 1, 2018, at the Pinewood Forest Holiday Marketfest. These experienced entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs will spend quality time with each of our kidpreneurs to understand their businesses, provide valuable feedback, and ultimately choose the top prizes for the business fair.
Read MoreWhich would you rather have—awesome skills, a fixed mindset, and a sub-par attitude OR a growth mindset, good attitude, and skills with room for improvement? When questioned about how he chooses players for his team, renowned head women’s basketball coach at UCONN said he would rather lose a game than play an athlete with poor sportsmanship.
Read MoreWhat if learners ages 6 through 15 were the best consultants? For the last month, Forest School learners worked on their first consulting project for a real-world client—Pinewood Forest—to help them reimagine and redesign their upcoming Spring Family Market.
Read MoreAnother week, another milestone. As the learners take on more and more leadership, the Guides continue to step back. We continue to hold up our end of the deal: to provide a safe learning environment; to hold up a mirror to Heroes on the state of the Studio; and to create engaging Quests, challenges, and launches that inspire Heroes to pursue excellence. But an important baton of leadership has been passed to the Heroes themselves. What does this next stage of self-governance look like?
Read MoreWe are excited to announce that The Forest School will be hosting another Children's Business Fair on December 1, 2018, from 12-4pm at Pinewood Forest.
Read MoreThis week, Heroes have been exploring language. What is it, exactly? Are language and communication the same thing? How does language shape the way we think and act? What happens when communication breaks down—when what we meant by our words is misheard, misinterpreted, or misunderstood? Is language unique to people, or does it exist elsewhere in nature?
Read MoreHow do you respond when intentionality dips? What measures should a community put in place to maximize productivity and relationships?
Read MoreWhat am I capable of? That's a question always on a hero's mind. Are they up to the challenge? Is the treasure worth it? What help might they need along the way? What happens if they fail?
Read MoreImagine this—Anthropologists from the future recreate the space and daily routines of The Forest School with a cultural exhibit. What was this space? What kind of school was it? What were the children like who studied here? From what kind of community did they come? What kind of culture did they create? Come see 9/27/18 from 4:45-6:15pm.
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