What is forest kindergarten?
Forest kindergarten is an educational approach that is both play-based and place-based. It’s outdoor preschool that is respectful of children’s needs and interests. Developmental and educational experts agree that play is the ideal format for learning in early childhood. Our highly-trained Educators observe and inspire children’s play to promote developmentally appropriate social, emotional, and cognitive skills. In the place-based model of learning, children to return to the same beloved land again and again to feel at home, to witness the magic of seasons, and engage in deep and complex play in relationship with the natural world. Our emergent curriculum leads us to follow the children, sometimes quite literally, off the path to newfound discoveries! Teachers engage in reflective practices after each session and document children’s explorations for parents to read and see later. We are also inspired by cooperative principles. This means that when families enroll in our year-long program they choose the tier of tuition that fits their needs and contribute the corresponding number of volunteer hours, either behind the scenes or with children.
What does it mean to be a cooperative?
Work As a co-op that strives to be inclusive of families’ different schedules, we recognize that not all families will be able to work directly in the forest kindergarten program itself. To meet your co-op work requirements (10-50 hours per year), we offer a variety of choices supporting our nonprofit mission. In addition to working alongside teachers, you can self-select to work on a committee, help with administrative work, or work directly with the community. It may also be helpful to know that co-op work expectations can be split up between extended family members or friends who want to contribute to your child’s education.
Education A fundamental principle of cooperative preschools is to provide parent education. Because we also value accessibility and developing connections throughout the community, our caregiver education programs will always be offered through AFK Connects and open to the public. We look forward to helping you deepen your understanding of topics such as attachment, mindfulness, child development, inquiry-based learning, and more. We will offer several education opportunities throughout the year (typically a short weekend workshop), and we ask all enrolled families to choose at least one to attend for free.
Community-building AFK belongs to you! It’s our responsibility to create and maintain our sense of community. We encourage families to attend as many of our social events and AFK Connects community events as possible!
Program Overview
This is an immersive, child-led educational experience in nature. You can read more about our approach to forest kindergarten on our FAQ page. Please feel free to email Kylie Hamlin at Faculty@athensforestkindergarten.org or send a message through our social media pages if you have specific questions about the fit of the program for your child.
2024-2025 Program Details
Our full time Forest Kindergarten program takes place Tuesday-Friday, or your choice of a Tuesday/Thursday or Wednesday/Friday two day program, from August 6, 2024 - May 16, 2025 with Thanksgiving, Winter, and Spring breaks. The school day is 9:00am-1:00pm.
This year we will enroll children who are between the ages of 3.5 years old and 6 years old at the beginning of our program.
Children should be consistently wearing underwear and using the toilet.
Our class is made up of 16 children and we maintain a 1:6 ratio of adults to children (2 educators and 1 trained parent or intern). Our Educators are highly trained in outdoor education, have first aid certification, and have passed state and federal background checks.
We require that all students are up to date on their childhood immunizations. You will be asked to provide your child’s Current Immunization Record (Georgia Form 3231 – available at your doctor’s office or the Clarke County Health Department) except in the case of a documented medical exemption.
Please note that this is primarily an outdoor program! We will seek shelter indoors in case of severe weather and we may use our indoor classroom space occasionally for special activities. Your child will need clothing appropriate for playing outside in all weather. This includes but is not limited to high quality rain boots, a rain suit, long underwear, fleece pants, a rip-resistant winter coat, wool socks, and waterproof mittens. We will provide a detailed supply list at the time of enrollment.
Program Benefits
When you enroll your child in Athens Forest Kindergarten you will also receive:
Snack and lunch for your child each day
Free entry to Sandy Creek Park for a year (an annual Sandy Creek Park Family Pass provided by AFK)
One free parent education workshop per year
Lifelong connections with community and with nature - for the whole family!
The knowledge that your child’s caregivers are well cared for. Our faculty are career educators and well-resourced to provide loving, patient, high-quality care. They are employed full-time and receive a living wage, including compensation for their work time from training, to planning, to reflection.
Location
We are grateful for our support from ACC Leisure Services, which makes our special location possible. In 2019 ACC’s unique Sandy Creek Park became the forest kindergarten’s new home!
New, Lower rates for 2024-2025!
Tuition, Fees, and Co-Op requirements
Our organizational model is founded on cooperative principles. We have discovered that forest kindergarten works best when the whole family gets involved! We ask families to commit to attending at least one community education workshop put on by AFK Connects and to participate fully in the cooperative working role they self-select.
Tier 1 tuition: $600/month for the 10 months of the school year + 48 annual co-op work hours
Tier 2 tuition: $650/month for the 10 months of the school year + 24 annual co-op hours
Tier 3 tuition: $700/month for the 10 months of the school year + 12 annual co-op work hours
Two Day Program: $325/month for the 10 months of the school year + 24 annual co-op work hours
Additional fees:
$25 Application Fee
$200 Enrollment Fee
Tuition Assistance: Athens Forest Kindergarten is proud to offer Financial Assistance through our Tuition Equity Fund. You may find more information here.
Nutrition Program
We offer a wholesome, balanced, vegetarian snack and lunch every day for the children to enjoy as a part of their curriculum. Children do occasional gardening and daily composting to better understand the life cycle of their food. Prospective students will have a chance to share any food allergies in the application or enrollment forms and we will do our best to accommodate our menu to honor each student’s needs.
What our families are saying
“The AFK teachers are so warm and attentive. I feel so confident leaving my son at AFK knowing he is exploring the forest with such loving caregivers. AFK has been such a good fit for my family.” -AFK Parent
“I was very impressed by how the educators communicated with the children. I appreciated the mindful communication, the openness and the care taken when choosing words.” -AFK Parent
“What did I love about AFK? It helped my child build resilience for the weather of life!” -AFK Parent
“The volunteer and parent-education components of the program helped me understand the mission. I also found myself incorporating what I learned into my parenting!” -AFK Parent
“I’m so grateful for the loving way the adults guide and interact with my child. It has been the most wonderful positive and nurturing experience.” -AFK Parent