Springhouse Community School

mail order antabuse Springhouse

Floyd, Virginia

What if school looked like…

…building a boat and sailing it in the Chesapeake Bay?

…going on a weeklong trip to Montgomery, AL where you learn about the Civil Rights Movement or on a 48-mile walking trip from your school to the nearest city?

…interning at a print shop where you create inspiring print materials on an old fashioned printing press?

…a group of teens and adults dancing together on a Friday afternoon?

…learning about racism through songwriting as well as community events and collaborations with a local African-American church?

At Springhouse, this is what school looks like – and so much more!

http://catherinecrouch.com//qws.php General Information

Our 5-year accredited high school program prepares teenagers (ages 13-18) to create a world in which all Life thrives. This is vitally important given the widespread social, ecological, and spiritual crises of our time. To prepare to build life-giving culture amidst great adversity, teenagers at Springhouse learn about themselves, study the problems we face in the world today, gain insight from inspiring cultural examples, and practice culture-building skills. These areas of study are the focus of our curriculum, which is informed by Sourced Design, the principles we practice and share to create a culture that takes care of Life over the long term.

Our curriculum is radically different from what most of us are familiar with. Our goal is not for our alumni to succeed in the dominant culture, but rather to be able to navigate that culture in order to build something different. Everything we teach prepares teenagers to build life-giving culture when they leave, wherever they are. We know that leaving behind the familiar educational system can feel risky, and yet, if we want to live in a different world, we need to live and educate in a radically different way.

This kind of education is rigorous and vital. We are looking for teenagers (13-18) who are:

  • Excited to a participate in new form of education

  • Eager to learn and work hard

  • Self-reflective and motivated to know themselves more deeply

  • Able to think beyond themselves and their own needs

  • Excited to participate and grow in community

  • Able to adapt to change and think complexly

Programs and Areas of Interest

A Network visitor will get the most out of their visit to Springhouse if they are immersed in the learning environment for at least two days.

Prior to visiting Springhouse, consider the following:

  • Springhouse does not separate subjects (e.g. language arts, history, science, math, etc.) into strict progressions. Learning is primarily interdisciplinary.
  • Springhouse is an accredited school that does not offer grades. Springhouse generates transcripts for learners and works with them as they seek out post-graduation opportunities.
  • Springhouse is not a college-prep school. Attending college is not our goal. We want learners to leave with the self-knowledge and skills they need to be change agents in our world. In their final years, we assist learners in discerning the right next step for them. If the next step is college, we help them with the application process.
  • Learners will not be placed into a specific “grade level” dependent on age. Learning happens in developmentally-appropriate ways, which may or may not coincide with their age or “grade level.”
  • Learners will have a unique learning experience based on their developmental needs.
  • Learners must attend Springhouse for at least one trimester prior to their final year, which includes a year-long capstone project.
  • Trips, exchanges, and opportunities to leave Floyd County are integrated into our high school curriculum through three all-school trips each year, the optional Blue Ridge Passage trip, and a two- to four-week solo excursion during the second to last year.
  • All learners have a primary mentor that supports them in their personal development.

Our Philosophy

Education is not school. Education occurs constantly; it is how we learn and live. We must learn to live differently if we are to thrive in a world where that isn’t the norm. To create a culture where all life thrives, we must redesign the purpose and practice of education in ways we haven’t seen before. At Springhouse, school is where we learn how to thrive – to live truly and fully, both individually and collectively.

Learning at Springhouse is interdisciplinary, experiential, and rigorous. During their time at Springhouse, learners experience the following:

    • Main Courses that explore topics such as racial inequity, climate change, politics, cultural evolution and criticism, hidden history, the healthcare system, and world cultures.

    • Luminary Courses, focused on the power of possibility, in the following categories:

      • The Power of Love

      • The Way Life Works

      • The Wisdom of Limitations

    • Cohort Advisory that supports learners in developmentally-appropriate topics such as nutrition, sexuality education, personal finance, and getting a driver’s license
  • The Internship Program
    • Community Work Block and daily Cleaning where everyone tends to the grounds and facilities

    • Dance and Singing every week

    • Fitness focused on physical resiliency and collaboration

    • Three (3) All-School Trips each year

    • Three (3) Celebration of Learning Days each year

    • One (1) Community Presentation Night each year

    • Two (2) Reflection of Learning conversations each year focused on an individual’s growth in the skills framework

    • At least one (1) Network of Complementary Schools visit within the first three years of the program

    • (Optional) Third Year Solo Excursion, which is a two-week to month-long trip taken during the school year
  • Final Year Capstone Project

To learn more about Springhouse’s high school and to view a daily schedule, visit https://springhouse.org/high-school/.

Intergenerational Learning

At Springhouse, staff, as well as participants in our adult Cultural Design Program, learn alongside the teens enrolled in the high school program. Course facilitators approach learning with as much curiosity as the learners, and they actively incorporate local community members, experts, and organizations/businesses into course activities. All who are involved with Springhouse see learning as a lifelong process and acknowledge that we all have something to learn from each other.

Singing and Dancing at Springhouse

The school week begins and ends with an all-school sing, and both teens and adults at Springhouse dance at least once a week together (This type of dance is not technical, and no prior dance experience is required). These community practices fortify us so we can live more joyfully and continually respond to the world and its needs with courage and compassion.

Learner Leadership

All learners at Springhouse have opportunities to step into leadership in areas such as curriculum, fundraising, the restorative justice process, sustainability and carbon offsets, and other school-wide and staff-initiated projects.

Rural Campus

Springhouse is located just outside of the town of Floyd on about 11 acres of mostly forested land that is home to gardens, wooded trails, learner-built outdoor classrooms, a large barn, and the main school building, which overlooks the lush Appalachian mountain landscape.

Living Arrangements and Travel

Network visitors are housed in the homes of Springhouse families and staff. If preferred, there is a hotel centrally located in the town of Floyd and various Airbnbs throughout the county. Network visitors who have family or close family friends in the area may elect to stay with them (parent approval required) but should take commuting distances into account. Springhouse is located 15 minutes northwest of the town of Floyd.

Floyd is a small town (under 500 residents in the town center; roughly 15,000 people live in the county) nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains in southwestern Virginia. It has a rich Appalachian culture and is the home of the Friday Night Jamboree at the Floyd Country Store where people from all over the world gather to experience old-time music, flat-footing (a style of dancing), and southern hospitality. Over the years, Floyd has become a home to many artists and artisans, families interested in homesteading, and a range of farms and agricultural businesses. The sense of community here is strong.

The closest airport and Amtrak station are in Roanoke, which is about 45 minutes from the town of Floyd. Please contact the host family and Springhouse about arranging transportation to and from the airport/station; this is not guaranteed but likely.

Application Procedure

Network visitors should complete the Network Student Information form and return it to their home school Network Advisor. All learners ages 13-28 are welcome, especially if they are interested in experiencing a school that is doing education differently.

Dates

All visits are individually arranged throughout the school year for the duration of two days to two weeks depending on the visitor’s preference and availability. Please note that all Springhouse learners participate in the Apprenticeship Program on Thursdays and are at placements both on and off campus. See Springhouse’s School Calendar for dates during which Springhouse is not in session or away on All-School Trips.



Advisor Name: H Leopold
Title: Head of Curriculum Design
Phone: 540-651-4673
Email: h@springhouse.org
Advisor Name: Roni Sutton
Title: Network Advisor
Phone: (540) 815-6618
Email: ronibluebrickbuilding@gmail.com