While there is much news coverage of our Waldorf schools using outdoor classrooms, media outlets are also taking note of Waldorf education’s focus on multidisciplinary coursework, wellness and nature.
The Santa Barbara Independent recently highlighted the The Waldorf School of Santa Barbara in the article — Waldorf Education Honors the Head, Heart, and Hands — touching on Waldorf education’s century-long history and holistic approach.
As Santa Barbara Waldorf School Administrator, Teddy Macker, said, “We want our children to flourish as human beings, wholly,” said Macker. “So we privilege working in the garden like we might privilege math. We privilege painting like we privilege history, so it’s an integrated, holistic curriculum wherein all of the human is honored.”
The Boston Herald also took note of the holistic curriculum in their piece — Healthier high school: The Waldorf alternative — which looked at how Waldorf pedagogy builds social emotional well being at the Waldorf High School of Massachusetts.
They stress that anxiety and depression in teens have been rising steadily since the turn of the century and that high demand prep schools are not helping matters.
“Meanwhile, a very different path from childhood to adulthood does exist. In nearly every region of the world including ours, “Waldorf” schools have crafted an education centered on healthy development and inner well-being.”
The Buffalo News article also looked at Waldorf education through a lens of health, but this time the focus was on the connection to nature and time outdoors. Their news — Waldorf’s emphasis on outdoor education fits the Covid moment — looked specifically at Aurora Waldorf School in West Falls, New York.
Writer, Mark Sommer, notes: “The Waldorf school strives to foster inner development, individual freedom, social responsibility and respect for others. Other philosophical underpinnings of a Waldorf education: Learning is not to be rushed. School can be a joyful place. Every child deserves to be outside every day. The arts are essential to our humanity. And education is more than just the exchange of facts and information.”
Read The Articles:
Santa Barbara Independent
Boston Herald
The Buffalo News
Photo Credit: The Waldorf School of Santa Barbara
