History of School Around Us

School Around Us (SAU) was founded in 1970 by a group of local families who were innovators in education. Originally part of an educational reform group in the local school district, the founders were a group of parents who were spurred to action as school administrators were unwilling to make substantive changes informed by this reform group's work. At one meeting, one founder made a comment that group members remember to this day: “We can’t ask them to be the change we are looking for. We have to be the change ourselves.” The concept of starting a school took hold. After substantial reflection, the founding group connected to the following philosophy... “School and the rest of life are not separate. Learning takes place everywhere – the school building is only the hub, with spokes connecting it to the community at large.” which gave rise to the name “School Around Us.”

School Around Us from its founding aimed to embody the philosophy of holistic education — the insight that as learners we develop meaning, identity, and purpose through self discovery, relationships, connection to the environment, to our community, and to the spiritual dimension of life.

For 50 years, SAU pursued this vision as a small parent-run school for K - 8 students, guided by this mission and powered by the generosity and hard work of our parents, students, and teachers. In our 50th year, we embraced an evolution in how we do this, out of a desire to re-vivify this deep-rooted educational vision in a way that meets today’s world of complex human, societal, technological and political forces. We believe that now more than ever, it is not merely our children who are hungry for education that brings meaning to our lives, it is all of us.