Located on unceded ᏣᎳᎩ (Tsalagi, Cherokee) land
Member of the
photo by Kaelee Denise Photography - kaeleedenise.com
At Ripple Forest School, we provide child-led, emergent, and play-based education focused on nature-connection, social-emotional learning, social-environmental justice, and healthy risk-taking that takes place entirely outdoors at the Cradle of Care in Pisgah Forest, NC.
See photos on our social media:
Our class sizes are kept small (5-12 students with 2 teachers) so that we can model healthy attachment and develop secure relationships with our students and their families, as well as foster community among our students and their families. We want each of our students to feel seen and known and to feel a deep sense of belonging both in nature and in our school community. Our two teachers, Rivers & Alex, use their training & certification in wilderness medicine to keep us safe.
Our teaching style emphasizes experiential learning and involves asking questions and telling stories. Our teaching is rooted in developmentally-appropriate, liberatory education principles and collective liberation, centering Indigenous sovereignty, racial justice, anti-colonialism, disability justice, and environmental stewardship as inseparable. We believe that understanding history, land, and justice is essential to raising resilient, empathetic children who can thrive in a changing world.
Ripple Forest School is a small, teacher-owned & -operated program deeply rooted in our connection to the land and community. Our program is proudly woman-led, neurodivergent-led, LGBTQ+-led, and disabled-led, reflecting our investment in inclusivity.
This forest has been home to Cherokee people and other Indigenous nations since time immemorial. Colonization has tried to sever those relationships—but the knowledge still lives. We are learning how to be in right relationship too, and how to repair the ways our own ancestors were separated from land. We acknowledge that we are uninvited guests on this land, and we strive to honor that by listening, learning, and practicing ongoing reciprocity.
This forest has been home to Cherokee people and other Indigenous nations since time immemorial. Colonization has tried to sever those relationships—but the knowledge still lives. We are learning how to be in right relationship too, and how to repair the ways our own ancestors were separated from land. We acknowledge that we are uninvited guests on this land, and we strive to honor that by listening, learning, and practicing ongoing reciprocity.
The Cradle of Care, where we’re located, is an emerging cooperative land project on the ancestral homelands of the Cherokee with a vision to become a multicultural, cooperatively-owned center for spiritual and cultural learning, care, and community support. The Cradle of Care prioritizes the land-based visions of Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities, aiming to address unmet needs and foster holistic thriving across all life stages.
Aunque no hablamos español, queremos que todas las familias se sientan bienvenidas. Si desea inscribirse o tiene preguntas, por favor contáctenos—haremos todo lo posible para apoyarle. Envíe un correo electrónico a Alex a [email protected]
Aunque no hablamos español, queremos que todas las familias se sientan bienvenidas. Si desea inscribirse o tiene preguntas, por favor contáctenos—haremos todo lo posible para apoyarle. Envíe un correo electrónico a Alex a [email protected]
School Year 2025-2026
September 2025 - May 2026
September 2025 - May 2026
Mayapples (ages 7-12)
+ Student Leader Program (ages 13-17)
Homeschool drop-off class
10-12 students with 2 teachers
Thursdays
10 am - 2 pm
$190/month
2 spots available for girls!
+ Student Leader Program (ages 13-17)
Homeschool drop-off class
10-12 students with 2 teachers
Thursdays
10 am - 2 pm
$190/month
2 spots available for girls!
Talk with us if your child falls in between or outside these age ranges! We consider each child individually.
After our minimal expenses, your tuition dollars go directly to supporting your teachers' livelihoods.
Tuition prices reflect a living wage for teachers based on current standards from the Living Wage Coalition of Transylvania County.
See below for equity scholarships, work trade, and sliding scale.
Tuition prices reflect a living wage for teachers based on current standards from the Living Wage Coalition of Transylvania County.
See below for equity scholarships, work trade, and sliding scale.
Prospective families are required to visit before enrolling.
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Alex and Rivers are especially gifted in how they are able to connect with small children. They demonstrate their high ideals for how the future generation should be treated with the utmost dignity and respect. |
Location
We are located at the Cradle of Care in Pisgah Forest, NC
on Lyday Creek Rd off Highway 64 near Holly View Farm
14 minutes from Brevard; 27 min. from Hendersonville; 21 min. from Mills River; 29 min. from Fletcher; 57 mins from Cashiers
To protect the privacy of the residents, we will share the address after you register.
We are located at the Cradle of Care in Pisgah Forest, NC
on Lyday Creek Rd off Highway 64 near Holly View Farm
14 minutes from Brevard; 27 min. from Hendersonville; 21 min. from Mills River; 29 min. from Fletcher; 57 mins from Cashiers
To protect the privacy of the residents, we will share the address after you register.
Alex is an incredible educator!
She spent two years as a lead teacher with Firefly Forest School in Michigan and was a beloved part of our team. She is caring, kind, patient, and was always looking out for the safety and happiness of our students. We are so excited to see Ripple Forest School come into being."
--Bailey Lininger, Director & Owner, Firefly Forest School
Read our Family Guide for all of the details, logistics, and policies.
Alex is the best! She is a fun, thoughtful, and dedicated teacher.
She and I taught together at Wild Nature Project and I was always impressed with her! I’m so excited for her to be sharing her knowledge with more kids."
--Kelsey Campbell, Director & Owner, Cedar Valley Farm & Forest School
Equity Scholarships, Work Trade, & Sliding Scale
We offer Equity Scholarships for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ families as a gesture of reparations and redistribution.
We also provide sliding scale and work trade for families who need it—because cost shouldn’t be a barrier to kids learning and growing in nature.
We also provide sliding scale and work trade for families who need it—because cost shouldn’t be a barrier to kids learning and growing in nature.
- Black, Indigenous, & Families of Color receive 40% off (as a gesture of reparations and redistribution; not an assumption of financial need)
- LGBTQ+ families receive 15% off (as a gesture of solidarity and care)
- Work trade: If listed tuition prices are inaccessible, we encourage you to let us know if there’s any skills or labor you might be able to offer in trade.
- Sliding scale: If you’re not available for work trade, we offer need-based sliding scale.
Families can combine equity scholarships and also access sliding scale or work trade. No documentation or justification needed—we trust families to name what’s appropriate for them.
Please email Alex, schedule a phone call, or schedule a visit with questions or let us know what scholarships you’d like to use.
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Interested but not ready to enroll?
Join our email list to hear about registration & openings: |
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“Teach the children. We don’t matter so much, but the children do.
Show them the daisies and the pale hepatica. Teach them the taste of sassafras and wintergreen… Give them the fields and the woods and the possibility of a world salvaged from the lords of profit. Stand them in the stream, head them upstream, rejoice as they learn to love this green space they live in, its sticks and leaves and then the silent, beautiful blossoms.
Attention is the beginning of devotion.”
- Mary Oliver
Show them the daisies and the pale hepatica. Teach them the taste of sassafras and wintergreen… Give them the fields and the woods and the possibility of a world salvaged from the lords of profit. Stand them in the stream, head them upstream, rejoice as they learn to love this green space they live in, its sticks and leaves and then the silent, beautiful blossoms.
Attention is the beginning of devotion.”
- Mary Oliver
photo by Kaelee Denise Photography - kaeleedenise.com