Bringing Joy To Learning
Students come to Birch because they want…
- to be part of a kind, caring community
- to look forward to school each day
- to have a say in their own education
- to work at their own pace
- to have ideas and work on them
- to learn how to communicate and collaborate
- to take responsibility for themselves and have respect for others
- to learn to be happy and healthy
Joyful learning in a fluid and flexible environment.
- A stable community of caring, experienced teachers and kind peers of multiple ages.
- Personalized learning plans with options for in-person and at-home learning
- Flexible learning levels, we meet students where they are.
- Support for healthy lifestyles and emotional wellness
- Record-keeping, mastery inventories, future planning for career/college
Fully Virtual, Hybrid, Remote and In-person Options
We offer Full-Time and Part-Time options.
In our Hybrid Program you can come to school a few days a week and learn from home a few days a week. (limited enrollment)
We offer a full-service comprehensive learning program in the mornings only. Check out our part time option.
Our Forest School meets 2 afternoons per week. For learners ages 5 – 14 in two different groups.
Student directed, focused, goal-oriented open workshop time for students ages 8 and up. Teachers, mentors and staff assist students in making plans and meeting their goals. Different themed, pop-up work centers are available each afternoon.
Do you want to learn from home in a community of learners?
Do you need assistance with planning, reporting, transcripts? Also available: Individual Goal-setting, personalized learning plans, and customized plan assistance.
Our focus is a holistic approach to learning, supporting families seeking options for their students. Our priority is to support child-led exploration, interests and activities.
We help students become self-directed learners and offer resources to support and guide them. The core of the program is our individualized, customized curriculum, supported by sophisticated, curated learning tools and combined with authentic participation in community life.
The Birch School is now entering its tenth year, and has grown into a lively mixed-age learning community. We enjoy busy days in the sunny “green” building and spend lots of time outdoors in the large schoolyard and woods. Our students are ages 7 to 17.
We have developed a unique educational environment by putting cutting edge learning research into practice. Using 21st century tools and embracing agile attitudes, we promote collaboration and self-organization. Guided by ecological principles, we strive to bridge the gap between nature and technology for young people growing up in times of rapid change and innovation. It is with great excitement that we invite young people to engage in vibrant, creative and connected learning, supported by knowledgeable and caring mentors and teachers.
We strive to inspire children to pursue their interests, we provide targeted resources and structure for them to do so, and we help the child record the experience, in whatever form appropriate, for their portfolio.
Please explore our website to learn more about this new 21st century learning community.
The Birch School is a learning alternative for youngsters in Orange, Ulster, Dutchess and Putnam Counties in New York and the Greater Hudson Valley. We present a nature-based educational program based on democratic process and consensus. We serve students in Elementary, Middle School, and High School. We offer homeschooling support and assistance for homeschool families. We encourage child-led, child-centered, inquiry based and project based learning opportunities. We follow in the tradition of schooling which includes Waldorf, Vigotsky, Montessori, Reggio Emilio and Neill.
The Birch School is part of several international networks of progressive schools: the Alternative Education Resource Organization (AERO), as well as the International Association of Co-Learning Communities (IACLC – 100 Roads), and Education Reimagined.
Currently serving students from Goshen, Washingtonville, Campbell Hall, New Windsor, Cornwall, Newburgh, Walden, Montgomery, Maybrook, Pine Bush, Middletown, Blooming Grove, Warwick, Florida, Beacon, Haldane, Walkill, Gardiner, Orange County, Dutchess County, Sullivan County, and surrounding areas. Transportation is generally available via home district when student attends full time and resides within 15 miles of school. Inquire for more information.
The Birch School was granted a Provisional Non-Public, Non-Profit Charter by NYS Board of Regents in 2014 and the Charter was renewed in 2018.
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