Chris' Page For Education That Brings Us Alive!

Springhouse is a unique, on-the-ground example of holistic, eco-centric, place-based learning; education that is soulful, relevant and engaging. We are working towards a vision of regenerative culture. Springhouse is not just an idea, but a learning community that is evidence of what’s possible when life is at the center. 

Fundraising is an essential component to continuing our work - it accounts for almost half of our annual budget. Please help us reach our overall goal for this campaign of $73,000. I am hoping to recruit 100 donors to my page- so help me reach get there by donating whatever you can, every dollar counts!

So many things at Springhouse bring me alive. To name just a few:

• Having dinner with a mentee getting ready to leave our community - reckoning with how hard it is to say goodbye and head out into the unknown
• Building fires with teens, and considering both how the skills needed are relevant in so many other areas, and also how the quality of fire manifests in our lives - when it serves us and when it gets in the way
• Launching rockets and measuring their height with improvised sextants and trigonometry in an exploration of math and physics
• Building a trail through the woods with young people, relishing the beauty of the land, and drawing on resilience to turn the strength of our bodies toward a task, feeling accomplishment in its completion and pride in offering something to the community
• Cutting my hair into a horrifying circle for an epic Halloween costume
• Planning individualized rituals to celebrate the growth we've seen in a young person to invite them toward the next steps in their becoming
• Dressing up as Rudolf and driving presents around to learners not able to attend our gift-exchange in-person
• Role-playing a conversation with anxiety with my mentoring group, learning new and unexpected approaches through embodied spontaneity
• Teaching a Personal Finance course and watching teens discover empowerment in spreadsheets
• Gathering around the cherry tree, singing Dona Nobis Pacem in a 3 part round with our whole school community

I could go on....

Young people need examples of inspired adults to show them that growing up doesn't suck, in fact growing up can be a beautiful and fulfilling journey, and the world needs us to take it. For all of us working at Springhouse, it's more than a job. We are healing and coming more alive through this work. #SpringhouseStories give hope and encourage many to deepen their connection to life.  I hope my story inspires you:

Once upon a time there was a boy named Chris who loved school and dreamed of one day becoming an educator. But somewhere along the way he forgot the dream and got a  job in sales.

Every day he went to work feeling like something was missing. One day he found his way into Springhouse where he met a community of people that were curious about who he was and what gifts he might have to offer the world.

Because of that he felt heard, and seen and loved. Because of that he remembered his dream of becoming an educator. Until finally he left that job in sales to work at Springhouse where he helps young people discover dreams of their own. 

This is the time to connect and give to a learning community that awakens vitality and empowers people to courageously respond to the world’s emerging needs. GIVE TODAY!