Children learn best with an abundance of natural light. Our floor to ceiling windows in the classrooms and library enable students to be immersed in and engaged with the natural world even when they are inside. Classrooms and spaces for art, music, and performances also harness the maximum natural daylight. Our indoor spaces open directly to the grounds for seamless outdoor study, exploration, and play.

From our wastewater treatment system to the use of reclaimed materials, children learn how to put good intentions into action in a school that lives its commitment to a more sustainable world every day.

Willow’s emphasis on place-based education uses the 34-acre campus to immerse students in the unique history, environment, culture, and art of our area and region.

Willow doesn’t shy away from challenge. Since the school was founded in 2000, Willow has confronted the enormous test to create a more sustainable world, head on. Our campus is intentionally crafted to reduce our impact on the environment and provide a range of learning opportunities.

The Health, Wellness & Nutrition Center, for instance, runs on 100% renewable energy, and all rainwater is captured, treated and utilized. Willow students monitor the building’s energy usage and can trace the entire water recycling system in precise detail. Our working gardens supplement the locally sourced lunch program, providing students a concrete understanding and appreciation of the food cycle from seed to table, while the sustainable design of classrooms promotes appreciation of the natural world.

The small and large ways that Willow lives its commitment to sustainability makes a powerful impression on students. When children are part of a school community that tackles complex problems, they acquire the confidence and compassion to be effective agents of change. Willow graduates stand apart from their peers because they can move beyond caring about important issues, to using their knowledge, understanding, and skills to do something about them.