Apple Blossom Community School Start Up

Apple Blossom Community School Mission: Through an enriching, nurturing, and holistic curriculum, we engage the head, heart, and hands to cultivate inner joy, reverence and wonder for the earth, and a deeper connection to our local community and the world. 

Philosophy and Vision:

At Apple Blossom Village we strive to develop the child’s full human potential. By building on a child’s natural curiosity, sense of wonder and love of learning, the whole child is educated with an emphasis on wellness, including: physical, social/emotional, environmental, cognitive, and wellness of the spirit. 

We are currently operating on a small budget doing great things! We currently offer a K - third grade program for home school children that integrates the arts and movement right into the curriculum and we offer outdoor immersion in the fall and spring. The Indigenous Environmental Network shares their yurt with us, making it possible to offer this unique program. Our intent is to grow our program into a non-profit independent school offering early childhood through third grade. Apple Blossom is inspired by Waldorf education and provides a supportive and nurturing environment for children and their families from birth to age 9.

We place high value on diversity and inclusiveness, and it is our intention to weave indigenous values throughout our school, giving honor to the first people of this area. Situated between Red Lake, White Earth, and Leech Lake Reservations, we believe Ojibwe language and culture are central to our work. It is our hope that each child will feel deeply connected to their own culture and traditions, and that all children will gain an understanding of and respect for Native American Culture that is an inherent part of our land and history in Minnesota. Our curriculum is nature based and follows the seasons, we practice sustainability, and promote care for the environment. We are grateful to the Indigenous Environmental Network for sharing their yurt with us for our outdoor programs and grateful for our teepee provided by one of our families. 

We would like to establish a scholarship fund based on financial need based on a committee review of a family’s need, giving first preference to Native American students and minority students.  

Apple Blossom is a unique option for families during the early childhood years through age nine. Apple Blossom's environment and curriculum builds a strong foundation for the whole child, while also supporting the whole family with a small welcoming "village" in these critical early years. This will have a ripple effect into the whole community as we share with others what we have learned and how a supportive space can look and feel.

Please help us make Apple Blossom an accessible and sustainable option for Bemidji, MN children!