The vision statements below have been developed by volunteers involved in the creation of a Waldorf inspired independent high school in Eugene. Many of the aspects described are still aspirational but we are well aware of the power of envisioning what one hopes to manifest. We hope you share our vision and are drawn to join us in creating it.
Our school will cultivate critical thinking skills, creativity and imagination. Through a project based, multi-disciplinary curriculum, students will explore the arts, mathematics and sciences along with a wide variety of electives. At IHSWV students will receive a holistic and rigorous education. We will encourage students to share these skills with the community at large through volunteerism, foreign exchange and collaboration.
Our education recognizes that the story of human experience includes all voices as part of our common humanity. Our school celebrates diversity, inclusion and all religious and spiritual paths. We cultivate a respect for all perspectives of humanity, leading to compassion, humility and service.
We envision the Independent High School of the Willamette Valley as being a vibrant center for community life, belonging to all of us as an open and shared space.
Our students will meet new challenges with intention and curiosity. They will apply themselves to the work before them and will be engaged in the academic and social life of the school.
Students will learn interpersonal skills that will foster meaningful relationships with classmates, family members and the wider community. By embracing differences, empathy develops, which will prepare students to thrive in a changing world.
Our students will be prepared to meet the world with confidence and the tools to create positive change. Students will embrace their future energized to continue learning and growing.
Our intention at IHSWV is that our core faculty be experts in their fields, be passionate about their areas of expertise, and committed to relaying their knowledge to the next generation. We aim to hire teachers who are committed to the art and profession of teaching and who have experience with and commitment to Waldorf education. We will also have a full complement of adjunct faculty drawn from our local and global communities.
Our teachers will evoke an attitude of curiosity and possibility. Their energy will be contagious and will inspire students to learn.
We are deeply committed to the developmental approach and constant striving at the heart of Waldorf inspired education.
We will maintain financial abundance in order to provide a Waldorf inspired education to as many students as possible. We will determine tuition levels thoughtfully in order to balance financial accessibility, while still providing a strong level of support for the school’s operations and growth. We will maintain ample financial resources to cover any operating expenses during our “start-up” years and beyond.
Ongoing fundraising will be focused on a needs-based scholarship program and on acquiring the necessary funds to create the campus of our dreams.
We will build the site and our programs sustainably as our student body grows. We will undertake specific campaigns to raise funds for site acquisition and development as appropriate.
We will provide salaries to our faculty and staff at a level that will allow them to meaningfully sustain their lives, while focusing their energy on their teaching and support of the school.
We will maintain financial transparency so that all members of our community can understand how resources are obtained and used.
The search for a site is ongoing. It is likely that the first site will be rented space serving our needs for the first two or three years of operation. Our long term vision for our campus is of a peaceful sanctuary within our community. Our primary goal is to provide a beautiful and fully functional space for our students to learn in.
Construction will be with environmentally sustainable methods. We hold a deep commitment to stewardship and care of the natural world. Our work together on the site will be an act of social creation.