Page Hero Image

Green School

Green School

Entwining education with the natural environment .
Entwining education with the natural environment .

For more than a century, Waldorf education has maintained a strong focus on immersing children in the outdoors to promote a love of nature. At the Waldorf School of Baltimore we have transformed this core belief into a formal, concerted effort to instill stewardship, appreciation, and love for all living things by intertwining our educational experience with the land around us.

The Waldorf School of Baltimore proudly holds the esteemed title of a Certified Green School since 2010, with our certification recently renewed in 2023 through the Maryland Green Schools Program. This initiative is more than a badge; it's a commitment to fostering environmental stewardship through hands-on, inquiry-based instruction, empowering our community to actively engage in responsible environmental care.

For over a century, Waldorf education has championed the immersion of children in the outdoors to instill a genuine love for nature. At the Waldorf School of Baltimore, we have elevated this foundational belief into a deliberate and comprehensive effort. We intertwine our educational experience with the land around us, cultivating stewardship, appreciation, and love for all living things.

In a groundbreaking move in 2021, our school became the pioneer in Baltimore City to launch an exclusively outdoors Forest Kindergarten. This immersive woodland classroom aligns seamlessly with our Waldorf curriculum, offering a year-round nature experience. With five unique outdoor classrooms and play spaces, along with approximately 600 feet of woodland trails, our preschool and kindergarten students spend 75-100% of their school days outdoors, in all seasons and weather conditions. Our commitment extends to elementary students, enjoying two recess periods totaling 40 minutes of unstructured outdoor time. PE/Games classes frequently unfold outside, and classroom lessons seamlessly transition to the great outdoors when fitting. Nature walks through our trails and surrounding urban woodlands are integral to class time, seamlessly integrating nature studies into the curriculum.

Our playgrounds are not just a space; they are certified Wildlife Habitat, providing food, shelter, and water for indigenous species. Recognitions such as the Baltimore City Master Gardener’s Outstanding School Garden Award and the Monarch Waystation Designation underscore our dedication. Our woodlands boast bountiful hiking trails, and yearly camping trips from third grade onward promote immersive outdoor learning. At the Waldorf School of Baltimore, we go beyond green—it's a way of life, a commitment to creating a community that not only appreciates nature but actively contributes to its preservation.