Why Choose Tara Redwood School?
Tara Redwood School offers an education for the heart and mind. Our philosophy is based on ancient wisdom, modern neuroscience and psychology. Tara Redwood School’s program was founded on the belief that all beings have innate goodness and unlimited potential for development. Our commitment is to provide education for awakening the wish and confidence for each child to make a positive difference in the world.
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Knowledge, Strength & Compassion
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Exploration is Learning !
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Educating the Heart & Mind
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Compassion in Action
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Confidence & Creative Expression
Enrollment
WE ARE CURRENTLY ENROLLING FOR 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR!
To Schedule a Campus Visit Please Inquire with office@tararedwoodschool.org
ALSO ENROLLING FOR
Into The Heart of Nature Summer Camp
AGES: 4 to 8 years old DATES: June 20th –August 12th
OUR SCHOOL MISSION
Tara Redwood School uses a global curriculum with its original framework known as the 7 Steps to Knowledge, Strength and Compassion developed over a period of 30 years.
The school’s program is a blend of Montessori and Creating Compassionate Cultures (CCC) methodologies. We engage children to develop strong academic foundations, rich in the sciences and emotional intelligence. We also value the importance of the performance and creative arts as an integral part of a child’s early development. The CCC pedagogy provides an education for the heart and mind with unique social emotional components that nurture children’s innate positive qualities while empowering them to make a positive impact on the world through their thoughts and actions.
Tara Redwood School bases its curriculum on the following VALUES:
INSIGHT
● Develop a deeper understanding of our unlimited potential
● Develop awareness of the effects of our actions on oneself, others and the environment
● Understanding our emotions in order to exercise the freedom to make skillful, compassionate and helpful choices.
KIND SPEECH
● Speaking words that are helpful, kind, encouraging and complimentary.
● Refraining from speaking words with ill intent i.e., divisive speech, lying, gossip, harsh speech, name-calling, belittling, and exclusion.
KINDHEARTEDNESS
● Showing respect and compassion for all living beings (creatures great and small).
● Taking responsibility for helping others whenever possible.
● Being mindful to not harm others.
GENEROSITY
● Practicing generosity and sharing with our material belongings, our knowledge, our time and resources.
● Not taking that which has not been offered or does not belong to you.
COURAGE
● Developing the courage and perseverance to practice patience, respect, acceptance and forgiveness of differences.
● Not responding with anger, jealousy, pride or resentment.
Our educators strive to offer a stimulating learning experience through daily outdoor immersion in our Redwood Forest Campus.
ANNUAL GIVING CAMPAIGN
Tara Redwood School has kept its doors open since 1989 with the support of generous benefactors like yourself. Thanks to the tremendous support from our community of family, friends and alumni our little non profit school can offer our amazing Montessori inspired curriculum and unique CCC programs to many children throughout the years. We offer heartfelt THANKS to all of you for partnering with us to make this world a better place by supporting our mission to ~empower children to make a positive difference in the world through Knowledge, Strength and Compassion~
Building From The Foundation Up! Campaign 2021–2022. Learn more here.
We are raising any amount but the goal is $350,000.
Powered by GiveCampus
OUR CAMPUS
Nestled in 108 acres of sunny, serene redwood forest adjacent to Nisene Marks State Park, Tara Redwood School is a forest school that provides an unparalleled learning environment of peace and beauty. We offer a toddler program (24 mo. & up), preschool, and kindergarten 6th grade. Recently we have created more classroom space for our wait listed families at our new Preschool Campus in the Soquel Village located at the historic Soquel Congregational Church. Note that this is just a temporary location until county licensing for campus development is completed. All grades receive daily immersion to the redwood forest campus comprised of hiking, creek play and organic gardening.
Alumni Testimonials
"Some of my earliest and most cherished memories come from my years spent at Tara Redwood. The foundation that I received there was unlike any that I could possibly imagine. At Tara, I was able to flourish, and enhance my capacity and interest for knowledge,spiritual and mental well-being, and ambition. From the environment, to the teachers, to my fellow students — I was able to find a home at Tara Redwood — a place to grow and learn about life. Most importantly, Tara Redwood has taught me about compassion — a characteristic that has been so important to me, and helped me with human connections throughout my life. "
Alex Ivany
Documentary Film Editor for 13th & Skin in the Game.
X
"We are SO appreciative of all that Tara Redwood School is doing and all that this school has done for all of these wonderful families and for our immediate family as well. We believe that Tara has the formula for how education for young children should be in so many ways, and we hope that we can keep these lessons in the forefront of our day to day life as we move forward with our children’s education. We are eternally grateful for our experience at Tara."
Heidi Winig
Health Educator and mom to two Tara alumni.
X
"We are so incredibly grateful for our experience at Tara. We truly can't imagine having the early years of growth for our sweet girls be anywhere else. We see that so much of the foundation of the school is just a part of who they are as little people operating in this world. Everything about the program has been the perfect fit for our family and provided an immense connection for us to the Santa Cruz community and built our experience for our first 5 years in here. This is truly the best decision we made as we moved here. Each year has brought new growth, learning, support and enrichment to all of us. We are so proud to be part of the Tara community and so blessed in so many ways that we've been able to participate."
Heidi Otto
Portfolio Director, North America at Distill Ventures.
X
"I am so grateful for what a wonderful early childhood experience you provided for Kai, his cousin and friends. — they are all such great young men".
Tom Killion
Santa Cruz Artist and father to alumni, Kai Killion.
X
"Tara Redwood certainly helped my life in a positive way. It's amazing how much elementary and pre-school have impacted my life! I stay close with my best friend from Tara Redwood even today at age 27, and have a huge amount of warm memories playing in the woods and hiking up at Land Of The Medicine Buddha as a young kid. Besides that, the loving individual teaching attention I was given helped foster a passion for math and spelling that made me well prepared for honors & AP classes in jr. high & high school. More than anything, I think the early lessons in empathy and kindness have helped me build great meaningful relationships throughout my life, and been instrumental to my career after college in high tech companies and venture capital. The values taught in Tara Redwood are truly needed in today's world and will be a huge benefit to the world to come! "
Dylan Love, Alumni
X
"When reflecting on my time at Tara I look back with a happy heart and warm memories. Tara taught me so much about being in tune with my emotions and the world around me. Teaching me at a young age how to recenter myself with meditation and breath has been a huge benefit to my life as a teenager and adult. The community I build from my time at Tara is unlike any other community I have since connected to, and I hold a very special place in my heart for the members of my Tara community. I believe going to Tara from preschool through first grade made me a better human being, I came out more able to communicate my emotions, feelings, and needs. It also allowed me to look at challenges, both educationally and socially, as opportunities to learn. Teaching kids to grow into kind, emotionally intelligent human beings is what the world needs more of, and Tara accomplishes that task."
Sara Adams, Alumni.
X
"This school has had a huge impact on me physically, mentally and emotionally that I will never forget about for as long as I live. It has made me proud to live somewhere with trees and greenery to enjoy and it provided a more in depth appreciation of nature. It has taught me to respect the value of life and taught me some life lessons. Tara Redwood School has helped shape the way I look at things. It’s weird the memories help me more now than they did when they were happening."
Kai Abrahms, Alumni
Excerpt from a Sociology college paper titled, “A Formative Experience”.
X
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"Some of my earliest and most cherished memories come from my years spent at Tara Redwood. The foundation that I received there was unlike any that I could possibly imagine. At Tara, I was able to flourish, and enhance my capacity and interest for knowledge,spiritual and mental well-being, and ambition. From the environment, to the teachers, to my fellow students — I was able to find a home at Tara Redwood — a place to grow and learn about life. Most importantly, Tara Redwood has taught me about compassion — a characteristic that has been so important to me, and helped me with human connections throughout my life. "
Alex Ivany
Documentary Film Editor for 13th & Skin in the Game.
X
"We are SO appreciative of all that Tara Redwood School is doing and all that this school has done for all of these wonderful families and for our immediate family as well. We believe that Tara has the formula for how education for young children should be in so many ways, and we hope that we can keep these lessons in the forefront of our day to day life as we move forward with our children’s education. We are eternally grateful for our experience at Tara."
Heidi Winig Health Educator and mom to two Tara alumni.X
"We are so incredibly grateful for our experience at Tara. We truly can't imagine having the early years of growth for our sweet girls be anywhere else. We see that so much of the foundation of the school is just a part of who they are as little people operating in this world. Everything about the program has been the perfect fit for our family and provided an immense connection for us to the Santa Cruz community and built our experience for our first 5 years in here. This is truly the best decision we made as we moved here. Each year has brought new growth, learning, support and enrichment to all of us. We are so proud to be part of the Tara community and so blessed in so many ways that we've been able to participate."
Heidi Otto Portfolio Director, North America at Distill Ventures.X
X
"I am so grateful for what a wonderful early childhood experience you provided for Kai, his cousin and friends. — they are all such great young men".
Tom Killion
Santa Cruz Artist and father to alumni, Kai Killion.
"Tara Redwood certainly helped my life in a positive way. It's amazing how much elementary and pre-school have impacted my life! I stay close with my best friend from Tara Redwood even today at age 27, and have a huge amount of warm memories playing in the woods and hiking up at Land Of The Medicine Buddha as a young kid. Besides that, the loving individual teaching attention I was given helped foster a passion for math and spelling that made me well prepared for honors & AP classes in jr. high & high school. More than anything, I think the early lessons in empathy and kindness have helped me build great meaningful relationships throughout my life, and been instrumental to my career after college in high tech companies and venture capital. The values taught in Tara Redwood are truly needed in today's world and will be a huge benefit to the world to come! "
Dylan Love, Alumni
X
"When reflecting on my time at Tara I look back with a happy heart and warm memories. Tara taught me so much about being in tune with my emotions and the world around me. Teaching me at a young age how to recenter myself with meditation and breath has been a huge benefit to my life as a teenager and adult. The community I build from my time at Tara is unlike any other community I have since connected to, and I hold a very special place in my heart for the members of my Tara community. I believe going to Tara from preschool through first grade made me a better human being, I came out more able to communicate my emotions, feelings, and needs. It also allowed me to look at challenges, both educationally and socially, as opportunities to learn. Teaching kids to grow into kind, emotionally intelligent human beings is what the world needs more of, and Tara accomplishes that task."Sara Adams, Alumni.X
"This school has had a huge impact on me physically, mentally and emotionally that I will never forget about for as long as I live. It has made me proud to live somewhere with trees and greenery to enjoy and it provided a more in depth appreciation of nature. It has taught me to respect the value of life and taught me some life lessons. Tara Redwood School has helped shape the way I look at things. It’s weird the memories help me more now than they did when they were happening."Kai Abrahms, AlumniExcerpt from a Sociology college paper titled, “A Formative Experience”.X
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Environmentalism
Mindfulness
Thematic Curriculum
Creative Arts
