Our Community
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Maryfaith Decker-Miller She/Her
Director/Lead Guide
​Co-Founder of Forest Learning Collective, Maryfaith has a passion for pedagogy and the natural world that is unmatched. She is a well-seasoned homeschool mom who takes great pride in nurturing lifelong learning. In between FLC and working on her doctorate, Maryfaith likes to spend her free time traveling, paddling, and bird-watching.
El Krause They/Them
Assistant Director/Guide
El joined our community in 2024 as a sub with an extensive background in child-centered programming. As an avid supporter of mess-making and risky play, you'll typically find El just as worn out and mud-covered as your learners are at the end of the day. They are well-versed in neurodivergence in children and through their work at FLC strive to make the outdoors more accessible for all.
Transitioning out of a support role to a full-time guide, Redd is excited to move through the seasons this year with our seven to nine year old learners. Redd what he brings to FLC. Redd outside interests/fun fact.
Redd Eccleston He/They
Guide
Role at FLC. Things they are looking forward to this year. Fun fact about self.
First Last Pro/Nouns
Guide
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Critta Wood She/Her
Cooking Specialist
Critta has been supporting learning at FLC for the past five years, leading the older cohort as they expand and reach towards their interests. She has brought a deep love and knowledge of cooking, storytelling, and art-making to our learners. As a guide, Critta is able to relate to learners and generate a space of mutual respect and understanding. Her veggie fritters are unrivaled.
Patricia how she got to FLC. Patricia how she connects with FLC. Patricia outside interests and goals for program.
Patricia Sprenger She/Her
Art Specialist
Julie vision for program. Fun facts about family. Activities she is excited to do this year
Julie Allen She/Her
Forest Friends
Thing they love at FLC. Other interests outside of FLC.
First Last Pro/Nouns
Substitute Guide
Our Guides all have the gifts of nature knowledge and the ability to connect with and inspire young people. They support children’s learning in nature by facilitating emergent, place-based explorations, modeling respect to all creatures, those we encounter, and each other. We mentor peacemaking and gratitude. Our Guides receive continuous peer to peer training in best practices in early childhood, self-directed education, and sociocracy, and each has first aid/CPR training. They are knowledgeable about neurodivergence, and will work with families to adapt the program structure to best support the individual child. There is no such thing as ‘not a good fit for our program’ because every child belongs in nature.
Being a part of our community means you will be among families of homeschoolers. Parents must follow all homeschooling guidelines pursuant to NYS Education code 100.10.
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Parents will need to submit a letter of intent to homeschool, an IHIP, quarterly reports, and a final assessment of your child's progress to your school district. FLC will provide complementary instruction with an emergent curriculum. All work will be shared with parents to help assist the completion of quarterly reports. We also offer regular parent meetings to discuss what we're working on and how you might incorporate some of our FLC projects into your homeschool curriculum, and how we might share in the learning from home.
Sociocracy
Sociocracy is “a peer governance system based on consent”
Rather than using “majority rule” or a hierarchical structure to discuss and decide issues, FLC works to make decisions based on consent. Consent means that if any member of FLC (whether it be a five year-old learner or a member of the Council) objects to a proposal or idea, the proposal is revised until all can give consent. As a sociocracy, FLC fosters the development and growth of circles, a trusted team of peers, to make decisions. Circles may include but are not limited to:
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Homeschool Parent Circle
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Afternoon Circle
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Kindergarten Circle
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Club Circles (Fishing Circle, Knitting Circle, Pokemon Circle, etc.)
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Fundraising Circle
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Circle of Elders (Board)
Circles set their own meeting times, agendas, priorities and make decisions for their circles. If an issue will affect the whole community, the circle will send 1-2 representatives to the All Community Meeting. All Community Meetings will take place once a season unless otherwise needed. Circles have links, or connectors, between each other to help information flow. Parents are invited to take places in the circles as their time and interests dictate.
a final assessment of your child's progress to your school district. FLC will provide complementary instruction with an emergent curriculum. All work will be shared with parents to help assist the completion of quarterly reports. We also offer regular parent meetings to discuss what we're working on and how you might incorporate some of our FLC projects into your homeschool curriculum.
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