We are starting a new preschool co-op in Williams, OR and need some help to get us started! Williams is a small, rural town in Southern Oregon, known for our beautiful wilderness and small, tight-knit community. We have been experiencing an influx of people moving here over the last several years, including many new families! We felt a need to fill an empty space and create an all outdoors, nature and play-based preschool that will be fun, nurturing, inspiring safe and also affordable.

We will have a rich and creative curriculum inspired by the Earth and the rhythm of the changing seasons around us. Nature-based arts and crafts such as wool felting, natural plant dyes and painting, traditional music, stories, dance & movement, wild foods, herbal teas and medicine making, cooking, feasts and parties for holidays, and more will be woven into our days.

No matter where one's ancestors are from, it has always been tradition to have a village to support the process of raising children. We are joining the re-villaging movement in hopes that we can recreate this feeling: to cultivate more joy, to gather resources in ways we cannot do alone, and for each individual (adults and children) to share the unique gifts they carry. We also will be inviting older children to share skills and projects, to inspire the little ones and also invite them to step into their roles as mentors. In addition, we will be reaching out to elders in the community who may want to share stories or songs with the children, helping to connect the old and young and weave the community together.

Funds will be used to build the infrastructure we need and also gather supplies. We are creating this from scratch, so everything from a winter rain shelter & outdoor kitchen to art supplies, musical instruments & hand soap will be needed. Although we expect to have a certain amount of volunteers, we are hoping to also have funds available to pay some of the gifted people in this community to come to teach special classes or help with more in-depth projects, such as weaving a life-sized bird nest for the little fledglings to be in, or building a cob oven for pizza parties! With any extra money we will create a scholarship fund to help those familes who need financial assistance.

Thank you for your time, we appreciate any donation, large or small!