Evolution of River Farm Forest School

Weary of large class sizes in their sons’ public elementary school, a "teach-to-the-test" philosophy that stifled creativity, and the lack of opportunities for movement or to interact with nature during the school day, two Alexandria parents set out to create a new educational experience for students in the Northern Virginia area. In December 2013, the neighbors founded the River Farm Cooperative – the first daily, parent-owned, teacher-led cooperative program in the DC area. The cooperative was named after George Washington's River Farm since the co-founders' homes were located on the site of the first president's farm. In addition, they admired the founding father’s innovative thinking, and the words "river farm" evoked a focus on nature that would be pivotal to the co-op's philosophy.

After eight months of intense planning and preparation, the co-op opened in September 2014 to a single, mixed-age class of 13 students. The following year, the co-op doubled in size, splitting into two mixed-age classrooms (the Upper Elementary class and the Lower Elementary class) led by two teachers.

We are a cooperative school, and just as our leaders change, our methods evolve to address the needs of the current community. This is how RFFS became a forest school. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we adapted to a fresh-air approach to our daily learning.