Location: Bastrop, TX (25 minutes east of Austin)
137 Woodview Ln
Bastrop, TX 78602
Students served: Ages 3–5
Current enrollment: 20 students each day, with 3 instructors
Model/philosophy: Modeled after forest preschools in Europe and around the world, Wild Life Forest Preschool at Earth Native is play-based, child-led, and earth-conscious. Children learn as the mammals do, by following their satisfaction through play, by challenging their bodies, and by experiencing the patterns of their environment, both natural and social, in a forest they themselves care for. Children will build the foundations of writing, science, math, art, and physical development—even confidence and happiness—by exploring the forest with their friends. And of course, Wild Life Forest Preschool will make certain your child’s first adventures are considerate, careful, and safe.
Special features: Located on 80 beautiful acres of land, covered in native hardwood trees with abundant wildlife, incredible native plant diversity, and a spring-fed year-round creek. Small, intimate class size with a maximum of 20 students per day with 3 instructors. Curriculum is inspiration based and will include the establishment of deep connections to nature; animal tracks, bird language; empathy and understanding of local wildlife; plant identification, including edible, medicinal, and useful local plants; campfires; adventures; and fun!
Schedule: Hours are 9am–2pm. Program options include Monday/Wednesday program, Tuesday/Thursday program, and Friday program. School calendar runs September–May.
Tuition: Monthly payments of $220 (Friday program) or $445 (M/W or T/Th program). Full tuition rates range from $1,890 to $3,915.
Contact: Dave Scott | 512-299-8870 | info@earthnativeschool.com
Each listing in this alphabetical directory gives you a snapshot of a small, independent, alternative school in the Austin area.
This frequently updated list spans several pages, with navigation buttons at the bottom. Clicking on the name of a school will take you to its own website. To easily find schools by geographical area, see our Alt Ed Maps page. If you know of a school that’s missing from this directory, please drop a note here, and see Alt Ed Austin’s criteria for “alternative” and “school.” You may also be interested in our directories of other recommended schools (which are mostly larger or more specialized or religiously oriented), as well as special programs for children and adults.
Full disclosure: Alt Ed Austin founder Teri Sperry has ties with several of the schools listed on this site. Her child, now an adult, attended two of them years ago. She has friends who direct, teach at, or are otherwise involved in others. Some programs choose to advertise from time to time on Alt Ed Austin as Sponsoring Partners. She firmly believes that all of the schools featured on this site (including the ones to which she has no personal connection and those from which she receives no advertising fees) are good choices for some kids, each for different reasons.
