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Red Pine Learning Community provides educational enrichment for children aged 5-9 years in a mixed-age learning environment. Social-emotional learning and emotional intelligence are central to our program and serve as a guide for both our teaching practices and community culture.
We aim to:
- Foster a passion for learning, collaboration, leadership, and creativity.
- Support children in developing self-awareness, self-advocacy, and empathy.
- Empower children to think critically and engage in thoughtful communication.
In addition to lessons covering science, math, reading and writing, we also include ecological awareness, movement, and body awareness as important components of a well-rounded education.
RPLC’s lesson plans are developed and adapted by our educators who are responsive to the children’s needs, interests, and development. Learning takes place in our outdoor classrooms where children engage directly with the natural world through hands-on experiential learning.
We embrace time outdoors in order to foster regular engagement with the natural world and provide frequent screen-free experiences. Peer-reviewed evidence indicates that children often learn better and can regulate emotions more effectively when outdoors, particularly when paired with reduced screen exposure.
Our “outdoors-first” approach—choosing to learn outside whenever we can safely do so—is a foundational value of our community for these reasons. It also supports children and families who take additional health precautions in order to protect the well-being of vulnerable family members.
Red Pine Learning Community values:
- Outdoors-first learning
- Community care
- Accessibility
- Evidence-based practices
- Environmental stewardship
Our values in action mean that we take layered public health protections to support our community. We recognize that indoor spaces are necessary for student safety. Our indoor classrooms include open windows, portable HEPA filtration, and indoor air quality monitoring. Children and teachers mask to help protect high-risk members of our community.
Co-founders Rachel and Chris Caldwell are parents whose children have attended Montessori schools and Forest schools. They have organized virtual meetings and in-person meet-ups for children and caregivers following Safer Gatherings guidelines.
Staff Information
Email the Program Liaison, Chris Caldwell: [email protected].
Board of Directors
- President: Chris Caldwell, MFA and MSIS
- Vice President: Rachel Caldwell, MIS/MLS
- Secretary: Allison McKittrick, MSIS
- Treasurer: Ann Marie Faust, PhD
- Board Member: Melanie Zoltan, MA/MS
Red Pine Learning Community, founded in 2025, is a secular nonprofit organization. The RPLC logo was designed by Thorneater. RPLC’s 501(c)3 fiscal sponsor is the Peace Development Fund.
If you would like to donate to RPLC, please visit the PDF portal.
Contact Us
Send an email to [email protected] or complete our form.