How Upland Hills School Began
The Past
In the beginning there was a plot of land. The story of the land and how it came into being is fascinating and rich. Through many caretakers from the first indigenous people, then settlers and lastly to the Webster family, its history lays the foundation of the school. The living, breathing influence of the land and its spirit is woven through the school's history. When a group of parents wanted a different type of education for their children, one that connected the land and at that time, rural family farm life to the daily lives of their children, Upland Hills School grew out of this inspiration and longing.
Every community has a story keeper. The school founders understood from their own educational experiences that the secret of a person's soul lay in the sacredness of childhood. The secret of a person's life lies in listening and following his intuition. A young couple, embarking on their own life's adventure were the chosen story keepers. They took to heart the seriousness of a child's inner wonderment. They understood that a passion for learning only comes through complete immersion in learning. A person's mind is not separate from his hands. His hands are not separate from his heart. Together a collective of hearts creates a community and sustains life. From a plot of land, a group of parents, a few teachers and a handful of children grew a special way of learning. One that has been redefining education ever since.
The Present
Located on 30 acres of woods and rolling meadows in Oxford, Michigan, Upland Hills School sits nestled among Upland Hills Farm and Bald Mountain Recreation Area. It is a place where children are honored as individuals, where each child's gifts and unique genius are acknowledged and developed and where teachers can fully express their gifts in a supportive and enlivening environment. Our classes often take place in the woods or on trails. We know that the love our children receive every day from this place will bring forth their natural desire to protect and nurture the natural world. We teach our children how to learn and how to understand the connections between all things. We teach them how academic competency is a necessary tool to bring full value to their educational experiences. We hope that the children who are here will help transform our world, today and tomorrow, into a place of compassion. We are deeply committed to helping children become healthy, inspired, creative and productive individuals.
