Important Info, Click each button to learn more!
We use Brightwheel for our enrollment and billing. When you enroll you will have to make an account.
Learn about our program:
Our program will include opportunities for exploring outdoors, gardening, animal tracking, plant and animal study, nature & sensory awareness, storytelling, learning edible & medicinal plant knowledge & remedy making, fire safety & cooking over campfires, nature art & crafts, games, social relationship building, hiking, climbing trees, tool safety & use, shelter building, learning resilience, freedom to be creative, mentorship, empowerment, primitive skills & crafts, and lots of fun and play!
Our programs are mostly self-directed/child led. We do not teach formal academics in our programs, but learn through hands on experiential opportunities. If looking for academic/therapeutic supports, please see our Parent/Educational Resources page.
The Giving Gardens of Indiana Farm & Forest School aims to cultivate curiosity, compassion, and connection with the natural world. Studies show that time spent in nature increases attention span, ability to concentrate, self-esteem, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Children who spend more time outdoors and participate in cooperative group activities also tend to have healthier relationships with friends and family.
We believe the natural world provides an exceptional classroom, inspiring wonder, independent learning and critical thinking. Our nature-based framework incorporates a hands-on, experiential approach and the development of the whole-child. We have a flexible inquiry-based facilitation style, and we follow the children’s lead much of the time.
Farm & Forest School
3-12yr old
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Class Locations:
Class Locations:
Mondays: Class will take place at Giving Gardens of Indiana for every class.
Tuesday & Thursdays: Most classes will take place at Giving Gardens of Indiana or Morsches Park.
Location change will only be for scheduled field trips.
Main Locations for Class:
-Giving Gardens of Indiana
479 S. Towerview Dr.
Columbia City, IN 46725
-Morsches Park
1035 IN 205, Columbia City, IN 46725 (located in very back of park under pavilion next to the pond)
Field Trips to be announced.
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Dates/Times:
First Semester 15 week Program:
2024/25 School Year begins mid August (dates to be determined)
2024/25 1 Day or 2 Day Options
Second Semester 15 week Program:
2024/25 1 Day or 2 Day Options
Tuesdays 9am-2pm (5hr) (1 spots available)
and/or
Thursdays 9am-2pm (5hr) (FULL and can be added
to waitlist)
**NEW CLASS
Mondays 1-4pm (3 spots available)
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Tuition:
Registration: $70 per family (non-refundable) for 1 day option. $130 per family (non-refundable) for 2 day option. (TUESDAY & THURSDAY PARTICIPANTS)
Mondays-$30 per family (non-refundable) for 1 day option.
This holds a spot for your child for the semester. This must be paid when you register to hold your child’s spot. This will be applied to your tuition when classes begin. If you choose to pull your child from the program, you will NOT be refunded your registration fee.
First Semester 15 week Program:
TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS
1 day: $1,050 per child ($70 per week)
Sibling discount: $50 off each additional child
2 day: $1,950 per child ($130 per week)
Drop in Fee: $55 per class
MONDAYS
1 day: $450 per child ($30 per week)
Drop in Fee: $40 per class
Second Semester 15 week Program:
TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS
1 day: $1,050 per child ($70 per week)
Sibling discount: $25 off each additional child
2 day: $1,950 per child ($130 per week)
MONDAYS
1 day: $450 per child ($30 per week)
Drop in Fee: $40 per class
Both Semesters 30 week Program:
TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS
1 day: $2,100 per child ($70 per week)
2 day: $3,900 per child ($130 per week)
Drop in Fee: $55 per class
MONDAYS
1 day: $900 per child ($30 per week)
Drop in Fee: $40 per class
Payment: You will make payments through Brightwheel weekly. Payments don’t begin until classes start. Or you can pay tuition in full at the beginning of the semester or year.
Garden Scholarship: 25% off school year tuition. This is based off of income. You can fill out the scholarship form in the link at the top of this page. Our treasurer will review the form and make a determination if the scholarship is awarded. Scholarships are available on a first come first serve basis . There are no guarantees you will receive the scholarship.
You must apply each semester, if only participating in 1. If applying for the whole year, we will consider it for the year. You must re-apply every semester/year your child/ren will attend. You must have you scholarship request sent in no later than 4 weeks before each semester begins.
ESA Scholarship Account:
ESA Voucher/Funding for students with special needs and support programing. If your child is being homeschooled and needs an ESA SP (IEP) you must go to your local school district to get this recommendation for your child to get qualified for this financial support. Your child must be 5+ years old to qualify. Follow the QR Code in the image to get funding. This funding can be used for tuition for our programs.
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Payment Information:
Giving Gardens of Indiana offers the following payments plans: one lump payment OR weekly. If tuition is not paid in full, a full weekly payment is due at the end of the week. A registration fee will be applied to hold your child’s spot for each program and applied towards your tuition total. For early withdrawals from a program after the school year/semester begins, prorated refunds will be applied according to the time of withdrawal if tuition was paid in full, minus the registration fee.
All bills and billing plans are created in Brightwheel and paid through Brightwheel. A $25 late fee will be applied after 10 days of a missed payment.
If you choose to temporarily withdraw your child from our programming, we will not hold their spot in the program.
ESA Voucher/Funding for students with special needs and support programing. If your child is being homeschooled and needs an ESA SP (IEP) you must go to your local school district to get this recommendation for your child to get qualified for this financial support. Your child must be 5+ years old to qualify. Follow the QR Code in the image to get funding. This funding can be used for tuition for our programs.
ESA Scholarship Account:
Daily Rhythm
Class Schedule:
8:50am-9am: Arrival Time
9am-9:30am: Morning Free Choice
9:30am-9:45am- Morning Meeting
9:45-10:30am-Lesson-Activity/Free Choice
10:30am-12pm-Basecamp Exploration/Activities
12pm-1:15pm-Lunch/Circle time/Nature Journaling/Relax Time/Free Choice
1:15pm-1:45-Free Choice/Finish Lesson-Activities
1:45pm-2pm-Clean up/Good Bye
Free to Learn
“The drive to play freely is a basic, biological drive. Lack of free play may not kill the physical body, as would lack of food, air, or water, but it kills the spirit and stunts mental growth. Free play is the means by which children learn to make friends, overcome their fears, solve their own problems, and generally take control of their own lives. It is also the primary means by which children practice and acquire the physical and intellectual skills that are essential for success in the culture in which they are growing. Nothing that we do, no amount of toys we buy or “quality time” or special training we give our children, can compensate for the freedom we take away. The things that children learn through their own initiatives, in free play, cannot be taught in other ways.”
-Dr. Peter Gray, Free to learn
Do you have an item sitting around your home you would want to share?
Loose parts are an important learning tool for our students education and building creativity! So if you have anything at home you are no longer using, donating it to our students will make joyful learning for them and reduce waste at the same time!
If you would just like to make a donation to our classroom supplies, this is a great list of needs we use often!
Thank you for helping support the growth of the future generations with your generosity!
