Program Details

Our Commitment

Siskiyou Roots is dedicated to creating a learning environment where students feel safe, engaged, and a deep sense of belonging. Middle school years are particularly vulnerable, and it is our hope that our students become a family, learning to honor, support and challenge each other in healthy ways.

School Year Structure

Multi-Day Expeditions

At the beginning, middle, and end of the school year, students participate in multi-day expeditions. These expeditions are designed to help everyone deepen their connections through various group-building games and activities.

Weekly Schedule

Our 3-day-a-week program runs from mid-September to early June, every Tuesday through Thursday from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM.

Daily Schedule

9:30-10:00 AM: Arrival and independent work (creative writing, art projects, teacher meetings)  
10:00-10:30 AM: Morning circle, check-in, mindfulness, forest grounding, movement, trust-building games  
10:30-11:30 AM: Skills/core lesson time  
11:30-11:45 AM: Morning break  
11:45 AM-1:00 PM: Field study or second skills block depending on the unit  
1:00-1:45 PM: Lunch  
1:45-3:30 PM: Project-based afternoons (art projects, land restoration work, service projects, community member presentations, expeditions)  

After School Electives

Optional electives available include:

• Ceramics
• Woodworking
• Dance
• Theater
• Sewing
• Felting

Location

Siskiyou Roots is located on the campus of Pacifica, a 420-acre natural reserve in Williams (about 20 minutes from Grants Pass). The campus includes:

• Nature center
• Botanic garden
• Educational site
• Maker space
• Woodworking and ceramics studios
• Community center
• Extensive trail network and sculpture trail

Learning Environment

Our cozy tent cabin classroom with a wood stove will serve as our base, but much of our learning occurs outdoors. The natural surroundings of ponds, streams, forests, meadows, and oak woodlands become our classroom. Students engage directly with ecology, experiencing it first hand rather than through textbooks.

Typical Year Activities

May include:

• Creating a field guide of Pacifica’s flora and fauna
• Art installations for the Art Nature Trail
• Restoration projects
• Bird, butterfly, and plant surveys with local ecologists
• Monitoring stream health with macro-invertebrate studies
• Crafting nature journals
• Basket weaving with plant materials
• Dyeing t-shirts with natural materials
• Making mugs in the ceramics studio and herbal teas

Example Thematic Unit: Salmon Exploration

May include:

• Watershed components
• Salmon biology
• Cultural significance to indigenous peoples
• Challenges facing salmon today
• Effect of dams and their removal

Related Activities:

• Native Salmon ceremony attendance
• Field trip with Salmon Watch
• Monitoring Williams creek for salmon fry
• Raising salmon in the classroom and releasing them into local creeks
• Restoration projects with the Watershed Council

Student Engagement

Students record their experiences in various forms:

• Field journal
• Creative writing
• Essays
• Scientific illustration
• Geography and map work
• Mock debates

Integrating Academics and Exploration

Siskiyou Roots incorporates state standards for middle school social studies and language arts into experiential thematic units. We study indigenous and pioneer cultures, using this as a lens to understand other global cultures. 

Cultural Study Project

Students invent their own imaginary cultures and spend the year creating components such as:

• Typical meals
• Housing models
• Performances of cultural songs
• Cultural norms and ethics

Developing Communication and Critical Thinking Skills

Activities include:

• Class discussions on current events
• Novel studies
• Writing
• Daily reading response journals
• Language arts skills lessons

Empowering Change Makers

A key element of our program is to inspire students to become resilient change makers. We’ll study youth worldwide who contribute to their communities, identify local projects that matter to our students, and use Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots 4-step model to take action.

Potential Collaboration

We are exploring a partnership with Earthwise Forest School. Siskiyou Roots students would mentor younger students, engaging in earth skills, reading, writing, and buddy lunches. This multi-age connection fosters leadership skills and a strong sense of community.

Parent Involvement

We encourage and welcome parent volunteers in our classroom and overall program. As a collective, we value everyone’s input and voice. (Note: All volunteers working directly with students must complete a background check.)

Tentative Calendar

September 13-18: First school expedition (Coast/Redwoods)
September 24: First day of onsite classes
November 26-28: Thanksgiving break
December 23-January 23: Winter break
March 17-20: Mid-year expedition
March 24-27: Spring break
May 27-29: Last week of onsite classes
June 2-5: End of year expedition

Tuition

Exact cost is TBD. We expect monthly fees to range from $500-600

One-time Supply Fee: $200 (due at the beginning of the year)
Notice: One-month notice required if leaving the program. If you leave without notice, a full month’s tuition is still required.

Tuition Assistance

Tuition assistance is available for students of Reach, Teach Northwest, Logos, or My Tech High. We are also working on grants to provide scholarship assistance for those in need.