We're thrilled to announce the launch of our Scholarship Fund!

Since our journey began, we've given away over $2500 in scholarships, opening doors for many deserving students, even without dedicated funding. Now, we're taking the next step to ensure we can continue supporting and nurturing young minds.

Our Scholarship Fund is about more than just financial assistance—it's about equity, redistribution, and reparations. We are dedicated to breaking down barriers to outdoor experiential education, striving for a more inclusive learning environment for all. This fund will help us offer:

Equity Scholarships as an act of reparations to Black, Brown, and Indigenous families.
Equity Scholarships to LGBTQ+ families.
Need-Based Sliding Scale to families for whom the program is otherwise cost-prohibitive.

Help us grow our Scholarship Fund! Your contributions will directly support our mission of creating an inclusive and equitable educational environment. Together, we can plant the seeds for a brighter, more just future.

The Value of Forest School

Forest school is an educational approach that offers children the opportunity to learn and grow in a natural environment. It emphasizes hands-on, experiential learning, fostering creativity, independence, and a deep connection to nature. In an age of increasing anxiety, screen time, and indoor activities, forest school provides a much-needed respite, helping children develop physical, emotional, and social skills in a healthy and balanced way.

'Child Care Desert' in Transylvania County

In Transylvania County and across North Carolina, families face significant challenges in accessing quality child care. With high costs, low wages for child care workers, and widespread "child care deserts," finding affordable and reliable care is a pressing issue for many. Forest school not only addresses these gaps by offering an alternative to traditional child care but also provides a unique and enriching educational experience that nurtures a child’s holistic development. Read more about the problem here: https://www.ednc.org/the-state-child-care-crisis-the-transylvania-child-care-desert-and-the-impending-fiscal-cliff/

Supporting our scholarship fund helps make forest school accessible to more families, ensuring that children from diverse backgrounds can benefit from this innovative educational model. By contributing, you are helping to alleviate the state child care crisis, providing equitable opportunities for all children to thrive, and supporting the dedicated educators who make this transformative experience possible.

How Your Donation Helps

🌼 $20 contributes towards our scholarship fund, helping make forest school accessible to more families.
🌿 $100 helps cover a partial scholarship for a student's monthly tuition.
🌳 $295 funds one month of tuition for a student in the Trout Lilies Class (ages 3-5).
🍃 $315 funds one month of tuition for a student in the Mayapples Class (ages 6-10) attending two days per week.
🍀 $1,500 supports multiple partial scholarships, making forest school accessible to more families.
🌼 $2,500 covers a significant portion of a full school year’s tuition for a student.

Every contribution makes a difference!

Learn more about Ripple Forest School at ripplecollectivenc.com/forest-school

Donations are not tax-deductible. Ripple Forest School is a program of Ripple Collective LLC, owned and operated by Alex Toenniges and Rivers Whitson. 100% of donations go to student scholarships. Upon request, we can provide records of scholarships given. For questions, please contact Alex at alex@ripplecollectivenc.com.

Cover photo by Kaelee Denise Photography - kaeleedenise.com

Ripple Scholarship Fund

By Ripple Forest School

Ripple Scholarship Fund

Support children to attend forest school in Pisgah Forest, NC!