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Waldorf Education

Waldorf education proceeds from the notion of the integrated self, unifying the intellectual, emotional and physical capacities of the student as a complete being. Waldorf teachers infuse the study of traditional academic subjects with artistic, kinesthetic and experiential learning, emphasizing cultural study of ancient and world-wide traditions. Offering these multiple access points to subject matter engages, sustains, and involves students in their own learning, creating flexible, independent thinkers, grounded by confidence, competency, and care for the world.

Waldorf education—founded in Stuttgart, Germany in 1919—is based on the work of Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), an Austrian-born scientist, educator, artist, and philosopher. Steiner established the first Waldorf school for the children of employees at a local factory, approaching education with the belief that it should not be limited to intellect, but call forth the whole child, from their social, emotional and physical being to their intellectual and cognitive potential.

Waldorf education follows a model intuitive to a child's development stages. Class teachers ascend through the grades with their students, fostering a truly collaborative growth with each individual child. This progression—along with small class sizes—generates joy and discovery in the students, sensibilities that guide their academic study through high school and beyond.

At the Brooklyn Waldorf School, we strive to implement a curriculum that adheres to core Waldorf principles, while also meeting the needs of present-day urban children. We believe that the historical curriculum contains important insights into the academic, emotional, and spiritual development of children, and that it is only deepened and renewed through our engagement with more contemporary insights, educational theory, and equity work. Creative problem-solving is at the heart of modern life. With this in mind, our Waldorf teachers work together to curate a curriculum that prepares students to greet challenges with flexible minds and open hearts. We encourage students to draw connections between disciplines, synthesize and integrate information, and drive their own discovery, inspiring a lifetime love of learning. We deeply believe that a child’s education should not only produce a knowledgeable adult, but also an inwardly free, secure, and creative adult, prepared to meet the challenges of our changing society.  Our students grow into individuals mindful of their purpose within their community and eager to be of service to the world.

Starting from a single school in 1919, Waldorf education has become one of the most rapidly growing school movements in the world today. In 2019 we celebrated Waldorf education’s 100th anniversary alongside over 1,050 Waldorf schools worldwide and 1,800 Waldorf Early Childhood programs.

“Based on a comprehensive, integrated understanding of the human being, a detailed account of child development, and with a curriculum and teaching practice that seeks unity of intellectual, emotional and ethical development at every point, Waldorf Education deserves the attention of all concerned with education and the human future.”

Douglas SloanPHD, Professor [Emeritus] of Education
Teacher College, Columbia University