Field School

You can choose when you enroll to attend Tuesday, Thursday, or both. The days begin between 9:00-9:30 (drop off) and pick-up is at 1:00.

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There are no contracts. You can enroll (if space) or withdraw at anytime. So if you want to go for 2 months, take a break, and enroll again later, you can (as long as there are openings).

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Classes take place in various public and private nature destinations throughout the Helena Valley and surrounding mountains and hills. Environments include wetlands, streams, forests, grasslands, and mountains. Locations are chosen based on the seasons, weather, naturally occurring events in nature, and group interests. Therefore, our schedule and locations are subject to change. Enrolled families will be emailed on Sunday for the week’s location. If the forecast is deemed unsafe (high winds; low temperatures), classes will be cancelled, have a late start or early release, or be moved to an indoor location. 

Fall 2024 tuition rates:

• 1 day/week - $120

• 2 days/week - $200

 There is a 30% discount for siblings. Tuition is paid monthly, although if preferred, it can be paid in full. If paid monthly, tuition is due on the first class meeting of the month. 

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2024 Enrollment Form

*If you want to be placed on any waitlists, fill out the form for the day(s) you prefer (no enrollment fee paid at this time). If an opening occurs, you will be notified in the order forms are received.  

*Limited partial scholarships (25-50%) are available on a first come, first serve basis.

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Helena Field School is a drop-off program. However, to keep our tuition affordable, we rely heavily on parental involvement. Parents will be required to volunteer as assistants each month. The number of times per month will depend on the number of students and the number of days the family is enrolled. Their role will be to help take the site down, assist the facilitator as necessary in activities, and be another available adult to the learners when needed.

We use our own unique place-based curriculum that uses our local environment and setting as a starting point to further explore topics, such as physical and cultural geography, ecology, hydrology, biology, geology, history, and art. As we explore place-based topics and use a cross-curricular approach, our projects overlap core academic subjects, such as science, language arts, mathematics, social studies, physical education, and art.

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See some of our projects from past semesters and how they fit into the core academic subjects: Field School Projects

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September 3: First day of class

November 25-29: Thanksgiving Break; No Classes

December 12: Last day of classes

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