Waldorf education is the largest and fastest-growing nonsectarian educational movement with over 2,000 schools worldwide

The Waldorf method and the first Waldorf school were founded and established by Rudolf Steiner and Emil Molt in 1919 with the primary objective of bringing forth the unique potential of every child in a way that serves the further development of humanity. The curriculum, pedagogy and teaching methods are designed to nurture this potential.

Our Early Childhood programs create a nurturing home-like environment of shared routines. Filled with the smell of freshly baked bread, the feel of pine cones and beeswax, the beauty of yellow paint, the friendship of gnomes, the patterns of the pentatonic scale, the freedom of sledding, and the fertile glory of stories, our Early Childhood classes are a truly magical experience.

Stories become myths, and myths become biographies as Early Childhood at OVWS evolves first to the early Grades curriculum and then into the more rigorous Middle School curriculum. Our grades students learn stories from around the world and about humans doing good deeds. They create exquisite geometric designs, and learn from mentors in their community. They put on concerts and Shakespearean plays, practice World Languages, build compost bins for the garden, go biking and camping, and form lifelong friendships. Every day, OVWS provides our students with a nurturing environment that consistently fills their lives with beauty, learning, and purpose.

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Explore Waldorf education and learn why we choose it for our children

The Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA) is a nonprofit membership organization of independent Waldorf schools and institutes in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The Association was founded in 1968 to support schools and institutes. Our vision is to strengthen and nurture Waldorf education and to advance Waldorf principles worldwide.

The Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America’s (WECAN) mission is to foster a new cultural impulse for the work with the young child from pre-birth to age seven. WECAN is committed to protecting and nurturing childhood as a foundation for renewing human culture. Founded in 1983, WECAN works very closely in collaboration with its sister organization, the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA).

AWSNA and WECAN Are Resources Offering a Wealth of Information for Parents and Families