Lupine Community School

We provide a focus on inclusive, place-based education for our students by spending large portions of time outdoors, noticing, interacting with, and entering into a relationship with the world around us. Academic subjects are not taught in isolation, but instead are taught in the interconnected way they occur in the real world. Our students learn communication skills and compassion for others through direct guidance and how to intersect those skills with academics and environmental stewardship. We make great efforts to lay the foundation for a generation to grow up prepared to deal with the unique challenges they will be expected to solve in the future.

The Lupine Community School is a nonprofit, nature-based school on a 7-acre working farm in Chapel Hill. The farm is our classroom. Children spend their days outdoors caring for more than 20 rescued farm animals, tending gardens of native plants, vegetables, fruits and herbs, and learning through what they see, touch and wonder about.

Our Reggio Emilia-inspired approach follows children's interests and weaves in academics, with small classes and a strong focus on social-emotional learning. Teachers build reading, writing, math and science into hands-on projects, so children build strong academic foundations while learning from the world around them.

Along the way we've secured our permanent farm campus, added specialist staff and welcomed new animal ambassadors. Lupine is growing: we're adding classes as we expand with new grades, hosting farm events that bring our wider community onto the land, and building out summer programs.

Our volunteer Board of Directors keeps the school strong: setting direction, stewarding finances, building community and bringing in the resources that keep Lupine accessible. We're looking for people who care about children, the land and an inclusive, compassionate community, and who like to roll up their sleeves.