We welcome you to join us in developing and nurturing the vision of Big Sur Forest School!
Much like our children, the seeds we have planted need support to thrive and bloom. Your contributions help establish a nourishing foundation for the growth of this program--and are 100% tax deductible! Together, let’s create an opportunity for children to fully experience the magic of childhood.
Now that Big Sur Park School has established a thriving program, focus has turned to building out a sustainable model that meets the current and future needs of the children and the community. Big Sur is a remote community with very limited early education options. Only one licenced preschool currently operates in Big Sur and it is continually at capacity. Big Sur Park School is the only early education program available for children under age two. Big Sur has also recently seen an influx of young families and is experiencing a baby boom, which is expected to sharply increase the need for early education and childcare. Currently, Big Sur Park School is fully enrolled. To increase capacity and meet the expected future need, we will need to increase our teaching staff. Big Sur Forest School is committed to paying our teachers a living wage and to ensuring that all of Big Sur’s children have access to a high-quality educational experience. Tuition at Big Sur Forest School is set at the level needed to cover just the cost of teachers. However, many families in Big Sur have limited financial resources and simply cannot afford this price. Over half of our students are therefore on a 35-55% need-based scholarship. As enrollment in the forest school has steadily grown, so has the number of students receiving scholarship. This means the budget gap we need to fill has also grown. On an ongoing basis, we anticipate needing to fill an annual scholarship gap of $34,000. Additionally, many organizational functions are currently being carried out by an all-volunteer Board. To ensure a stable and thriving organization long into the future, investments need to be made in staff development, professional services, and program supplies.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Scholarship
● $34,000 funds our anticipated annual scholarship need
● $5,760 funds one 50% scholarship for one child full-time for the full year
Teachers
● $34,145 funds one teacher full-time for the full year
Program Investments
● $2,500 funds annual teacher development
NOTE: Donations can be made to Big Sur Park School (BSPS), the registered 501(c)(3) . BSPS coordinates, sponsors, and provides a location for a variety of youth, family, and parent programs in Big Sur.
Checks can be written out to Big Sur Park School and sent to PO Box 203 Big Sur, CA 93920
