About Red Oak
Red Oak Outdoor School is committed to supporting youth to know themselves in the context of the greater web that they are a part of, seeing and thinking for themselves with an understanding of our interconnectedness in a world that asks us evermore to do so.
In the day-to-day, this means supporting children to build relationships with the natural world, each other, and themselves through meaningful play and exploration. By building familiarity with neighbors of all kinds, we aim to help youth discover a sense of unquestionable belonging.
Our Home
We are nestled in the hills and valleys of the Driftless Region outside of Decorah, Northeast Iowa, a rolling landscape of hardwood forest, hayfields, savannas, trout streams, small farms and homesteads alongside corn and soy fields, too—all of which forms the backdrop for our explorations together. The hills here are lush with wildflowers and tender greens come early spring, starkly alive with birdsong in May, and jungles by midsummer. The life of the land here and the characters within it—black walnuts, burr oaks, wood pewees, goldenrod, buntings, and turkey tails (to name a very few)—inform and inspire everything we do. Red Oak Outdoor School is centered around the project of getting to know ourselves in the context of this place.
Whether at summer camp or in our year-long programs, we weave a sense of home by tuning ourselves to the seasons and cycles of this particular corner of the world. We tap maples for syrup when the sap is flowing, and gather up edible greens with the first hints of spring. We welcome the birds back home and revel in the color and song as the air starts to warm. We harvest basswood stalks for cordage in summer and fire-making materials in the fall. We orient our days around the harvests that present themselves: willows in May, nettles in June, blackcaps in July, then wild mushrooms, hazels, walnuts, acorns, and so much more as the year bends back towards autumn. In winter we gather around the fire often, tell stories, sled, track, build shelters, and play games to keep warm. At Red Oak, the land is more than the classroom; it’s our teacher too. Together, we are committed to celebrating and diving into the abundance of it all, and also towards finding and practicing reciprocity and gratitude, stepping into our role as thoughtful stewards of this place.
Our North Star
Fully alive young people who have the pleasure of belonging to a place, who feel an exchange of respect between human and non-human neighbors alike and walk with a sense of authentic responsibility and care.
Children with strong ecological knowledge that supports them in orientation and gives them allies wherever they go.
Children with social fortitude and a positive relationship to themselves.
Children who feel their connection to all of life through personal relationships with the beings that they live beside.
Healthy ecosystems that know they are loved and respected.
