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Philosophy
Our teaching style and philosophy is inspired by other forest schools, which began in Scandinavia in the 1950's. The forest school movement is gaining momentum and we are honored to be a part of it, combining our passion for nature with our passion for teaching.
Studies show that children who attend forest schools arrive at elementary school with greater fine motor skills, social and emotional skills such as cooperation and empathy, and curiosity that contribute greatly to their school readiness. We believe that unstructured play time in nature provides rich opportunities for learning and that forest schools inspire a meaningful connection to the world and how a young learner fits within it.
Meet the teachers
Amber Ankrum: co-lead teacher
I graduated with a bachelors in Early Childhood Education and spent several years working at various title 1 schools/preschools around the Portland area. Though my background is in traditional pedagogy I found a love and inspiration of the forest school model over 10 years ago after working at a forest kindergarten in Portland. After moving to Southern Oregon, I immediately was drawn in to the density of nature education in this valley and began searching out my place in it all. I enrolled my son in to an all-outdoor preschool in Ashland, OR and the following year the teachers offered me a position at the school. Working alongside them and learning from the beautiful scene which is the child in nature prepared me wholly for my next chapter, starting my own nature school! Elements is now coming into its 7th year in operation and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to bring forest school programs to this beautiful area.
I grew up in a family of outdoor enthusiasts and hope to gift children with the same love of nature which has given me so many moments of gratitude and solace. I live in Applegate with my Partner, Jon, and our two kids; our son Westley and our daughter Saoirse (ser-sha). We spend much of our free time exploring the area, working in our garden, swimming in the rivers and lakes and generally learning how to remain in tune with our natural surroundings.
Amy Gygax: co-lead teacher
I have always enjoyed working with children. Durning high school, college, and beyond
I worked in childcare and volunteered at various schools. Almost 20 years ago, I began
working at Madrone Trail Public Charter School when it opened in 2007 and worked as
the lead kindergarten teacher for three years. After my time at Madrone Trail, I worked
at Star of the Morning Children’s Center, a Waldorf inspired preschool, in Jacksonville.
At Star of the Morning, I worked as the lead preschool teacher, the toddler group
teacher, summer camp leader, and administrator.
In 2018 I had my son Rye and took a break from teaching to be home with him. It was during this time that I discovered the forest school model and fell in love with it. Spending time outside and in nature is a big part of our family life, so I was happy to find Elements Nature School when Rye was ready for preschool. I loved that he could spend his days outside, playing, exploring,
climbing, and learning about the natural world around him all while integrating into his
body in preparation for formal learning later. During Rye’s second year of preschool, I
began working at Elements one day per week and was reminded of how much I enjoyed
working with children. I was excited to start working full time the following year. I love
how Elements Nature school finds inspiration from some of the beautiful aspects of
Waldorf early childhood education and combines it with the forest school model, making
a perfect fit for my love of nature and my background in Waldorf early childhood
education. I am excited to continue to share my love of nature with children and their
families at Elements Nature School.