We welcome you to discover a unique learning opportunity for children located in Carleton County, New Brunswick, Canada!
Curriculum
Waldorf and Enki Inspired Curriculum nourishing…
– The Head
– The Heart
– The Hands
Programs
– Forest Kindergarten (ages 3-5)
– Forest Elementary (ages 6-9)
– Forest Intermediate (ages 9+)
Enrolment
– Take a tour
– Apply
– Interview with the educator
– Acceptance!
The following make up our 2025-2026 School Year Offerings:
Forest Kindergarten (ages 3 – 5)* –
This is a 3 day academic program. Ideal for the young child entering into a gentle, play-based caring & rhythmic environment where we explore the woods, gardens, wetlands and fields through all the seasons as our home base, and come back to the cozy cabin for tea, rest time and imagination play as part of our rhythmic flow to the day. Stories and seasonal crafts are also offered as gathering times and nourishment throughout the week.
This class is full! Contact us to be added to our waitlist.
The lead educator for this class, Leah (Sparrow) Houghton, comes with an extensive Wilderness Education background (including 3 years at the Alderleaf Wilderness College & 4+ years as Lead Early Childhood & Grades Teacher at our centre). She has a deep love and respect for children. She has also completed the foundation courses for the Enki Education Teacher Training.
Our co-teacher for this class is Sierra Mangum. Sierra has previously been the co-teacher with Sparrow for three years on our Wild Child Thursdays, and has previously been the program lead for our Forest Kindergarten class. She has 3 children of her own and is a gentle, grounded educator and in 2022 Sierra completed her Enki Foundation courses for teaching.
Details
This is a 3-day program from Tuesdays to Thursdays from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm from September to early June. Enrolment for new families opens on June 2nd. If you are a new family please fill out our New Family Application Form and follow the steps in our Application and Enrolment Section.
The cost is $3400 for the 2025-2026 school year (plus a one-time $100 materials fee due upon registration). A monthly payment plan is outlined on the registration form.
* A 20% sibling discount will be applied automatically for any additional children (2nd child, 3rd child, etc.) from the same family
Forest Elementary Class (ages 6-9)*
This is a 3 day academic program + 1 day optional integrated Wild Child program. This class has been working on story-centred learning for now two years and in the Fall will continue to bring the child role models from around the world and throughout time through the Enki Trickster – Sage units. These are meant to help the child experience how lively nature can mature into compassionate action. The stories centre around many types of people (whom we regard as sages and might be a healer, a religious leader, a freedom fighter, an artist, a poet, a writer, a scientist, and so on) so that the child will experience wisdom and compassion without borders, and so that many doors to expressing the child’s natural compassion are opened. We will also strengthen the mathematical foundations built this year with the four processes and place-value by continuing with the stories of Tricky-Mischief, Miss-Many-More and others.
Half-way through next year, we will shift from the Sage stories to a deeper cultural unit that brings to life the practicalities of living on Earth from the cultural clothing of a particular region and society. This will likely be the Enki Haudenosaunee unit and the class will be exploring housing, food, clothing – along with social dances and crafts all within the cultural basket of the Haudenosaunee. Now the science & math will also be connected to the cultural unit. Writing & Art will continue to be central to the learning process of taking hold.
Our lead educator for this class is Becky Hodgson. Becky has a love of the outdoors and took this to her post-secondary education, where she earned a Forest Technician diploma, an bachelor of Environmental Studies degree and an bachelor of Education degree with a focus on outdoor experiential and environmental education. Becky has worked with children in various capacities for nearly three decades, and became an Ontario Certified Teacher (OCT) in 2008. In 2016, Becky participated in the CNAC Forest & Nature School Practitioners’ course and in 2021 became a certified Forest Therapy Guide. Becky has completed all ENKI foundational courses and has taught early elementary in 2024-2025 at the KANC.
Our specialty grade 1 educator (and French teacher) is Sarah-Maude Beauregard. Sarah-Maude has worked for over a decade with kids and families in schools, summer camps, daycares, community organizations and more. She has studied in psychoeducation and has worked as a summer camp coordinator with the KANC in 2025 as well as a specialty teacher in 2024.
Details
This 3-day Enki Grades program runs Tuesdays to Thursdays from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm from September to early June with an optional 1 day Wild Child Monday add-on. Enrolment for new families opens on June 2nd. If you are a new family please fill out our New Family Application Form and follow the steps in our Application and Enrolment Section.
The cost is $3400 for the 2025-2026 school year (plus a one-time $100 materials fee due upon registration). A monthly payment plan is outlined on the registration form. For the optional Wild Child costs, please see the registration form.
* A 20% sibling discount will be applied automatically for any additional children (2nd child, 3rd child, etc.) from the same family
Forest Intermediate Class: (ages 9+)*
This is a 3.5 day academic program + 0.5 day optional Integrated Wild Child. Central to this class is the exploration of humanities through cultural immersion connected to biographical journeys of individuals who have played pivot roles in societal change points of human history. The underlying questions now become – what has influenced the way things are now? What journeys of struggle and courage have people gone through to stand up for their truth. Academically, the students are honing into more realms of writing styles and grammar concepts as well as pre-algebraic thinking, different number bases and advanced geometry in preparation for high school learning – but still in a story-connected, experiential way.
Our lead educator for this class is Agnes Took. Agnes is a mother of two and brings 15 years of experience working as a teacher and with small children and has worked as as a KAN Centre teacher for over 6 years. Agnes has been part of an Enki pioneer group of educators for grades 1-3 and has completed both foundation courses for the Enki Education Teacher Training.
Our co-educator (and school Director) is Tegan Wong-Daugherty. Tegan is a mother of four children. She helped found the KAN Centre in 2008 along with other mothers & grandparents who shared a vision for a rural community learning hub. Tegan has an Environmental Science Degree, an Early Childhood Educator certificate from the North American Montessori Centre, completed her 4 year professional teaching course with Enki Education and is our pedagogical lead for the school. She has taught from preschool through to middle school as an Enki teacher.
Details
This 3.5-day Enki Grades program with optional 1/2 Wild Child add-on runs Monday from to Thursdays from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm from September to early June. Enrollment for new families opens on June 2nd. If you are a new family please fill out our New Family Application Form and follow the steps in our Application and Enrolment Section.
The cost is $3700 for the 2025-2026 school year (plus a one-time $100 materials fee due upon registration). A monthly payment plan is outlined on the registration form. For the optional Wild Child cost, please see the registration form.
* A 20% sibling discount will be applied automatically for any additional children (2nd child, 3rd child, etc.) from the same family
* age ranges are given as guidance, but each family should meet with the director and class teachers to discuss the best fit for their child.
Tuition Relief & Credits Options:
• Applications for one-time tuition relief will be accepted. A form will need to be filled out with your registration form and it will be presented to the board.
• Workshare options will be considered based on the needs of the classroom teacher or the centre. A formal application is to be submitted at the time of registration. A contract will be made up between KANC and the parent regarding the arrangement.
Application and Enrolment Process
We welcome inquiries from parents and families wishing to learn more about the Knowlesville Art & Nature School offerings. The following application and enrolment process is designed to help families understand what the school brings to their children, and how they can support their children’s education at the Art & Nature School.
Step 1
Arrange a Tour or attend an Open House: Tours can be booked by contacting the School Director. Open Houses are scheduled periodically throughout the year.
Step 2
Complete an Application. Applications can be found above under School Year Offerings > your selected program> registration.
Physical copies can be made available at the KAN Centre. ** New families must fill out a New Families Application Form! These can be sent to admin@knowlesvillenature.ca upon completion.
Step 3
Interview with the Class Teacher and/or School Director: The parents and student(s) will attend an interview with the class teacher.
Step 4
After the interview, students applying to the grades program ideally will be able to visit the class for 1-3 days. They will have the opportunity to experience the school day with their peers and the teacher will have the opportunity to see the child at work in the class. Alternatively, if applying when the school is not in session, we recommend that your child(ren) enroll in our summer nature camps to start making connections with the land and community that support the school.
Step 5
Acceptance: Once the student has been accepted by the teacher, an acceptance letter will be sent and the family will have 2 weeks to book an enrolment meeting.
Step 6
Complete Enrolment Contract and Payment Schedule with our office administrator.
Please contact us more information about any of our programs or to arrange a visit, by e-mailing info@knowlesvillenature.ca or call the school at 506-375-6400.
School-Wide Curriculum Goals
At the Art & Nature School we offer opportunities for children to explore and learn in ways that engage their whole being and cultivates independent thinking and creative problem-solving. We use a combination of Waldorf and Enki Inspired Curriculum that nurtures the head, heart and hands of the children.
The Head
Thinking and Knowledge
The Art & Nature School’s emphasis is not on what to think but on how to think. It embraces complexity through simple acts. To be truly prepared for the future, it will not only be necessary to discover unknown answers to a given problem, it will be necessary to define the problem, ask the right questions, and envision many different solutions.
The Heart
Feelings and Motivation
We feel that all people have vitality, wisdom and compassion at their core. We strive for a learning community that engages the hearts of the children to help uncover their own inherent capacity to care about themselves and their fellow human beings; to discover the wonder and inter-relationships in this world, and to experience many ways to engage and create. Artistic activities (painting, drawing, drama, music, and handicrafts) are part of the school experience each day. They foster a heartfelt connection between the student and the subject and make education more meaningful and memorable.
The Hands
Purposeful Activity
The goal of education is to instill confidence and fosters self-esteem in order to find a meaningful path in a complex and confusing world where self-determination and strong character are needed. Handwork includes knitting, woodworking, sewing, gardening, cooking and general care of their school environment. All of these meaningful tasks help to create responsible free individuals who can ultimately contribute to the vitality of their families and communities.
Spirituality
Our school families come from various religious and cultural backgrounds. The curriculum is not based on a particular religious doctrine. Rather, it is based on the belief that there is a spiritual dimension to each human being that also requires nurturing.
Affordability
The Knowlesville Art & Nature School is run primarily on the volunteer spirit of our team. Our lead teachers are qualified teachers who are offering their teaching abilities at below market salaries because they are passionate about making a rural school in a natural setting a reality. Our specialty teachers come from the school parents and the local community and include artists, yoga instructors, carpenters and language & culture specialists who very generously give their time and add richness to the classroom on a regular basis. All this has made it possible to work with families to make tuition affordable for families of diverse economic realities.
KAN School Vision:
The KAN provides a holistic nature-connected environment for ourselves and our children. We started in 2008 with a Forest Kindergarten, which has evolved to including a homeschool collective for children up to grade 8. Inspired by Waldorf & ENKI pedagogies, we strive to nurture through heart connection the inherent vitality and wisdom of our shared human journey.
ENKI is an art-enriched global cultures program. The foundation of ENKI is the nurturing of the inherent vitality, wisdom and compassion which exists in every child. All programming offered through the Knowlesville Art and Nature School uses this foundation as a starting point and guiding principle. We are excited to be pioneering this rich educational pedagogy in New Brunswick, Canada.
2025 KAN Centre Monthly School Calendar
For a broader community-wide calendar, please visit our Events & Activities page
