Twenty years ago, educator Sandy McDivitt had a vision. When she started Forest Charter as the original Executive Director in 2002, she wanted to offer a personalized learning option for Nevada County and beyond. Sandy hoped to build a school that was welcoming, collaborative, and nontraditional in the sense that it would include families in the educational experience as an integral part of their student’s learning. She saw a blended homeschool model as a vehicle for allowing educators and K-12 families to design rigorous curriculum that best served each specific student by rooting the curriculum in students’ individual passions and strengths.
Twenty years later, her vision lives on.
Over the years, the school has evolved with the times, including updates to technology and cultural needs, as well as weathering the ever-changing complex landscape of Charter schools and the politics that surround them. Even with the changes, Forest Charter has maintained the original vision of putting the students front-and-center so each child has the opportunity to thrive. Year after year, as the school year draws to a close, the consistent feedback is that Forest Charter cares about the students, and the administration, teachers, and staff work hard to ensure each family is heard and supported to the best of Forest Charter’s abilities.
Forest Charter is a special place. Here’s to another twenty dynamic years!
