Registration for the 2024-2025 school year is now closedIf you are interested in enrolling in the 2025-2026 school year, the registration process will begin again in early 2025.
In the meantime, please explore the resources on our website to learn more about Caraway!
If you have any questions or want to get in touch, please do not hesitate to contact us.



Registration for the 2024-2025 school year is now closed
If you are interested in enrolling in the 2025-2026 school year, the registration process will begin again in early 2025.
In the meantime, please explore the resources on our website to learn more about Caraway!
If you have any questions or want to get in touch, please do not hesitate to contact us.


Caraway Learning Community

  Caraway is an Alternative and Progressive K-9 public school program in Edmonton AB. We follow an Edmonton Public School Board schedule. What makes us different is how we deliver the materials. 


21st Century Learning focuses on the 4 C's: 

Critical Thinking

Collaboration

Communication

Creativity

...and Caraway works to leverage these essential foundations.


The big ideas of the curriculum are covered in:

 a project based model, in a hands-on environment, in multi-age classrooms.  


We give particular attention to social-emotional learning. 

Caraway focuses on developing creative risk-takers with passion and global responsibility for a rapidly changing world. 



  Interested In Learning More?

Registration for the 2024/2025 school year will begin in January/February 2024.
If you have any questions about the program or the registration process, please connect with us!

We hope to hear from you!


 Project Based Learning

Our program believes in project based and child centred learning. This allows students the opportunity to gain deeper knowledge through exploration, real world challenges and problem solving.



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Parent Involvement

 Parental involvement is a cornerstone to the Caraway program. When parents become involved in their children’s schooling in a real way, they are better able to understand their child as a result. The knowledge, abilities, hobbies and experiences of the parents are also essential in adding breadth to the school environment. Providing support to the school, staff and students in the Caraway Community through active facilitation reduces the traditional barrier between home and school. 
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Hands-on Learning

 

Like all animals, children explore their world with their entire bodies. Being immersed in meaningful activities brings the curriculum alive and engages the mind as it engages the senses. 


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 Social/Emotional Learning

 
In addition to teaching academic skills, the intent of the program is to help the students develop both emotionally and socially. Nurturing the children to become Emotionally Intelligent enables them to become more responsible for their individual behaviour and the ability to develop empathetic feelings for others and their problems and to be able to risk caring for others.
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 Democratic Process


Our students and staff work collaboratively and democratically while each individual is considered and respected. Making decisions becomes a group process and the students and teachers are responsible for solving problems together as they arise. Group problem solving techniques relating to the classroom order and management are more likely to result in students feeling personally responsible and committed to maintaining that order.  Through a social justice lens, our students learn to become advocates and co-creators in the larger world. 
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Forest School

 
Nature exploration is vital to the goals of the Caraway Program. Being in nature builds our understanding of connection to the land, personal resilience, problem solving, collaboration, and risk taking. Nature teaches us about systems and interconnections, and also helps our children retain improved mental health, autonomy, and stewardship over our earth.

Striving for equity, we acknowledge that outdoor education can be inaccessible and unaffordable for many families. We provide an opportunity for children to engage with the outdoors through land based learning and exploration as well as a rescue farm that Caraway is affiliated with. Our program incorporates nature based storytelling, risky play, and Indigenous Ways of Knowing whenever and however we can, uplifting Indigenous voices and experiences when possible. Students are encouraged to learn about "Treaty People", Truth and Reconciliation, and acknowledgement of the land they live and learn on.
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Social Justice

 
At Caraway, we strive to co-create a safe, cooperative, and dynamic environment for children to develop in a modern world. We believe that by fostering a culture of social justice and equity, we can create a better future for all of our students, and in turn, the community and larger world around us.
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MULTI-AGE CLASSROOMS

Caraway does not utilize the standard grade level structure of classroom organization. Multi-age classrooms spanning at least three grade levels encourages students to act as leaders and mentors while minimizing competition. This structure focuses on children as individuals with unique gifts and challenges while our classroom sizes are kept small. Our mixed range of grades and ages in the classrooms can vary from year to year.
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LIFE LONG LEARNING

Wonder and agency are the keys to lifelong learning; at every age learners ask questions and search for their own answers. Caraway helps to develop and expose children’s individual potential and creativity. When our students learn how to learn by using their own curiosity and initiative, they develop an inquiring attitude to all aspects of life, not just the learning done in school. 

FAQ’S

Have a question? We want to help!
  • What is Progressive Education?

    In public education, there are many alternative programs. However, most are essentially the same shirt in different colours: the same cut with slightly shorter sleeves or an extra pocket. You can have curriculum delivered in one of a half dozen languages or with half a day of sports, or extra art or religion. Very few programs differ on the basis of pedagogy, the philosophy of curriculum delivery.


    Progressive education is a philosophy of education that emphasizes the individual needs and abilities of each student. It is based on the idea that students should be actively involved in their own learning, rather than passively receiving information from a teacher. Progressive educators believe that education should be relevant and meaningful to students' lives and should focus on developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills. In a progressive education setting, students are often given the opportunity to work on real-world projects and to collaborate with their peers. Teachers act as facilitators, helping students to explore and discover knowledge on their own. Progressive education is founded on the belief that all students have the potential to learn and grow and that education should be personalized to meet the unique needs of each student.

  • Are siblings welcome while I facilitate?

    Yes, siblings are welcome in our Caraway classrooms. That being said, it is important that the sibling is not disturbing others learning or destroying classroom property or students project work. Toddlers, for example, are such active little people and cannot respect the space by themselves,  so you must ensure that the sibling is well monitored in the classroom and that you are cleaning up after them. 

  • What does "Risk Taking" in education look like?

    Risk-taking in education builds a base for self-reliance and perseverance. Learning, grit & innovation happens through overcoming failure and taking chances

  • Is there a tuition fee for attending Caraway?

    Yes, we do have a tuition fee to attend Caraway and for field trips/supplies. All cost options can be split over the 10 month school year or paid in a lump sum. 


    Lump Sum Example: 

    One Child: $1000.00

    Two Children: $1500.00

    Three Children: $1900.00

    Four+ Children: $2250.00


    *All supplies and field trip fees are included in the amounts above. 

    Community Of Caraway Parents Society fee - $10/year


    *We do offer subsidies for families that apply and meet the requirements.



  • What does the parent/caregiver involvement look like at Caraway?

    Parents involved at Caraway School are strongly committed and are involved in the school community. They serve on parent committees and our parent board. They help with the purchasing of materials, support teachers with the physical classroom environment, attend community meetings  and actively faciliate in the classroom and on field trips. Families are entering into a cooperative agreement to volunteer 2.5 hours per week, per child, up to a maximum of five hours. This type of real parent involvement is fundamental to our philosophy when considering children.  Involvement increases the understanding and goals of the program and there are many positive results to having parents and caregivers be part of the school environment. 

  • Is there more opportunity to be outdoors other than recess?

    Yes! Nature Day programming is vital to the goals of our program as they are one of the most fertile grounds for gaining personal resilience, problem solving, collaboration and risk taking. Being in nature also helps our students retain better mental health, autonomy and stewardship over our earth. 

  • Is busing available to/from Caraway?

    Other than public transport, there is no Yellow Bus Service to or from Caraway. 

  • Is there a lunch program?

    No, we do not offer a lunch program. Families are required to pack their own lunches. 

  • We live outside of the catchment area, is that a problem?

    Not at all! If you are willing to transport your children to and from school, there are no boundries. 

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