we have ambitious goals for education and that means we have ambitious goals for fundraising!
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We have built this school from scratch.
From the ground up!
So far, we have run on volunteered time, community cheerleading, hard work, kindness,
and an unwavering dedication to create a high quality school.
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If you feel a kinship to the values of our school + environmentalism philosophies, please consider donating in one of our membership levels below!
a gift to support our many goals includes: school development, curriculum development, equipment and facility needs, field station establishment, and most of all tuition assistance for future students in need.
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If you're interested in becoming a benefactor of our school or making a donation (big or small!) please email us at school@bluestemhall.com for more information on how to get involved!
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$1,000 yearly donation
Spring Season Club
Spring does not exist to prepare for summer. Spring flowers wake up slowly. Soaking in the dew drops and luxuriating in the gentle warm sun as it grows to life. Not to be rushed. This is what we are working towards defending. Children in the spring of their lives who do not need the pressures of summer. Spring undeniably exists just to be spring.
“The best way to equip a child to solve the complex problems she will encounter as an adult is to give her a protected time in childhood to develop the muscles of imagination, the beams and rafters of optimism and hope, and the bricks and mortar of confidence that will enable her to tackle those problems later on.” Edward M. Hallowell “Protecting Childhood” for Parents League Review
This donor level helps us tackle the direct lineage of livable wages of faculty and teachers to the tuition rate for the students and families. How can we systematically support both the children and the adults of our school and why has historically it always been a game of one or the other? If the school is economically priced, then there is a revolving door of minimum-wage teachers since no one can afford to work there and survive. If the tuition rate is high enough that the adults of the school can be paid fairly, then enrollment risks becoming so elitist that only the wealthiest families can receive this education. This is a deep rooted and systematic problem in the world of education and our best chance to have it all is through private donors who can help us see this through. Once we have our start-up funds achieved, donated and fundraised money will go towards the goal to develop our scholarship program and ultimately a more financial need-blind admission process (enrollment based solely on merit not on the ability to afford full tuition).
Spring Season Club members will be invited to exclusive members-only gatherings, open houses, and events. Members will be recognized at events, in our annual newsletter, and in social media with a member spotlight!
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$5,000 donation
6th Generation Society
School Founder Abbie Frank is the 5th generation to live and work on the Bluestem Hall Nature School property. Her child, Clementine is the 6th generation and a member of the first class of students to grace our hallowed hall. We invite all students to symbolically and literally feel at home as members of our 6th generation.
This donor level is a look at the long term effects of what an exceptional nature-based education can do for the next generation. What that might do for our community and environmental stewardship and the level of systematic structure that can make our program thrive. This donation level helps us meet not just immediate demand, but long term planning to grow, develop, add grades, and meet licensing and accreditation requirements.
6th Generation Society Members will be invited to exclusive members-only gatherings, open houses, and events. Members will be recognized at events, in our annual newsletter, and in social media with a member spotlight! This also includes our donor-only “school house dinner” where members can host their own private event on site with 10 friends. This dinner includes the option to be picked up at your home by a working school bus, coming on site for a luxury dinner, relaxing by the fire and enjoying a wonderful evening at our state of the art building.
To avoid credit card fees for larger donations, please contact us directly or to send a check to
1401 e. old church road urbana, il 61802
BNHS FUNDRAISING EVENTS!
A celebration of the darkening night sky + winter months ahead done thoughtfully with mediation, body movements, and gathering as community.
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Join Bluestem Hall Nature School + Glow by Lola for the fundraising event Prairie Sunset Circle: Welcoming the Night! We will connect with nature through a peaceful sunset meditation and move through slow, easy yoga poses designed to stretch, reset, and restore the nervous system. This calming session will help you transition into the evening with mindfulness and relaxation. Afterward, we’ll gather to enjoy a warm beverage and socialize, sharing the peaceful energy of the evening and prairie. All proceeds of this event go towards funding the Nonprofit Organization and school, Bluestem Hall Nature School! This is an outdoor event for all ages and abilities!