Around the Globe
With respect to the world community, Chicago Waldorf School students, staff, faculty and families have a long tradition of involvement and support. While much local community work takes place, there is a special commitment to assistance to people and organizations in many countries around the world.
Our One World program has expanded from a small parent-led fundraising effort to a holiday tradition of creating and selling beautiful art pieces, the profits of which currently go to assist the Chengdu Waldorf School in the Sichuan Province.
When the Chengdu Waldorf School was ravaged by an earthquake, some members of our community made the journey to assist in the rebuilding process. The school is now back on its feet and thriving while our community members cherish the relationships and experiences they were able to share with our Chinese friends and colleagues.
The 12th Grade class sponsors a student in the South African Waldorf School through tuition support and encouragement through letters and email. This support has allowed for the student to complete his education through the full twelve grades while educating our own students about his life, country and challenges along the way.
Through our Foreign Exchange Program, high school students may choose to spend extended periods of time in other countries, submerging themselves in the language and the culture, attending school and learning a lot about themselves and the wider world.
Previous exchanges have included Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Peru, Chile and Argentina.
High school students also get the chance to make a difference through class trips and service learning. Mexico and Costa Rico have been recent community service destination as well as other locations in the U.S. and Canada. Projects have included work on a biodynamic farm, building a farmer’s market for a local village, revitalizing a nursing home, working with disabled adults in an intentional community, joining with Habitat for Humanity for work with sustainable building techniques and living in a kibbutz in Israel.