Chris Huson, chairman of the Manhattan Waldorf Initiative, announced plans to bring a new Waldorf school to Lower Manhattan, debuting in September 2007 with a mixed age kindergarten class for three to six years olds and then growing to K-5, eventually about 150 students.

“Not only does downtown urgently need more schools,” Huson said, “but the values common among downtown families -- a pioneering spirit, appreciation of the arts, an eclectic and diverse community mix -- are a perfect match for the Waldorf approach to education.”

Added Manhattan Waldorf Initiative member Justine Cuccia, a downtown activist whose child attends the Rudolf Steiner School (a Waldorf school on the Upper East Side), “Waldorf education is unlike any other kind of schooling. The holistic approach allowed my child to fall in love with learning on her own terms.”

Waldorf educator Tim Hoffmann, the faculty chair at the Rudolf Steiner Lower School, noted that, “Waldorf teachers nurture each child’s individual development. Young children learn through play, with art, rhythm and music integrated into the curriculum from the beginning. A rigorous academic program stimulates the child’s natural intellectual curiosity in later years.”

Community Board One Presentation:

Huson will be leading a presentation to Community Board One on March 28th (6:00 PM Room 709 / 49 Chambers Street), at which members and supporters of the Manhattan Waldorf Initiative will outline their plans.

Talk at Seven World Trade Center:

Additionally, on April 25th, Hoffmann will give a talk, “AN INTRODUCTION TO WALDORF EDUCATION,” for parents interested in exploring this approach for their children. All interested parties are invited to attend: 7:00 PM at Seven World Trade Center (25th Floor); RSVP to chris@huson.com

About the Manhattan Waldorf Initiative:

The Manhattan Waldorf Initiative is a grass-roots alliance of educators, parents, and community leaders to increase the range of school choices available downtown and to bring the benefits and opportunities associated with Waldorf education to the Lower Manhattan community.

About Waldorf Schools and Waldorf Education:

Waldorf Schools are independent, not-for-profit institutions that are part of an educational movement founded in the early years of the twentieth century by Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner. There are more than 1,000 Waldorf Schools worldwide, with more than 150 located in the United States alone, half a dozen of them in and around New York City.

This approach, which strikes a harmonious balance between every kind of development (mental, physical, and spiritual), while allowing each child to learn naturally, at his or her own pace, has enriched the lives of hundreds of thousands of children in dozens of nations over the last century.

For more information contact:

Chris Huson
917-576-6770 cell
chris@huson.com
manhattanwaldorf.org