The Kickapoo Valley Forest School (KVFS) began its roots in the nature immersion philosophy of the Kickapoo Valley Reserve (KVR) Education Programs. After years of offering nature immersion day-camps and one-day nature immersion programs for elementary students, Education Director Jonel Kiesau and several long-time KVR instructors began to dream of offering programs for our youngest learners in the style of all-outdoor European Forest Kindergartens. 

In the years between 2015 and 2019 Jonel and her colleague Meaghan Gustafson (then elementary principal at La Farge Schools) and several KVR early childhood educators researched the Forest School model, attended many early childhood nature and play-based training conferences, and visited nature preschools within Wisconsin and Minnesota. During this time a small planning committee of Jonel, Meaghan and KVR Instructors was formed to design and implement several Natural Play Areas near the KVR Visitor Center and create play-based curriculum to offer to schools and groups visiting the KVR and using the Natural Play Areas.  For the years 2015-2017 the KVR hosted La Farge 4K students for half-day play-based Friday’s utilizing the KVR grounds and newly formed Natural Play Areas. Then, during the Fall and Winter of 2018 Jonel developed a draft business plan for opening a small Forest Preschool on the KVR. 

The following fall the KVR hired Education Assistant Robin Hosemann to assist with the pilot of a half-day tuition-based Forest Preschool Program called Forest Fridays based on this plan. In 2019 and 2020, 13 children attended Forest Fridays.  The program was deemed a great success with the children immersed in play in nature during each season and all weather.  Further ideas were generated and gathered as to how to offer more of this kind of programming to our community. During this same time, and based on the success of Forest Fridays, the KVR and La Farge School District decided to collaborate on an initiative to develop a model forest school that could be open and free to all students. A new steering committee was formed to explore options for funding and management. The members of this founding committee included: Meaghan Gustafson, Jonel Kiesau, Robin Hosemann, Barb Sarnowski, Ximena Puig, Julia Buckingham, Eric Hartwig, Joe Orso, Josh Hanson, and Greg Blackdeer. This committee soon proposed to begin the process of applying for a Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Charter School grant to fund a public Forest School sited on the KVR and authorized by the La Farge School District. 

After much hard work, this grant was submitted in February of 2020 and awarded in June of 2020! The grant awarded $700,000 over five years to develop and implement a 4K-2nd grade public Forest School on the Kickapoo Valley Reserve. Year one of development was a planning year only (and coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic) which allowed the steering committee to begin the process of school development for the opening of the school in fall of 2021.  A Leadership Team was quickly formed which included Meaghan Gustafson (La Farge School District Administrator), Jonel Kiesau (KVR Education Director), Robin Hosemann (KVR Education Assistant), Julia Buckingham (hired as founding teacher), and Ximena Puig (hired as curriculum consultant).  The Leadership team began the recruitment process for forming the Kickapoo Valley Forest School Governance Council which in its first year grew to include these founding members:  Barb Sarnowski, Julie Hoel, Winston Ostrow, Jackie Yocum, Megan Hoffman, Brandon Bleuer and Shawna Nelson.  The Leadership team also hired consultants James Lewicki, to assist in development and school planning, and Sandy Benton to assist with Governance Board development.  The Kickapoo Valley Forest School will opened its doors to 32 4K and Kindergarten students in the Fall of 2021.