Walden Center & School

About

K-6 education in the heart of Berkeley. We send creative and confident critical thinkers to middle school and beyond. We are the leader in integrating arts and academics.

Mission

Walden Center & School is an independent, K-6 school where drama, music, and art sit alongside traditional academic subjects as our core curriculum. Walden’s philosophy of education incorporates the following principles:

Integrating Arts and Academics: Artistic expression is an essential element of every child’s education.

Engaging the Whole Child: Children learn best when their academic, emotional, physical, and social needs are addressed concurrently.

Seeing Children as Individuals: In designing and implementing curricula, we take an individualized approach in order to meet each child where he or she is developmentally.

Teaching as a Collective: The teachers run the school, which provides them with autonomy and flexibility in the classroom and direct participation in school-wide decision making.

Our approach to learning encourages creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking as means to help children develop a lifelong love of learning, a strong sense of community, and a powerful sense of self. Walden’s graduates are self-directed and have a joyful confidence that allows these young people to contribute positively to the world around them.