Neighborhood Schoolhouse of Brattleboro

The Neighborhood Schoolhouse, a small, independent school and child care program, has been a Brattleboro resource for over forty years. Our nature-based program inspires a love of learning through an emphasis on the arts, environmental education, and social-emotional skills. The freedom we give to students while learning aids their development, builds community and trust, and boosts comprehension and retention. Our campus adjoins a protected 400-acre forest where even the littlest learners explore and play. Our grounds, our gardens, the surrounding Vermont forest, and our beloved community are all part of what make Neighborhood an ideal place to grow. We cherish our students, and our students, families, and alumni all love Neighborhood. For many, the school has been life-changing.

All of this nearly came to an end.

In early February, after nearly half a century, Neighborhood Schoolhouse announced that it was closing its doors for good. Teachers, students, families, and the greater community were shocked and saddened. Then they were inspired. Brenda Siegel called a meeting and the community mobilized.

Together, through collective action and a commitment to do any work necessary, the community was able to keep Neighborhood open. A new board assembled, full of familiar faces and institutional knowledge. The new team has been meeting one to three times per week, doing everything in our power to not only help Neighborhood survive, but also to help it thrive. But, we cannot do it alone. Just as we needed a community effort to keep Neighborhood open, we need continued community involvement to help Neighborhood succeed.

We need your help.

Your donation will ensure that Neighborhood Schoolhouse can continue to achieve its mission to inspire a lifelong love of learning and to provide our students with the skills needed to contribute to their communities as insightful, effective, caring individuals. We will use the money obtained through this fundraiser to support our hard-working and dedicated staff, to ensure the safety of our forest classroom, to make necessary building repairs, and to bring quality education to our students. Because Neighborhood Schoolhouse is a registered 501(c)3 charitable organization, your donation is tax deductible.

The Neighborhood Schoolhouse belongs to the community, and together the community can keep Neighborhood thriving for years to come.

To learn more about Neighborhood, visit our website

You can read about the community effort to save the school through the following links: