Program Description
Building on Taproot’s principles of nonviolent communication and unconditional positive regard, Taproot Foundations is a nine-month program that will introduce and explore a variety of topics to help students advance their understanding of self-knowledge and self-care.
We will approach this in a variety of ways, with a heavy emphasis on experiential learning: group activities, monthly 1:1s with teachers, small group and whole group discussions, games, videos, podcasts, and occasional articles or books. We will introduce a topic monthly, lead activities and discussions, and provide relevant materials to support learning of the topic. A framework of experimentation will help students learn what works for them and what doesn’t, and to keep and build upon the things that work.
We believe it is important the program span the school year to provide the continuity of support, learning, and community during such an important and often challenging period in young people’s lives.There is an arc to this curriculum that builds upon itself over the course of the year, but, importantly, we have left flexibility to ensure we can address the most pressing topics for each particular cohort. Often these align with what we have outlined, but just as often, as we get to know a group we feel the need to shift the order of some things or make bigger adjustments based on the group’s needs at that time.
Our vision is to create a safe, curious community of peers and mentors who begin to develop a strong sense of self and goals, the tools to discover how to structure their days and choices in support of those goals, and how to support each other and their broader communities through listening, leadership, and good works.
This program is open to middle and high school students.
Topics
We plan to cover one main topic or theme each month and will introduce potential tools, resources, and, on occasion, out of class activities to support the group and individual learning. We will introduce and revisit these topics iteratively, but each of these larger themes will have a month of dedicated, deeper focus. There is also a bit of a seasonality to the curriculum, as we have tried to think about school year opportunities, challenges, and scaffolds accordingly. The topics we will introduce are:
- Observation & Awareness (September)
- Self-Care and Experiments (October)
- Values & Your Best Self (November)
- Gratitude (December)
- Community (January)
- Mindfulness and Experiments (February)
- Flow (March)
- Energy & Time (April)
- Authentic Self (May)
Elements
Foundations will meet in a variety of formats to support optimal individual and group learning. Non-overnight months have a time commitment of approximately nine hours. Overnight months are a bit more, with a time commitment of approximately 30 hours, most of which are with the overnight.
- Weekly Message: Each Sunday, Elesa will send out a note to the group covering important upcoming dates or activities and also something for the kids to observe, think about, or try for the week. We might include a podcast, article, and/or book recommendation for those who want to go deeper, but there is no expectation for kids to take these on; they are purely optional.
- First Sunday of the month: The group will meet from 3-6 p.m. for an outdoor activity and discussion. In this session we will introduce a main topic for the month.
- Second Sunday of the month The group will meet from 3-5 p.m. for an outdoor group game or activity. This will be run by our Lead Mentors. We really love the idea of kid-run 100% UPR game day.
- Third Sunday of the month: The group will meet from 3-6 p.m. for a volunteering activity, outdoor activity, and group discussion. We will revisit the month’s topic and build upon it.
Overnights
We will host four group overnights over the course of the program. These overnights are clustered toward the beginning and end of the program. These give us an opportunity to go deeper on certain topics and strengthen our connections with each other. Activities will vary for each overnight but will include a combination of teambuilding, outdoor activities and exploration, relaxation and mindfulness, awesome healthy food, discussion, and practice with outdoor camping. Overnights replace the regular group meeting for that weekend. The overnight dates are:
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- 9/6-9/7, Harvest Preserve
- 10/4-10/5, Backbone State Park
- 4/18-4/19, Whiterock Conservancy
- 5/16-5/17, Wapsipinicon Float and Camp
Monthly 1:1s
Students meet 1:1 with a teacher to discuss their goals, experiments, observations, and any challenges they’re experiencing. Students will draft an agenda for this meeting and will commit to actions in support of their values and goals at the end of each of these sessions. Whenever possible these sessions will be conducted outdoors, and ideally would include some walking element, unless the weather is prohibitive or the student is injured.These sessions are 45 minutes in length and will be scheduled at standing times each month between teachers and students.
Community and Volunteering
Volunteering is an important element of Taproot Foundations. Over the course of the year we will have a few structured group volunteering activities, and we’ll also share many other opportunities for volunteering outside of the Foundations group activities. Some of these opportunities will be with Taproot, but many will be in support of other local, like-minded non-profits, each with their own needs and opportunities for learning. Students pursuing a silver cord can expect to earn 20 volunteer hours through their year with Taproot Foundations.
Cost
2025/2026 Foundations tuition is $2160 for the 9-month program ($240/month)
A $500 deposit is required to register, and the balance can be paid monthly or in full at the time of registration.
(If these options don’t work for you, but you are still interested in having your child participate, please email us to discuss other options.)
