Ohmapi
/ōˈməˈpī/
The name is derived from the dominant local tree species on the land: Oak (Oh), Madrone (ma) and Pine (pi).
It all started with…
The Ohmapi Nature Project (formerly Camino De Santiago Nature School) began in January of 2013 as grass-roots organization of parents who wanted to do a bit more than a nature walk with their toddler. Over the past 8 years, it has grown and evolved: the meeting times grew longer, more frequent and went beyond just walking nature to include the study of nature and the incorporation of academics.
Today, The Ohmapi Nature Project provides parents of Nevada County an alternative and unique educational resource. The students are immersed in nature all day, everyday. That in itself is unique. But add to that our alternative approach to learning and your child’s day will be filled with so much inspiration and joy that they will equate learning with joy and become life-long learners.
In 2020 Camino De Santiago Nature School purchased property in Nevada City, CA. In 2021 it changed its name to The Ohmapi Nature Project to be more reflective of its place.
Homeschool Enrichment
Ohmapi is officially a “homeschool enrichment program”. As such, many state mandates like testing, common core standards, and accreditation are not applicable. This allows us and our families quite a bit of autonomy in our approach to helping kids learn.
Parents that enroll their children Ohmapi either:
Enroll in a homeschool charter school (local charters are: Twin Ridges, Arete, Yuba River Charter, Forest Charter, Horizon, Sequoia Grove, etc…). Homeschool charters are state-funded and monitor a homeschooling child’s learning by reviewing work samples and requesting that the child participate in state testing. The charters also provide funds averaging $2000 per year that can be used to pay for programs such as Ohmapi.
File a PSA (private school affidavit) with the state in October. A PSA tells the state that you, the parent, are responsible for educating your child. With a PSA, there are no funds available, nor is there any monitoring of the child’s learning, nor any state testing. With a PSA, a parent is fully free to educate their child as they choose.
The Ohmapi Nature Project is a Private Membership Association(PMA) for the purpose of education that establishes its own operating guidelines and is not under the jurisdiction of the state, local, and federal government’s laws and regulations. We are independent and privately-funded by our members. We are an FBO PMA. The Ohmapi Nature Project has a strongly-held belief in Nature and the Seventh Generation Principle, established by the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) which advocates that the decisions we make today should result in the care and preservation of the human body and our planet, seven generations into the future.
What Makes Us Different
It is our goal to inspire students to want to learn. Our instruction is hands-on and just enough to inspire the students to delve into those concepts more deeply on their own. At The Ohmapi Nature Project, the students are given plenty of time on their own to explore further concepts and ideas that are most intriguing to them. Each day the students have a minimum, uninterrupted block of 1 hour to play, explore, build, create and dream. This unstructured time is one of the key components that sets our school apart. Many child development experts agree that “play” is the “work” of childhood. At our nature school, the students have time to play or work or play or work...however you want to phrase it. During those unstructured hours, the staff is very much present and available to students to help facilitate their yearnings and ideas. Our student to instructor ratio is 10:1 providing the students lots of individual attention.
On a typical morning at The Ohmapi Nature Project, concepts and ideas are introduced in main lessons that combine language arts, science, math and history. For the younger students, the story is heavily relied upon to speak to the heart of the child. Lessons are magical and imaginative. As the children age, the stories are still there to inspire but they are a bit more heavily infused with fact. Growing out of the story are developmentally appropriate hand-on projects that enable the students to develop math, language arts, science and history skills. Each year there are one or two nature topics that inform the basis of the lessons. Click here to see an example of how we weave nature stories and academics together.
Low Student-to-Instructor Ratio
A 10:1 student to instructor ratio gives us the opportunity to form meaningful relationships with our participants and establish necessary connections. Information is everywhere. What makes information relevant to children is connection. We strive to connect with our students and connect our students with learning.
Academic & Nature Time Combined
Academic experiences are taken to the next level by immersing students in nature every day. Any lesson that can happen in a classroom can also happen outside. Our Monday through Wednesday program is designed to meet basic academic requirements, leaving 2 days per week for students to pursue specific interests.
Embracing Nature Naturally
Because the activities we employ activate natural childhood passions such as climbing, hiding, digging, building and seeking, the students develop positive memorable experiences, thereby, a deep nature connection.
Nature is the Norm
By meeting frequently, spending time and learning in nature is established as a normal rhythm. The students are able to enter a state of growth (mentally, physically and spiritually) readily without expending energy adjusting to the novelty of a place or space
Nature & Handwork Skills
Practical skills such as medicinal and edible plant identification, wilderness skills, mapping and navigation, crafts, shelter building skills, and much more are experienced. Through the use of hands and of making, children develop and refine the motor skills and learn through experience that practice improves a skill. Being active with hands can often quiet the mind, leading to a natural way to de-stress or even process emotions. Handwork can be an intensely effective relaxation tool; the mind cannot help but slow down as it matches the rhythm of the hands.
Natural Human Rhythm
Our classes honor the natural human rhythms, allowing for times of focus and of rest. Additionally, we start and end the day in a focused group circle where we can set the tone for the day as well as reflect upon the day at the end of the day.
From our enrolled families and students…
“We are sincerely and incredibly grateful to you for the beauty and magic you have created for these children. Our son has thrived and flourished this year, much due in part to his time with you at Camino de Santiago Nature School.
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Luke looks forward to nature school and is truly disappointed when there are holiday breaks! He says, “I’m happy that I will get to spend more time with my family, but I will miss school.” When it is time to go back, he is thrilled. Children really do thrive in outdoor environments; the difference between having them indoors and out is obvious and noticeable.
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What you have achieved with this school is as magical as it is important. You truly are changing the world. We are so fortunate to have taken part in this amazing project. Thank you!”
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Our Goal:
To help the children and parents of Nevada County by providing an alternative educational resource where children can maximize their time outdoors and learn in a holistic manner.
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Enrolling now for Spring Semester 2024!
Academic Program for ages 7-15
Elective Day for ages 7-15
Nature Kindergarten Program for ages 5-6
