Your Child, Challenged and Supported

A path shaped by who they are and who they're becoming

How your child learns at Volo

Your child learns through direct experience—not textbooks and lectures. They explore real ecosystems, tackle authentic problems, create meaningful projects, and discover knowledge through hands-on engagement with the natural world.

We draw from proven methods (e.g., Montessori, Waldorf, Finnish outdoor education) synthesized by educators with decades of experience. Your child benefits from what works, not experimental approaches.

An Integrated & Active Pedagogy

Learning That Sticks

Your child doesn’t sit passively while information is delivered. They:

Explore and question – Learning begins with curiosity, not memorization
Experience directly – For example, math happens at the stream, science through observation
Create and build – Engineering through real projects, art from authentic inspiration
Play purposefully – Play is how children process, practice, and master new skills
Lead and contribute – Age-appropriate leadership builds confidence and competence
Reflect and integrate – Understanding deepens through discussion and review

These aren’t separate “methods”—they’re how humans naturally learn when given the right environment.

A Model for a Holistic Educational Paradigm

Whole Child Development

Your child develops as an integrated whole, not compartmentalized subjects:

Physical skills strengthen cognitive abilities (fine motor → reading & math)
Outdoor challenges build both bodily confidence and intellectual resilience
Emotional well-being from nature immersion enhances focus and creativity
Social competence emerges through real collaboration, not forced group work

We meet your child where they are—honoring their pace, their interests, and their unique path forward.

Methodology FAQs

How do you keep children safe?

Every child is known, seen, and supervised by adults who care about them. All staff pass background checks and complete youth protection and first-aid training. We are careful and diligent in all activities. We have had many years of successful and safe outdoor experience with people of all ages.

Who teaches my child?

Your child learns from expert educators. We sometimes call them "facilitators" because they do more than deliver information: they guide your child's personalized learning plan, mentor their growth, and work in partnership with you.

How will supplies & transportation be provided?

Volo provides most school supplies currently. Parents are responsible for clothing and outdoor gear needed for the weather, a backpack, water bottle, and lunches. Volo provides transportation from the PC Hub to the Aspen Campus or other outdoor destinations.

Will my child have homework?

Rarely. We value family time and believe learning should happen during school hours. Occasionally, your child might practice a specific skill at home or continue exploring a passionate interest, but this is the exception, not the rule.

How do you track my child's progress?

We assess continuously through: Daily observations of your child's work, thinking, and growth; portfolio reviews showing best work (writing samples, projects, problem-solving); competency demonstrations where your child shows mastery through real application; regular conferences with you to discuss progress and adjust learning plans.

Will learners adhere to standardized tests?

There will be no standardized testing as a general practice. However, for parents and young people who desire standardized testing, we can coordinate testing such as NWEA MAPS, or Utah RISE (some tests require additional fees).

Emergent Curriculum

Emergence is the natural process of elements combining so that patterns and relationships become evident.

Volo creates conditions for emergent learning experiences, meaning that we seek out and create environments that lead to questions and discovery and open possibilities for further learning. Then we adapt the curriculum to meet the interesting opportunities that emerge.

Young people at Volo learn content that is foundational and advanced through interactive experiences. Learners are immersed in the natural world as they move through different activities and group constellations throughout the day. Distinct subjects are drawn out of the students’ direct experience as they explore nature, work in the garden, plan, build, craft, and play.

The curriculum is informed each day by the seasons, the environment, and the pace of the learner. This is a living curriculum!

What can we learn outdoors?

Math: Inherently based on real objects and their interactions, math and statistics in nature can be engaged by all ages.
Language Arts: Some of our team’s happiest and best-remembered writing and reading times have happened outdoors in nature!
Science: Many activities often done indoors, for example chemistry lab, are better suited for outdoors.
Physics: Natural objects lend themselves well to Newtonian and other physics, both hands-on and theoretically.
Engineering: This probably goes without saying, but engineering principles and applications can be accessed naturally outdoors. Engineering can be involved in creative projects, field trips to engineered creations, and experiments are far better learned experientially than by looking at pictures.
Art: Visual art, music, and drama are well-suited for outdoor study and creativity.
History: History of place and events come to life when we are standing and breathing in the locations where they transpired.

“To address these issues, both systems [Finland’s and Singapore’s] are pursuing new initiatives designed to overhaul the teacher-centered, academic instruction characteristic of conventional schooling and shift to what they hope will be more engaging, interdisciplinary, and student-centered approaches.

Consistent with other efforts to support the development of ’21st-century skills’ in the United States and other countries, these initiatives seek to develop social, emotional, and cognitive abilities that will enable students to work together, solve problems, persist in the face of adversity, and adapt to an unpredictable future.”