The Walden School in Winter Park. (Photo by Camila Escobar)
A school that started in a room on top of a garage is now a fully functioning private school in Winter Park.
Dr. Carol Milkulka, founder of The Walden School, opened the learning institution 23 years ago because she wanted a better teaching environment for her two daughters. When she couldn’t find one, she decided to create one herself.
The Walden School focuses on giving students the tools they need to cultivate core values such as connection and inclusion, by adopting a Montessori style of teaching.
Through hands-on and independent learning, students learn to engage in the material rather than simply being told it.
“What goes through the hands, goes into the minds,” says Diane Young, a kindergarten and first grade teacher. She spoke about how when kids get to visualize what they are learning they can understand it better and apply the concepts to real life. “When the kids see it, they never forget it.”
Walden is a small, progressive private school that focuses on promoting equity, respecting diversity, democracy and justice in the community.
Most students who attend the private school transferred from public schools and were pleasantly surprised at the catered learning that an intimate classroom setting can provide.
“It is not inclusive at public schools at all, students can just get left behind, so it was a lot healthier coming to a school that is smaller and teaches in a way that is made for you,” says ninth grader Amelie Nothnagel.
A Cognia Accreditation is a designation that recognizes schools that have demonstrated excellence and service to learners. The Walden School recently obtained an above average score on the recertification making it their third.
“They come every five years or so, and it’s pretty challenging to get it. This is our third time of getting it, and we don’t use computers, we don’t use tech,” says Mikulka.
In a world where technology is so prevalent in education, this private school breaks free from the norm and takes on a screen-free environment. Mikulka feels like being active and connecting with nature is vital to a child’s education.
“We definitely don’t sit in our chairs all day because movement is a very important part of how we teach,” she says.
From two students to now 55, The Walden School has slowly been expanding over the years.
Each classroom holds up to 15 students at a time and with five different classrooms the entire school can hold up to 75 kids K-12.
Some new additions include a new afterschool program and a new quad in the center of the school. Mikulka says that the program “won’t be a place to just drop of your kids, but a place for enrichment and fun.”
Although Walden may be small, their impact on students is profound. With a zero tolerance for bullying and a dedication to diversity and inclusion, the school has become a safe space for students to thrive in their community.
“When you feel like you belong, you never have to try to fit in again,” Mikulka says.
(Photos by Camila Escobar)
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