Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America

08/23/2026

Congratulations to Maple Village Waldorf School in Long Beach, CA, who just renewed its Associate Membership in WECAN!
maplevillagewaldorf.org
Maple Village Waldorf School aims to create a compassionate and welcoming environment rooted in the traditions and the philosophy of Waldorf education. We endeavor to engage and nurture the whole child resulting in a balance of heart, mind, body and spirit. We strive to provide a full living education integrating academia, the arts and communal awareness in order to inspire, energize and develop creativity and a love of learning in each student.

We also place a high importance on contributing to and providing a positive focal point for the local community. Our school provides an environment that helps usher into the world well rounded individuals – learned, inwardly confident, responsible, and self-motivated – with reverence for others and their environment.

08/21/2026

In this fifth episode of Voices of Waldorf Elders, I (Roel Optende) speak with Nancy Blanning, a longtime Waldorf early childhood educator, therapeutic educator, author, editor, and teacher mentor.

Nancy shares how searching for a school for her own children led her to Waldorf education and eventually to nearly four decades of work at the Denver Waldorf School. She reflects on her years as a kindergarten teacher, her training and early mentors, and her later work with movement, sensory development, therapeutic support, and first grade readiness.

Our conversation explores imitation, rhythm, practical work, imagination, and the importance of learning to observe each child without rushing to judgment. Nancy also speaks about the role of anthroposophy and meditation in the inner life of the teacher, the pressures facing younger educators, and why children themselves must remain at the center of Waldorf education.

Nancy is the author of Walking with Our Children, co-author with Laurie Clark of Movement Journeys and Circle Adventures, and editor of collections including First Grade Readiness, School Readiness Today, and Supporting the Sense of Life.

Voices of Waldorf Elders is an oral-history project dedicated to preserving the experiences and wisdom of longtime Waldorf educators for younger and future teachers.

Watch the premiere here:

In this fifth episode of Voices of Waldorf Elders, I speak with Nan...

08/20/2026

NEW PUBLICATION!!!

100 Founders, 100 Years of Steiner/Waldorf Early Childhood Education by Nana Göbel

https://store.waldorfearlychildhood.org/products/100-founders-100-years-of-steiner-waldorf-early-childhood-education-by-nana-gobel

$25.00 USD

IASWECE is pleased to present a tribute to the many people who have made it possible for Steiner/Waldorf Early Childhood Education to reach every corner of the world over the course of a century and to continue to touch so many lives.

The one hundred profiles in this book represent only a very brief selection of the many educators whose dedication and effort have been given to the realm of early childhood as the basis for a free unfolding of social life in the future. To all of them, we want to offer through this publication our heartfelt gratitude.

08/20/2026

Congratulations to the Squamish Waldorf School in Squamish, BC, Canada who became a Full Member in WECAN this spring!
www.squamishwaldorf.com
Squamish Waldorf School serves students from pre-Kindergarten through Grade 8, in a learning environment that is thoughtful and progressive. With a supportive community of faculty, staff and parents, we’re able to meet students where they are developmentally, intellectually and emotionally. While what we teach is critical to our goals, it is how we teach that truly sets us apart.

08/20/2026

Congratulations to the Alkion Center in Ghent, NY, which completed its WECAN Associate Member Institute renewal.
www.alkioncenter.hawthornevalley.org
Become a Waldorf teacher in a transformative, in-person setting. Our in-person, academic year program meets on Saturdays and includes three week-long summer courses over two years. We focus on Waldorf Education, Anthroposophy, Artistic Practice, Self-Development, and the living relationship between humanity, nature and the world we live in.

08/02/2026

Congratulations to the Asheville Waldorf School in Asheville, NC, which has completed its Associate Member renewal in WECAN!
www.ashevillewaldorf.org
Our screen-free classrooms reflect both long-standing educational wisdom and current research: children develop attention, imagination, and social confidence most fully through movement, hands-on learning, and meaningful human connection. By protecting childhood as a space for these experiences, we support focused, creative, and resilient learners prepared to engage thoughtfully with the world.

07/28/2026

Congratulations to the Nevada Sage Waldorf School in Reno NV, which has renewed its Full Membership in WECAN!
www.nevadasagewaldorf.org
Welcome to Nevada Sage Waldorf School, where we provide a nurturing environment for children from Nursery through Grade 8. Our independent, non-sectarian school in Reno, Nevada is dedicated to fostering the whole child through a well-rounded education that nurtures intellectual, emotional, and personal growth.
The Waldorf curriculum is designed to inspire creativity, critical thinking, and a love of learning. Here, students engage in a rich blend of academics and the arts and build deep connections with teachers, families, and peers.
We believe education should empower students to become confident, compassionate individuals who are ready to thrive in an ever-changing world. At Nevada Sage Waldorf School, we aim to cultivate well-rounded learners who approach life's challenges with resilience, curiosity, and a sense of purpose.

07/14/2026

Congratulations to the New Amsterdam School in New York, NY, who completed their WECAN Full Membership renewal!
www.newamsterdamschool.org
New Amsterdam School is a community founded on a reverence for both childhood and nature.
The philosophy of the school is built on the study of human development and combines an engaging academic curriculum with deep social-emotional learning, outdoor education, and artistic skills in order to meet the whole child as they unfold. The community of parents, teachers, and alumni are diverse in thought, background, and experience. They form a warm, loving circle in which each child can safely and joyfully grow into their best self.

06/27/2026

Congratulations to Madrona School in Bainbridge Island, WA, which became a new Full WECAN Member.
www.madronaschool.org
The early childhood years at Madrona School are full of wonder, nurtured in a cozy, home-like environment, and as the child develops, increasingly spent outdoors. Research supports Madrona School’s emphasis on a play-based curriculum for the early years. We support families in protecting and nurturing young children, helping them grow into their bodies with lots of opportunity for movement, both large motor and fine motor, as well as developing and enriching their imaginations for a firm foundation to their grade school journeys. We aim to engage the whole child -- stimulating all of their senses, developing their capacities for joyful movement, and cultivating a sense of wonder and security with the world around them. Warm and nurturing relationships with our Waldorf-trained teachers and staff are a hallmark of these early school years.

06/23/2026

Congratulations to Back in Nature Childcare in Salmon Arm, BC Canada, who recently joined us as an Associate Member of WECAN!
Back in Nature Childcare is a Waldorf inspired playbased childcare program.