FrEQUENTLY ASKED

We are located at Camp Tilikum outside of Newberg.

For 2024-2025 tuition is a $600 registration + $4400/yr per learner paid monthly with a 10% reduction for the second learner and 20% for the third.

K-12th grade equivalents.

While we expose children to the importance of mindful spirituality and stress the historical importance of Christianity to the development of Western Civilization, we do not promote any one religion.

The 2023-2024 year started September 6th, 2023 and end June 14th.  Breaks throughout the year are determined by our quest/project schedule which last about 4 to 6 weeks of hard work followed by 1 week off.  2024-2025 calendar is not yet published.

We can accommodate up to 30 learners.

We’re Matt & Brittani Johnson and our 5 children ages 8 to 16.  We graduated from George Fox University and have been running a businesses in Oregon ever since.  We gained a passion for alternative schooling in 2020 and look forward to many more years serving our community in this way.

We chose the name as play on both the forming of raw materials into something strong and useful and forging one’s own path.  Fingerprints, topo maps, Damascus steel, no two are alike and we incorporated this imagery into our identity.  

For 2023-2024, owners Matt & Brittani Johnson as well as trusted parent Rachael Boyle will be sharing the guide roles.  

We respect and incorporate Maria Montessori’s philosophy but, we are not a Montessori school. We also use the latest interactive technologies, hands on projects and the Socratic Method for discussions.

We believe that each of us has a special calling in life, and a series of trials and tests that must be faced with integrity and purpose, in order to live a satisfying and fulfilled life. Our mission is to prepare your child for his or her special journey.

We believe that children learn best when working with children younger and older than themselves rather than split up into groups based solely on age. In addition to individualized curriculum, all ages of students work together in groups.  We have 2 age groups, K-2nd and 3rd-6th.

We are not trained to serve children with serious learning disabilities but may be able to serve young heroes with dyslexia if they receive outside support.

We believe each of our students will find a passion — something they love and have a gift to do. They will use this gift to serve others and fulfill a need they are passionate about in the world. This may be by becoming a shoe-shiner who tells stories and makes people’s day just by doing his job with love and vigor; it may be by becoming a coach who sees the light in a child’s eyes and guides her to pursue a dream; it may be by becoming a father or mother who leads a family on a Hero’s Journey; it may be becoming an entrepreneur or business leader guided by compassion and integrity; or it may be by becoming an artist or writer who brings beauty to people’s lives.

Yes, Forge is IALDS accredited.  More information is available here.  https://ialds.org/