Our dream is to educate students to comprehend and combat the world’s ecological crisis. CFS students will investigate not only environmental problems, but also environmental solutions, thus discovering ways to live in peaceful co-existence with the people of the world and all living things. We strive to graduate environmentally responsible individuals able to see beyond the level of greed that pervades today’s throw-away society, and to seek pragmatic, far-reaching decisions to difficult problems.

Strength in the traditional subjects (reading, writing, mathematics, social studies, and science) is fundamental to the academic philosophy of the CFS. Study of these subjects will be integrated. For example, children who study industrialization will learn how the changes brought by this era affected natural resources, art, literature, world history, and scientific discoveries. Math will be taught in the garden and kitchen as well as the classroom. A child studying a leaf in botany class will also be encouraged to see its artistic intricacy and mathematical symmetry. At the CEC, clear administrative direction, parental understanding and support, and creative and sensitive teaching come together to provide an atmosphere in which learning is exciting, relevant and interconnected.

English is the primary language of instruction for CFS students. Our intention is to provide children with access to international communication as well as to the local need for bilingual adults. Children in Kinder and Prepa have two full-time classroom teachers, one native English speaker and one native Spanish speaker. However, all other students receive the majority of their instruction in English. Spanish literature and grammar are taught in Spanish by native speakers for one hour/day. The CFS emphasizes proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking in both English and Spanish.