Mission & Values
Our Mission: Portland Waldorf School educates children for the whole of life in order to uplift humanity. Out of the insights of anthroposophy, the school nurtures the imagination, cultivates the intellect, and recognizes the unique spirit of each child in the community. In this way, children are surrounded by striving adults and strengthened individually and socially to meet the challenges of life. Students emerge as creative, independent thinkers who meet the world with initiative and purpose.
Our Four Core Values
Educate the whole self to be healthy and balanced
Honor place and care for our home
Connect with spirit through reverence and seeking our true purpose
Nurture relationship and care for humanity
What Makes Portland Waldorf School Different?
PWS is the Most Established Waldorf School in the Portland Metro Region, and the only Nursery through High School Program in the Pacific Northwest.
Waldorf schools across the world are connected by anthroposophical shared values of individual freedom, social responsibility, and commitment to creating a better world for all of humanity, yet each Waldorf school creates its own distinctive character and community ethos.
As the most established Waldorf School in the Portland metropolitan region, Portland Waldorf School's deep roots now flourish across our seven-acre campus in downtown Milwaukie, Oregon.
This strong foundation provides unparalleled expertise and stability, allowing our educators to dedicate themselves fully to their pedagogical artistry and to their students, fostering genuine innovation within the classroom environment. While our rich traditions nurture a vibrant festival life still alive with new ways of celebrating our shared humanity.
The Pacific Northwest's Only Waldorf High School
Portland Waldorf School offers families a true home away from home—a place where children can grow from early childhood through adolescence held by a devoted community of teachers, families, and staff who care deeply for their well-being.
Ours is a whole-child, whole-childhood education. With students of all ages on one campus, childhood is allowed to unfold at a natural pace, and high-schoolers can look back with warmth as they step into who they are becoming.
The continuity of care—teachers who know each child over time and reflect together on their growth—deepens both learning and belonging throughout their school journey. Our graduates depart with profound self-awareness, carrying an unwavering sense of identity and capacity for growth as they embark upon their future endeavors.
Honoring the Essence of Waldorf Education
We teach to the whole human being, and here that means we recognize and celebrate the spiritual dimension of life. This approach is neither religious nor dogmatic —rather spirituality informs how we teach, not what we teach.
The vital force of life that flows through every human is also supported here by our steadfast commitment to Eurythmy. As a fundamental pillar of Waldorf education, we recognize Eurythmy as an essential element in weaving together the arts, mathematics, and sciences that students engage with daily.
At Portland Waldorf School, we balance fidelity to anthroposophical principles while embracing new ways of educating that are reflective of our beautifully diverse world.
Portland Waldorf School educates children for the whole of life in order to uplift humanity. Students emerge as creative, independent thinkers who meet the world with initiative and purpose.