It's Your Oregon: Unity School

Charleen Stauch: Eugene, OR

Since 1974, Unity School in Eugene, Oregon has been offering a homey, natural setting for children, with a hands-on, self-directed learning style, they feel is best suited to young kids.  Charleen Strauch has been in childcare for 8 years and is Unity’s new Director.  She explained that the school has up to 70 children from ages 2-11, on an old farm, complete with a good size organic garden and barn, guarded by cats and great for rainy day play.

The school heard about the Eco-Healthy childcare certification through its own research and sought the certification because it made sense for their practices.  Taking care of the earth is part of the teaching at Unity, and the kids grow up working in an organic garden, composting at every meal, and knowing all about recycling.

Unity’s garden is substantial, to help feed 70 kids; there are a couple different fruit trees, pumpkin, squash, lettuce, a huge herb garden and more.  The kids participate in other community service, including learning about restoration sites, planting trees and they have adopted a local park.

As Unity expands and is rebuilding, it’s making sure that its up to environmentally friendly codes and standards, doing all it can to use non toxic materials.  The financial cost and extra work to find resources and materials on this project, is their biggest Eco-Healthy challenge.

Unity is taking their commitment to another level, partnering with other facilities in the area, to help guide others towards more eco-friendly practices. Their conversation is beginning with compost.  When asked why the Eco-Healthy program is important, Charlene responded “The future existence of our planet”, laughing she adds “just a small thing.”

Click here for information on how to become an Eco-Healthy Childcare.