The Chestnut Tree Project
The mission is to create an international community of learners and collaborators for a sustainable and ecological education.
How did it start?
The Chestnut Tree was conceived in 2021.
After years of experience in different countries, international and public schools, the founders wanted to develop a system they believed in.
Their vision is to create a place where children, families and educators come together as a community, where transparency and values are exercised pro education and we all learn to peacefully embrace our environment and connect our hearts to it.
The catalyst for this project came with the Covid 19 pandemic. The world of education has been challenged by the need for alternatives in education that could be safe, environmentally friendly and engaging. This compelled the founders to take up this call to action and create a space that educates for sustainability.
In collaboration with Gaia Education and our future Swiss International School partner, we plan on opening our Early years program in September 2021.
Our International Curriculum
We aim to merge the Spanish and Swiss curricula to build our pedagogical platform.
Our program is play-based and stimulates children's natural curiosity and joy of learning through singing, dancing, art, storytelling, cultural celebrations, yoga, mindfulness, ecological studies and field trips.
- languages: language of instruction (English), literacy languages (Spanish, Catalan), German and Chinese: we introduce cultural experiences from different parts of the world. Students learn English by immersion. Students explore the beauty of Mediterranean landscapes through theme-related field trips and the diversity of cultures by the contact with our international staff.
- natural sciences- various topics such as health promotion, education for sustainable development (special ecological curriculum by Gaia Education). We are active members of our rural community and we raise awareness about recycling and waste reduction. Planting, harvesting from our vegetable garden and then cooking both Mediterranean and International cuisine.
- music, art, music, artistic design, textile and craft- we support the emotional connection through different forms of art and expression. The contact with media and information technology is usually interdisciplinary.
- physical education, body and health: We encourage integrated development: physical, social-emotional, linguistic, cognitive, creative and cultural. We start each day by practicing breathing exercises and mindfulness.
Our Ecological Curriculum
The GAIA Education model for sustainable living is an UNESCO recognized program. It's organized as a mandala that we call the sustainability wheel, encompassing what we perceive to be the four primary dimensions of human experience - Worldview, Ecological, Social, and Economic aspects. Each of these four dimensions contains five modules - twenty subject areas in total. We expect that the four dimensions will remain constant, while the actual titles and contents of the individual modules may evolve over time.
The curriculum is thus a roadmap, designed to be inherently flexible and adaptable to unique local needs and circumstances.
Social Key
Beyond You and Me Inspiration and Wisdom for Building Community.
Include participation by all, expressing that we are a “communion of subjects.” And the right to define how we want to live with nature and each other, as human and environmental rights.
Economics Key
Gaian Economics Living well within planetary limits.
Include local economies and the integration of our local rural communities as part of an educational learning. The subservience of economics to ecology rather than the reverse.
Ecological Key
Designing Ecological Habitats Creating a Sense of Place.
Include clean soil, air and water, shelter and fresh local food in abundance while living in a diverse ecosystem, within a permissible “ecological footprint.”
Worldview Key
The Song of the Earth The Emerging Synthesis of the Scientific and Spiritual Worldviews.
The goal is diversity rather than homogeneity; and sustainability, rather than depletion caused by the violent raping of the Earth.