Learning to Love Learning for Life!
INNER PEACE FOREST SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT SYSTEM
Our Mission
Our Learning Space
Our Mission
The INNER PEACE FOREST SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT SYSTEM provides an holistic outdoor-based and online learning support to families who have children in home school programmes or are frequently travelling and living more nomadically. Our online and in situ support system offers the teaching and expereince of: humanisitc moral values,
The INNER PEACE FOREST SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT SYSTEM provides an holistic outdoor-based and online learning support to families who have children in home school programmes or are frequently travelling and living more nomadically. Our online and in situ support system offers the teaching and expereince of: humanisitc moral values, self discipline and self confidence, social awareness, social communication skills, psycho-physical and emotional well-being, love of learning, enjoyment of nature, compassion and empathy, contentment and happiness - alongside academic qualifications and practical work skills. The forest-based outdoor education space offers a unique and beautiful natural location that first offers nature as the teacher through our wide range of outdoor activities (forest walks, camping, canoeing, climbing, biking etc... in the hill forests and beaches of the rural Algarve). Alongside learning lifelong knowledge naturally, we augment the experience with daily yoga, martial arts, minfullness and meditation sessions. This cutting edge learning curriculum prepares our students to cope with the stress of growing up with the pressure to make a success of their lives in this complex fast-changing modern world. With this mission we work with both the student and their families to foster a life-long love of learning with our commitment to every student that they learn to become the best that they can be - together with friends, family and community.
Our History
Our Learning Space
Our Mission
The INNER PEACE FOREST SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT SYSTEM grew out of the work of the International Yoga, Martial Arts and Meditation Knowledge Centre which was set up over 30 years ago to create a natural practice and study space for high level learnng and experience of Zen Buddhist,Taoist and Yogic personal development systems. In 2006
The INNER PEACE FOREST SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT SYSTEM grew out of the work of the International Yoga, Martial Arts and Meditation Knowledge Centre which was set up over 30 years ago to create a natural practice and study space for high level learnng and experience of Zen Buddhist,Taoist and Yogic personal development systems. In 2006 the need to cater for the educaiton of a rural poulation with young children in a remote locality led to the establshment of an EU-funded programme to establish a 'European Citizens' School' in Monchique as part of a wider European life long learning (LLL) network, bringing together nature activities, language learning and Information Technology training for local community re-skilling and rural development. The EU life long learning process was blended with the Knowledge Centre's personal development programmes. It was initially offered to graduate-level students interested in sustainable development. This was then further blended with the outdoor nature activities in the area and then offered to kindergarten, primary and secondary students in home school settings, providing local families with qualified educational support and the opportunity for children living in remote areas or schooling online to meet up with their peers in healthy nature-based guided learning experiences.
Our Learning Space
Our Learning Space
Our Learning Space
The INNER PEACE FOREST SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT SYSTEM is based in the remote Monchique foot hills overlooking the beautiful forests and beaches of the Algarve, Southern Portugal. A five hectare abondoned lemon farm has been restored using sustainable development principles to bring the farm back to life and help support conservation-l
The INNER PEACE FOREST SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT SYSTEM is based in the remote Monchique foot hills overlooking the beautiful forests and beaches of the Algarve, Southern Portugal. A five hectare abondoned lemon farm has been restored using sustainable development principles to bring the farm back to life and help support conservation-led local economic development across the region. In 2003 the property was burnt down in the biggest forest fires in Europe that year, but the Knowledge Centre was re-built as a 'Quina Florestal' (Forest Farm) as part of the regeneration of fire-affected rural areas of low population density. The forest farm model was based on organic agriculture, permaculture design, ecotourism, health and well being programmes and environmental edcuation programmes, offering a demonstation unit for other fire-affected landowners to rebuild their farms. The facilities include indoor and outdoor martial arts and yoga training spaces, accommodation, classrooms and camp site, a peace garden and agricultural terraces, fully self-sufficient with solar power, spring water, multi-level reservoirs, and on-site waste composting.
INNER PEACE FOREST SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME
THE INNER PEACE FOREST SHOOL EDUCATONAL SUPPORT SYSTEM - MEETING THE CHALLENGES OF MODERN LIVING THROUGH LIFE LONG LEARNING
INNER PEACE FOREST SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME
INTRODUCTION TO THE LEARNING PROGRAMME
INTRODUCTION TO THE LEARNING PROGRAMME
INTRODUCTION TO THE LEARNING PROGRAMME
The School Praxis- Life Long Learning – Natural Knowledge in the Age of AI
Students who participate in the system can do so through on-line, day attendance and boarding support to families who are looking for a forest-based outdoor school alternative to mainstream urban educational processes.
The Curriculum Five Key Study Areas:
1. Arts, Science, Humanities (IGCSE on-line tutoring and support)
2. Engineering, Construction (Site-based practical manual technical skills)
3. Information & Communications Technology (AI, Networking, Content Creation, Programming)
4. Natural Movement for Health and Fitness (Yoga. Martial Arts, Outdoor Activities)
5. Life Skills & Moral Values (Buddhism and Astanga, NLP, Communication. Teamwork, Life Management Skills, Business Skills, Gardening)
ARTS SCIENCE & HUMANITIES
INTRODUCTION TO THE LEARNING PROGRAMME
INTRODUCTION TO THE LEARNING PROGRAMME
Arts, Science, Humanities (Cambridge IGCE on-line tutoring and support)
Subject learning for Academic Qualifications:
· 8 Cambridge UK IGCSEs: English Language, English as a Foreign Language, Mathematics, Combined Sciences, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Geography
· Foundation Courses:
o Learning and Research Strategies and Skills
o Communications Skills
o World History
o Working with AI tutors with teacher oversight for home study
o Forming Peer Study Groups with Tutor Oversight
INFORMATION COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY
INTRODUCTION TO THE LEARNING PROGRAMME
INFORMATION COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY
Information & Communications Technology (AI, Networking, Content Creation, Programming)
Technical skills acquisition through groupwork and project-based exploration of:
· Artificial Intelligence – Learning to learn and learning to work with GPT4o, Microsoft CoPilot and other Large Language Model systems.
· Online Networks – How the Internet Works, Building Online Communities.
· Content Creation- website, video, sound and story-telling production
· Programming – Learning to programme in HTML 5 and Python using AI and online courses.
Students will form teams who will work though the above subject areas and be expected to deliver their own programming projects by the end of the year.
ENGINEERING & CONSTRUCTION
NATURAL MOVEMENT, HEALTH & WELLBEING
INFORMATION COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY
(Site-based practical manual & technical skills)
Project- based learning and practical manual work experience for 14+ age g &roup:
· Building Maintenance
· Working with Concrete, Bricklaying
· Electrics
· Plumbing
· Working with Wood
· Working with Metal
· Alternative Energy Sources – Choosing and Using
· Combustion Engine and Vehicle Maintenance
· Bicycle Maintenance
Students will join project teams to go though the skill sets in practical project ongoing at the Quinta Florestal in Monchique, Southern Portugal, where all techniques will be adapted to dry Mediterranean landscape conditions.
NATURAL MOVEMENT, HEALTH & WELLBEING
NATURAL MOVEMENT, HEALTH & WELLBEING
NATURAL MOVEMENT, HEALTH & WELLBEING
Every day holistic health & wellbeing activities based on:
· Yoga
· Martial Arts
· Outdoor Activities
The School yoga program follows though on the work of Yogachayra BKS Iyengar, in which students are led though a comprehensive hatha yoga learning and practice program.
The Martial Arts brings together the Japanese Art of Wado-Ryu and the Chinese System of Tai Chi Chuan into the natural movement practice of Zen Tai Ki Do (The Way of Zen Body Energy). Students have the option to train in the school programmes offered in each of these disciplines.
LIFE SKILLS & MORAL VALUES
NATURAL MOVEMENT, HEALTH & WELLBEING
NATURAL MOVEMENT, HEALTH & WELLBEING
Life Skills & Moral Values (Buddhism and Astanga, Neuro Linguistic Programming- NLP - , Teamwork, Business Skills)
The educational support system offers students two ‘Life Compasses’ for guidance to find our own Way though:
1) The ‘Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path’ in Buddhism
·2)The Yoga Astanga Limbs of Yama and Niyama
With application and focus on student exposure to:
· Buddhist Transpersonal Psycho-therapeutic Skills – Learning to Manage our Mental Health
· Social Communication Skills – Richt Speech, One-to -One and One-to-Many Communications Skills; Team Work and Finding your Sangha
· Living in Contentment and Happiness - the Practice of ‘Loving Kindness’ (Meta Bhavana)Meditation .
· Life Skills – Growing food, Cooking, Cleaning. Money management,
· Business Skills – Following ‘Right Livelihood’ to help you find out what you want to do in life to make a living.
· Business Skills – Preparing Action Plans and Business Plans to bring your Ideas to life.