Our Philosophy

How can we encourage students to cultivate a passion for learning and curiosity for the world? 

This is the question at the heart of all education.

Good education teaches us the critical lesson that we will never have all the answers. So as educators, we at Willow now ask ourselves: How can we encourage students to not crave hard and fast answers but to instead ask better questions? How can we channel their creative expression and help them find connections between their diverse interests? How can we support them as they explore complex topics for themselves?

We believe that the most effective way to cultivate a curiosity for the world and to begin to ask better questions is through real-life encounters that engage the head, heart and hands. Immersive experiences like that which we provide at Willow encourage the sense of ownership, leadership and expression that we believe are vital for a fully-rounded education.

“Learning by doing” is an old adage, one that is especially efficacious when it comes to learning a practical skill. Over the years we have realised that this can also be extended to a more theoretical understanding of the world. What is it that we can learn about ourselves as we struggle to walk up a mountain pass? What can we learn about the world when we are launched into an environment where the language and culture is unfamiliar to us? Learning how to carve a block of wood or weave a straw basket is valuable for both the practical skill it teaches us and the empathy it builds. The most valuable experiences we have are those that change the way we see the world and it is these experiences that we at Willow strive to create for our students.