Our philosophy

Sienna Ranch’s programs are designed to provide more than just fun activities; they aim to foster personal growth, community building, and environmental stewardship. Our teaching philosophy aims to encourage the physical, emotional, and social development of our students through the following core values:

We strive for multifaceted learning experiences.

Small group size allows adequate space for each child to create their own experience, and every aspect of their experience has a lesson within it. Our approach to education/learning is rooted in positive reinforcement and inquiry-based learning. Whether attending our school year programs or seasonal camps, we meet our participants where they are and strive to find connections between the natural world and their own personal interests. When we make cheese one child may be learning the fine motor skill of juicing a lemon, while another is inspired by the simple chemistry of cheese curdling, and still another is navigating social skills and teamwork within the group.

We touch, smell, observe, listen to, and taste our lessons.

Our approach to nature connection is rooted in free exploration. Our skilled naturalist instructors provide mentorship and facilitate learning by balancing key learning objectives with a free-form class structure. We believe that not every minute of the day should be scheduled and learning can take many shapes and forms. In fact some of the most lasting lessons are often those that are unplanned or discovered along the journey. Whether coming upon some coyote scat on a hike or taking a detour to delight and revel in a gopher hole.

We manage risk by increasing our awareness of the world around us.

Our instructors are highly experienced professional outdoor educators with outstanding safety records who are committed to engaging students in nature while protecting their well-being and providing the utmost care. We encourage children to run and climb trees when appropriate, and prefer to guide them with safe strategies for negotiating risks, rather than eliminating risks altogether. We understand that when a child leaves camp with a scraped knee and a smile they have experienced a valuable lesson, and we expect the same understanding from our students’ parents.

We are cultivating a more compassionate and environmentally aware future.

Our choices impact not only ourselves but the land and environment in which we live. Sienna Ranch values connection to the growing seasons to appreciate where food originates, we value and respect the animals we choose to care for and we care for the connection our programming has to our neighbors! Sienna Ranch is a part of multiple restorative and regenerative land management programs including:

• Savory institute’s Ecological Outcome Verification program
• Xerces Society Grant for Pollinator Habitat Conservation and Restoration
• The Monarch Joint Venture (MJV) habitat monitoring and mapping initiative

We utilize this work in our educational programs, often including our classes in the process of land restoration or field monitoring to showcase how their interest in wildlife, ecology, sustainability, and regenerative agriculture can develop into a lifelong passion or career.

We care for and nurture our community.

Sienna Ranch is an open welcoming place to all people: race. national origin, ability, gender identity, religion, political belief, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, and culture. We want everyone to feel safe and welcome. We accept people with differing identities and do not assume that every person looks the way they want to be identified. During registration we ask what your preferred pronoun is so that we can acknowledge and make sure we can refer to you correctly. Sienna Ranch is continually working on diversity, equity, and inclusion and we have a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Council made up of parents and staff members that meet monthly to talk through challenges and make improvements to our programs, communications, and staff practices. Our council also supports our allocation of the Emilie Inman fund. You can find out more about how to contribute or apply to this scholarship fund here.

At Sienna Ranch we strive to serve all students while also embracing neurological differences in our community. Neurodiversity manifests in many different ways. Sienna Ranch supports all participants in their different physical, emotional, and learning needs. For neurotypical children who are interacting with neurodiversity for the first time it can feel confusing and uncomfortable. Your students may come home with questions. We encourage parents to talk to your children about acceptance and empathy so they can practice these important life skills.