Duluth Folk School builds community through joyful experiences of handcrafting, art, and gatherings.
Vision
We envision a connected, healthy, resilient community that has the skills to create and craft with hands and hearts and is actively collaborating by sharing knowledge and skills and gathering in inspiring spaces
Values
We are committed to:
- Everyone in our community. We are all interconnected, and value each other as colleagues, partners, teachers, learners, and neighbors. We embrace people of all backgrounds, ages, and abilities, and treat everyone with dignity and respect. We work to foster a sense of community and belonging.
- Creating opportunities to imagine, create, build, and grow. Hands-on experiences are deeply fulfilling and connect people with each other and with themselves.
- Healthy community dynamics. We recognize the intersection of the environment, economics, and society, and we try to be a positive force in our community.
- Our planet. We tread as lightly on the earth as we can. We use local resources and repurposed materials as much as possible and work toward environmental sustainability.
- Learning, exploring, teaching, sharing, and contributing.
- Integrity. We hold ourselves to the highest standards of behavior, quality and excellence.
- Joy. Adventure, fun, and appreciation for each other and our world.
Learning and Enjoyment
- We provide opportunities to imagine, create and build with head, hands and heart.
- We help students learn for personal fulfillment and enjoyment as well as contributing to community.
- We embrace students of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.
Sustainability
- We value the importance of understanding the intersection of the environment, economics, and social elements of life and strive to behave in a manner that is sustainable.
- Programming will strive to use local resources and materials as much as possible.
Integrity and Excellence
- We hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards of quality and excellence.
- We conduct ourselves with honesty, fairness and integrity.
Philosophy:
Access to opportunities for physically handling objects and tools with your own hands are very important. Human bodies are designed to manipulate things and it’s a part of who we are. People enjoy learning, working with their hands, and are excited when something they make turns out well. This organization will provide experiences that connect with people’s heads (the thinking and planning part of building/repairing), their hands through the actual work that they do, and their heart (by being successful and contributing to their home, their family, or their community).