WILD AND FREE. Wildlands School is for the kids who love to be outside (submitted photo)

School doesn’t have to mean endless hours at a desk in a classroom, staring at a screen – or at the clock. It can also mean getting outdoors and into the real world to learn about science, math, history, English, and much more in a cooperative, hands-on way.

That’s the project-based approach taken by Wildlands School, a public charter school located at Beaver Creek Reserve in rural Eau Claire County. The school, which serves students in seventh through 12th grades, is part of the Augusta School District, but it welcomes students from around the region via open enrollment.

In the past, students have come from Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls, Altoona, Fall Creek, Menomonie, Elk Mound, and elsewhere. The school describes itself as “a teacher-powered, project-based learning environment. This means that education is hands-on and student-centered. As students age and gain more experience they transition from a teacher-led environment to an independent form of education, with staff members available to all levels for resources and guidance.”

Students have explored the Rocky Mountains and the Grand Canyon as part of field science seminars while also working toward state learning standards via their personal learning plans.

If Wildlands School sounds like an adventure you’d like to pursue, open enrollment for the 2022-23 school year runs through April 29. Several open house tour dates are planned, and prospective students and parents can learn more at wildlandschool.net.