Founded in 1983, and incorporated as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in 1984, Clark Fork School has been committed to providing high-quality, early childhood education, including summer camps and after-school enrichment programs. Our school is a parent cooperative that values developmentally appropriate practice, active learning, and providing children with uninterrupted periods of open-ended exploration. Our nature-based curriculum is uniquely suited to Missoula. Situated in the heart of the Rattlesnake Valley, Clark Fork School takes full advantage of the physical, mental, and social benefits that contact with the outdoors provides children.
Three ways we serve our students:
An early childhood program serving students ages 2 to 5 years.
Before School, Afterschool and Summer Programming.
Mentoring children to establish a meaningful connection with the natural world.
Clark Fork School’s early learners are compassionate, life-long learners. Our holistic approach to education prepares these little ones to be cooperative, creative and feel responsible for the well-being of all life. Through the four pillars of a Clark Fork education: academic excellence, place-based pedagogy, community, and care for the natural world, our students become the leaders that the world needs. That’s a tall order for a preschool. However, Clark Fork is more than a school. We are a community. We are a community that imagines the possibilities and works together to realize our vision. This community gets behind every single early learner in the Clark Fork community and cultivates their knowledge of the world and their sense of caring and responsibility for living things. Each year, hundreds of students are learning the Clark Fork way. Please consider making a donation to support our cause and vision!