What is Waldorf?
Waldorf is an educational philosophy founded by Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian philosopher, educator, scientist and artist. The first Waldorf school—for the children of employees at the Waldorf-Astoria cigarette factory—opened in September, 1919 in Stuttgart, Germany. Steiner agreed to run the school based on a few conditions: it must be open to all children, male and female, and the teachers should play a major role in shaping the school. In drawing from his philosophical concept of anthroposophy, Steiner designed the school’s curriculum around children’s natural course of development, incorporating their imaginations into their lessons and encouraging artistic mastery, as well as creative thinking and problem-solving skills. Currently, Waldorf is the fastest growing independent educational movement in the private sector, with more than 800 Waldorf schools and 120,000 students in 45 countries. Approximately 125 Waldorf schools operate in North America, and a growing number of Waldorf-ins
