Education
Utah’s first Waldorf-inspired high school comes to Utah County
Madelyn Wilson | Lehi Free Press
This fall in Utah, a vision years in the making becomes reality: the state’s first Waldorf-inspired high school opens its doors, fulfilling a longtime dream for a dedicated community of students, teachers, and parents.
Azure Fields Charter High School in West Provo focuses on practical, hands-on learning to prepare students for both college and life beyond. It is a tuition-free public charter school authorized by the Utah State Charter School Board. For educator and executive director Carol Gregory, this marks the achievement of a two-decade goal.
“This high school started for me about 20 years ago with the idea to offer practical training for both college and life,” Gregory said. “When I found the Utah Waldorf Community five years ago, I knew I had found the right model, and the community needed a high school that matched their vision.”
The Waldorf education model has inspired parents and teachers worldwide since 1919. For years, K-6 and K-8 schools in Utah, as well as many homeschool communities, have followed it. Many parents hope for a high school option that embraces the same model.
Career and technical education courses are central at Azure Fields, preparing students for any post-graduation path. The school also focuses on arts-integrated learning and offers a work-study program.
“Students will have workstations on campus to learn how to clock in and out, track hours, receive job safety training, build resumes, and interview for upper-classmen jobs in offices, tutoring labs, or as teacher assistants,” Gregory said.
Waldorf education focuses not only on practical life skills but also on the student’s existence as a spiritual being and how that connects them to their environment.
“This model sees students as divine beings whom educators nurture through life experiences and developmental understanding,” Gregory said. “They spend time in nature learning to live in harmony with it and gain farm-to-table skills in handwork and bio-dynamic gardening, seeing themselves as part of a dynamic world community.”
The administration, led by Gregory as executive director, is packed with educators who bring over 50 years of combined experience in education, many of those years in Waldorf settings. The school’s board features both seasoned educators and involved parents, combining many years of experience with an assurance that the needs of the families are being met.
Although located in Provo, the school aims to serve families across Utah and Salt Lake Counties, with some students coming from as far as Holladay. The school will offer discounted yearly UTA passes so students can use public transportation, and a school bus will shuttle students from the Orem FrontRunner Station for the final 15-minute trip to campus.
Azure Fields opens to ninth- and tenth-grade students on Aug. 18. Registration is open for those grades, and 125 ninth-graders will be admitted each year. Faculty positions are open, with listings posted on the school’s website.
The school will be located at 2121 N. 550 W. in Provo. For more details about Azure Fields Charter High School, including student and faculty applications, visit azurefields.org.
Gregory, together with her administrative and board teams, eagerly anticipates welcoming the inaugural classes this August and remains confident in these students’ potential.
Summing up the school’s vision, Gregory said, “In the Waldorf world, we say the content ‘lives in them,’ which goes way beyond memorizing facts and procedures to pass a test and prepares students to face the challenges of an ever-changing world.”
