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Bloom Learning Community

Bloom is a holistic, learner-centered micro school in Cleveland launching in September 2019!

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Bloom Learning Community

Bloom Learning Community

Bloom Learning Community

Bloom Learning Community

Bloom Learning Community

Bloom is a holistic, learner-centered micro school in Cleveland launching in September 2019!

Bloom is a holistic, learner-centered micro school in Cleveland launching in September 2019!

Bloom is a holistic, learner-centered micro school in Cleveland launching in September 2019!

Bloom is a holistic, learner-centered micro school in Cleveland launching in September 2019!

Kristen Cuffari
Kristen Cuffari
Kristen Cuffari
Kristen Cuffari
1 Campaign |
Cleveland, United States
$2,734 USD 18 backers
34% of $8,000 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal
Overview
We dreamed of a place where we would feel happy and excited to send our children all day. A school that values freedom and agency in learning, where children are respected and their whole self nurtured and supported. When we couldn't find this place - we decided to create it! With your support, this dream will become tangible, and we can purchase items such as computers, shelves, flexible seating, and curriculum to help get Bloom Learning Community started!

Bloom Learning Community - Our Story

Our Mission:

Our mission is to gift learners with space, time, and support to experience self-discovery and emotional growth through personalized holistic learning.

Our Vision:

Bloom Learning Community fosters empowered global citizens who are confident, capable, and compassionate agents of positive change.

...Every creation begins with a dream.

When we became parents, we consciously wanted to create a nurturing and supportive environment for our kids. We did this to the best of our ability as we learned and grew alongside our young children.

As parents, we dream that our children experience freedom for both inner growth and outer expansion as they unfold towards their full potential.

Once our children were old enough to start school, we wanted to continue to make conscious choices for our families. For many of us, it’s a challenge to choose among current education options. We decided the traditional school system wouldn’t provide the best experience for our kids. We kept them home and continued to enjoy learning together.

As our kids grew, we longed to expand our options. To enrich their days and experience being a part of a close community. However, when we searched through our available choices again, we still couldn't find a learning option that matched our dreams for our children.

So we bravely decided to create one.

We have strongly held values about learning that we couldn't find reflected in the available choices in our area. Ultimately dissatisfaction with aspects of both the traditional school model and homeschooling led us to imagine a different alternative.

We dreamed of a place where we would feel happy, proud, and excited to send our children all day.

A place that saw our kids as unique individuals with strengths, passions, and purpose waiting to be nurtured and encouraged.

A place that protected the sacred time of childhood, maintaining an atmosphere of fun and freedom that allows children’s inborn spontaneity to flourish.

A place that was welcoming and accepting - that felt good the moment you walked in. Where kids and parents both found joy in close and connected relationships - a true community of shared experience and values.

A place that supported us with the intensely demanding venture of raising whole, compassionate, bright, happy, and healthy children, who feel valued and a deep sense of belonging.

A caring place for our kids to feel at home while we could also pursue interests, practice self-care, self-development, grow careers, and create positive change in the world.

We desired enrichment that respects personal differences and lovingly challenges our kids to dive deep into inner discovery and reach higher towards their full potential.

A thoughtfully well-designed and organized program that would truly prepare kids for the challenges and opportunities of the future... to be powerful agents of social change... to be open-minded and open-hearted... to be creative in their visions for themselves and their world - and to feel capable and confident to carry out those visions.

Bloom was a dream that called us to be created.

We answered that call for our own families and for yours. Bloom Learning Community embodies its own vision and mission, to demonstrate the freedom we all dream of - to create choices, solutions, and a bright future for the world.

Meet Kristen:

Kristen Cuffari, M.A., SLP CO-FOUNDER/DIRECTOR

Kristen is a homeschool mom of two years and a PRN speech-language pathologist. She lives with her husband and two young children in Strongsville, Ohio. She is a state-licensed Speech-Language Pathologist and received her Masters in Communication Sciences from Case Western Reserve University in 2006. Her professional work experience includes five years working at the Monarch School for Children with Autism in Shaker heights followed by a brief position in private practice before she decided to be home full time to raise and homeschool her children. She is currently a substitute speech language pathologist at the Monarch School and works on an as-needed basis. Along with Beth, she also holds a position on the administrative team of a local homeschool cooperative comprised of 25 families. Kristen has worked with Beth to co-found Bloom in an effort to establish a more holistic, self-directed educational opportunity for her own children and others.

"When I chose to homeschool my children it was in the hopes that I could give them the gift of time—time to be children, time to make mistakes and fail in a safe environment, and time to take however long they needed in the process of learning, at a pace that was right for them. When the idea for Bloom was sparked I felt as though I was about to embark on a great frontier of education reform. I felt as though I needed to be a part of making education what it should be. We dreamed of building an educational environment in which we could give other children the time and space they need to learn whatever it is their hearts desire, and to support them emotionally, socially, and spiritually. Our hope is that, in doing so, we can leave this world better than we found it.”

Meet Beth:

 

Bethany Springer, M.Ed. CO-FOUNDER/DIRECTOR

Bethany has been homeschooling her children for five years after spending two decades working in educational settings with children from birth through college. Previous work experience includes tutoring in classrooms and client homes, special needs early intervention specialist, and teaching in private and public schools from kindergarten to college. She helped create a homeschool cooperative with over 25 families, and was on the administrative team along with Kristen. She is also a holistic wellness educator who has created a variety of workshops and classes in yoga, meditation, and stress management techniques. She co-founded Bloom to realize a dream of changing the world through holistic, self-directed education.

“At the back of my mind, I always thought about how I’d love to start a school one day. It’s a dream I had since I was a child playing “school” with my dolls - a dream I just knew in my heart would happen at the right time. I love learning, creating, and sharing with others - it’s when I feel most alive and energized! Growth is so potent and powerful! It’s human nature to want to learn and grow and we’re wired to create and connect. We need more places like Bloom that support the unfolding of these intrinsic qualities. Personally, I am dedicated to the awakening of human potential so we can all live our best lives - happy, whole, connected, and purposeful.

What We Need & What You Get:

We need $8000 to get the necessary supplies for our Foundation Year students to begin in the fall. Items such as computers, shelving, learning materials, curriculum, flexible seating, and art supplies are going to make our educational space inviting and exciting for the kids.

Perks for our donors:

$10 Donation: Receive a personal thank you from our Facebook page so all our followers can see what an awesome human being you are!

$25 Donation:  A personal thank you from our Facebook page AND receive a hand-painted thank-you postcard from one of our own small artists. Can be framed to commemorate your generosity!

$50 Donation: A personal thank you from our Facebook page AND a piece of plantable seed paper included inside a personally painted thank you card. When your flowers bloom you'll be reminded of how you helped us bloom too!!

$100 Donation: A personal thank you from our Facebook page, a piece of plantable seed paper included inside a personally painted thank you card, AND receive a tote bag painted and designed by one of our very own small artists.  When people stop you to ask where you received this awesome perk you can tell them all about how you were part of building an amazing educational program!

$250 Donation: A personal thank you from our Facebook page, a piece of plantable seed paper included inside a personally painted thank you card, a handpainted tote bag AND a Bloom logo T-Shirt.  We can even tie-dye it for an extra personal touch!

$500 Donation: A personal thank you from our Facebook page, a piece of plantable seed paper included inside a personally painted thank you card, a handpainted tote bag, a Bloom logo T-Shirt, AND a personal invitation to tour our location, either in person or virtually, before we open! Be the first to see it, take pictures, share it with the world, and let people know that you helped build something great!

$1000 Donation: A personal thank you from our Facebook page, a piece of plantable seed paper included inside a personally painted thank you card, a handpainted tote bag, a Bloom logo T-Shirt, a personal invitation to tour our location, AND the honor of having your name displayed as a generous donor on site at Bloom. Be forever commemorated as having helped build the amazing educational experience that Bloom Learning Community will be!

 

Other Ways You Can Help:

While every dollar helps us reach our goal, if you contribute funds or even if you can't, you can still help Bloom grow!

  • Help us get the word out about our campaign by sharing our campaign link with friends and family and on social media:
  • And please use the Indiegogo share tools!

Thank you for your support!

Stay up to date by liking and following us on Facebook @ Bloom Learning Community

 

Looking for more information? Check the project FAQ
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Choose your Perk

Facebook Shout Out

$10 USD $15 USD (33% off)
Donate $10 and receive a personal thank you from our Facebook page so all our followers can see what an awesome human being you are!
Included Items
  • Facebook Shout Out
Estimated Shipping
July 2019
1 claimed

Original Painted Postcard

$25 USD $30 USD (16% off)
Donate $25 and receive a hand-painted thank-you postcard from one of our own small artists. Can be framed to commemorate your generosity!
Included Items
  • Facebook Shout Out
  • Postcard Thank you
Estimated Shipping
August 2019
3 claimed

Seed Paper Thank You Card

$50 USD $60 USD (16% off)
Donate $50 and receive a piece of plantable seed paper included inside a personally painted thank you card. When your flowers bloom you'll be reminded of how you helped us bloom too!!
Included Items
  • Facebook Shout Out
  • Postcard Thank you
  • Seed Paper Thank You
Estimated Shipping
August 2019
1 claimed
Ships worldwide.

Handpainted Tote Bag

$100 USD $125 USD (20% off)
Donate $100 and receive a tote bag painted and designed by one of our very own small artists. When people stop you to ask where you received this awesome perk you can tell them all about how you were part of building an amazing educational program!
Included Items
  • Facebook Shout Out
  • Seed Paper Thank You
  • Hand-painted Tote Bag
Estimated Shipping
August 2019
3 claimed
Ships worldwide.

Bloom T-Shirt

$250 USD $275 USD (9% off)
Donate $250 and receive a Bloom logo T-Shirt. We can even tie-dye it for an extra personal touch!
Included Items
  • Facebook Shout Out
  • Seed Paper Thank You
  • Hand-painted Tote Bag
  • Bloom T-Shirt
Estimated Shipping
August 2019
1 claimed
Ships worldwide.

Tour of Bloom

$500 USD $700 USD (28% off)
Donate $500 and receive a personal invitation to tour our location, either in person or virtually, before we open! Be the first to see it, take pictures, share it with the world, and let people know that you helped build something great!
Included Items
  • Facebook Shout Out
  • Seed Paper Thank You
  • Hand-painted Tote Bag
  • Tour of Bloom
Estimated Shipping
August 2019
0 claimed

Honored On Site at Bloom

$1,000 USD $1,500 USD (33% off)
Donate $1000 and receive the honor of having your name displayed as a generous donor on site at Bloom. Be forever commemorated as having helped build the amazing educational experience that Bloom Learning Community will be!
Included Items
  • Facebook Shout Out
  • Seed Paper Thank You
  • Hand-painted Tote Bag
  • Tour of Bloom
  • Name displayed at Bloom
Estimated Shipping
August 2019
1 claimed

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