The school was founded in 1983 by Patricia Jennings-Welch, a lifelong leader and devotee of education, beginning with her own eight children. The Founder’s vision draws from an eclectic mix of Piaget, Montessori, Dewey, Vygotsky, Bruner, Gardner and her own philosophies, allowing that each would have grown and changed given infinite lifespan and accepting none as the holder of absolute truth.
The school is rooted in the tradition of programs that have developed in response to the need for change in the traditional schools. Unlike much of the experimental movement, however, the Greenhouse School has chosen to ground itself in the community.