The greenhouse school is a year-round private alternative school in Salem, Massachusetts, for kids from infancy through grade eight, the greenhouse school is committed to true, lasting, comprehensive reform in education. However, also central to the idea of reform for us is the notion of access. Open every day and year round, we strive to serve the broadest possible base from several nearby communities, providing an environment diverse in language, culture, class, race and learning style. In the “normal” world of private schooling, schools use high tuitions supplemented by a base of wealthy support and access to capital. Our model, while exciting and innovative, leaves us more at the mercy of the economy and the “kindness of strangers” than many of our counterparts.
Mission
Our mission focuses primarily, though not exclusively, on serving lower-income and immigrant families. Many of our students come from low-income families in Lynn, Salem and the entire North Shore area; over the years we have drawn families from Somerville and Mattapan up to the New Hampshire border.
Our unique approach
We are alone in either the private or public schools in our commitment to cutting-edge after school development. In addition to our continuing students from our day school program, we accept and transport students from a variety of local schools. Many attend our summer program as well, and grown into scholarship or full-paying families as they work their way 
up the Greenhouse School ladder. A truly year-round environment, we serve these families from very young children to age 14 in a full-day, full calendar year setting. This commitment to “reform with access” is what sets us apart from other programs and schools, and makes our approach quite unique. We use a strong base of language and mathematical/logical skills building, using individualized planning and manipulative materials as much as possible. However, upon this base we set the larger spectrum of human intelligences, trying to nurture social/emotional, cognitive and physical growth through a wide variety of activities.
Additionally, we pursue art and music woven throughout the curriculum (a separate published paper on our approach to music is available by contacting the school), drama and video production, an intergenerational exchange, ceramics, gardening, papermaking, to name a few. We strive for every available avenue to reach a child, and we come to know our students very well. A series of two-week sessions in our summer program (the division is often academic, since most attend all summer), culminates in five overnight camping trips to a local park.
