OUR MISSION
Our vision is to support students on their journey to becoming compassionate, self-sufficient, and mindful individuals. We accomplish this goal by providing your child with a supportive and safe learning environment, trusting them with real responsibility, and establishing everlasting bonds with the natural world.
KIND TO NATURE
Working, learning and living in nature creates the culture of care that we continue to uplift in our students
KIND TO OURSELVES
KIND TO EACH OTHER
When we treat ourselves with kindness and compassion, we can inspire the world around us to do the same
As our students collaborate and learn alongside one another, we establish strong bonds and develop more effective communication skills
At the Cumberland Forest School, we offer an opportunity for your child to explore and get to know the local Sewanee area while they develop a deeper understanding of themselves.
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CFS Educators & Staff
Abbey Moore is the founder and director of Cumberland Forest School. With a degree from the University of the South, her passions for Outdoor Education led her to teaching and mentoring programs all over the East Coast. Over eight years of experience in
the field have led Abbey back to the Sewanee, TN area to develop a program in one of the most beautiful and environmentally-minded parts of the country.
Julia Horn is the Co-Director of Cumberland Forest School. Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, her studies have taken her from Southern Appalachia all the way to the Pacific Northwest. Before joining CFS, Julia taught in a primary grades classroom at an inquiry-based independent school in Washington state. She is most excited about fostering young children’s curiosities about the world around them, and empowering them to make choices that have a positive impact.
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Eva Faison is the lead forest preschool teacher. She has recently returned to her “mountain home” of Sewanee, after spending 5 years in Birmingham, AL as a chef, farmer, and teacher of students of all ages, capabilities, and backgrounds. During her time as a non profit employee in B’ham she was able to foster community and growth through the power of growing food and farming with students. It is her hope that by working with CFS, kids will reconnect with the natural beauty around them and engage with larger concepts of community, conservation, and ecology through the simple magic of outdoor play!
William Cunningham, a graduate of English from the University of the South and a native of the Nashville suburbs, has lived on the Mountain since his graduation in 2019. He has taken up carpentry, woodwork, gardening, and tree trimming. Recently he served Housing Sewanee through the Americorps program, helping provide energy-efficient housing for families in need. In the summers he works at Saint Andrews Sewanee as both a lifeguard and a camp counselor, an experience so fulfilling that the shift into teaching and stewardship feel like an obvious next step. He is honored to be a part of fostering this next generation!
Caitlyn Curtis, forest home school teacher, is a native of Grundy County. She is actively homeschooling her daughter, as well as the students at CFS. She is excited to be working in a place where she can help teach students how to understand and process their emotions, how to love and be kind to themselves, and how to enjoy and embrace all of nature. She looks forward to furthering her own education in Outdoor Education!