The Denver Waldorf School Podcast

What's up with Waldorf education at DWS over the next 50 years? That is the question that DWS school founder Ina Jaehnig addresses in this week's episode. Together with School Director Kelly Molinet and Education Director Charlie Orphanides, they start by discussing what makes or does not make Waldorf education what it is. As they then look to the future for what this education will hold, they look at the children of today. Where are they? In what world do they live? As they examine these questions together, they emphasize the necessity of an education grounded in the beauty of language, an embrace of artistic work that enlivens the imagination, and a deep commitment to love for humanity.

In honor of our school's 50th anniversary, DWS Educational Director Charlie Orphanides sits down with long-time Waldorf educator and administrator Betsy Doyle White to discuss how relevant and vital Waldorf education is in today's times just as it was more than a century ago. Betsy shares her thirty-plus years' worth of experience to reflect on Waldorf education's founding principles and evolution through the years. Recognizing that education is an art form that teaches not just the intellect but the whole human, Charlie and Betsy explore how the DWS curriculum integrates foundational principles while innovating and expanding the curriculum to meet the needs of an ever-changing student body.

In past episodes, we've heard Kelly Molinet (School Director) and Charlie Orphanides (Education Director) discuss what makes our Waldorf high such an engaging, unique, and fulfilling experience. But what do our students have to say about our high school? This week, we are grateful to five of our high school students for running the show and sharing all about their high school experience. They candidly talk about our school culture, the unique relationships they share with our teachers, their workload, and how they feel their Waldorf education has prepared them for life beyond our doors. It is always a great gift for us to be able to hear our students reflect on their educational journey with gratitude and joy!

There is a lot of talk of wonder at The Denver Waldorf School. As we celebrate our school's 50th anniversary this year, wonder has been the theme throughout - for our "Wonders of Waldorf" Michaelmas event, for our annual giving campaign to "The Wonder Fund," and for our upcoming gala celebrating "50 Years of Wonder." In this week’s episode, Kelly Molinet (School Director) and Charlie Orphanides (Education Director) discuss the deeper underpinnings of this concept of wonder and how it is beneath all that we do in Waldorf education. They will also share how we as parents can support the cultivation of wonder in our children, and how wonder is a necessity for true knowledge to develop.

Imagine asking your high schooler, “how was school today?” and receiving an engaged and enthusiastic response. That is the wonder of The Denver Waldorf High School. In this week’s episode, Kelly Molinet (School Director) and Charlie Orphanides (Education Director) take a deep dive into what makes our high school such an engaging, unique, and fulfilling experience. High school should be challenging, not a grind, and it should open up new opportunities, not foreclose possibilities. Listen to their conversation to hear how we cultivate a learning environment with depth, purposeful intensity, curiosity, and joy as our students prepare for their journeys beyond DWS.