Mission Statement

The Fort Collins Folk School is a nonprofit educational community dedicated to preserving and sharing traditional skills, crafts, and cultural wisdom. We foster connection to land, heritage, and self through hands-on learning in a spirit of curiosity, creativity, and community resilience. Our mission is to inspire intergenerational learning and nourish a sustainable, rooted way of life while fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment for all.

We believe that traditional cultural knowledge is not ours to claim or commodify but to learn from respectfully, with humility and gratitude.

Our school is a place for all people — regardless of age, race, ethnicity, gender, or background — to come together in the spirit of shared learning. We welcome participants from diverse cultural traditions to share their stories, skills, and crafts, fostering a vibrant community where all voices are honored and celebrated.

We are committed to:

  • Openness & Equity: Creating an open, family-friendly space where people of all ages, backgrounds, and identities are welcome to learn and share without hierarchy. Everyone is both a student and a teacher.

  • Community & Connection: Supporting the growth of community by partnering with local small businesses, cultural organizations, and shared-interest groups. Our doors are open as a gathering place for conversation, creativity, and connection.

  • Craft & Tradition: Revitalizing and preserving folk traditions through hands-on learning that connects students to the full lifecycle of a craft — from raw material to finished piece.

  • Environmental Stewardship: Cultivating a deep appreciation for the natural world through place-based learning that fosters connection to the land and encourages sustainable living.

  • Resilience & Community: Empowering students to embrace both ancient and modern skills that foster resilience, community, and fulfillment.

  • Fulfillment & Expression: Inspiring creative self-expression, personal growth, and a lifelong love of learning that empowers individuals and strengthens communities.

At Fort Collins Folk School, we believe that when we gather to share stories, skills, and traditions, we not only preserve the past — we actively shape a more connected, resilient future.

Fostering Inclusion and Avoiding Cultural Appropriation

At Fort Collins Folk School, we acknowledge that the land upon which we gather is the traditional homeland of the Arapahoe, Cheyenne, Pawnee, and Ute Tribes. We extend our deepest respect to the Indigenous communities who have stewarded these lands for generations and continue to do so today.

We are committed to honoring Native wisdom, not by appropriating it, but by seeking guidance, permission, and collaboration with local Native communities. We believe that cultural knowledge is not ours to claim or commodify but to learn from respectfully, with humility and gratitude.

Our school is a place for all people — regardless of age, race, ethnicity, gender, or background — to come together in the spirit of shared learning. We welcome participants from diverse cultural traditions to share their stories, skills, and crafts, fostering a vibrant community where all voices are honored and celebrated.

To this end, we commit to:

  • Listening First: We will seek to build relationships with community leaders, elders, and educators, inviting their voices to guide our work and ensuring that any teachings shared are done so with consent and respect.

  • Educating with Integrity: When offering classes rooted in traditional practices, we will strive to have them taught by leaders in that community and clearly identify the cultural origins of those practices and acknowledge the people and cultures they come from.

  • Celebrating Diversity: We invite individuals from all cultural backgrounds to share their skills, knowledge, and traditions, creating an inclusive space where we learn from one another and cultivate mutual respect.

  • Sharing Resources: We will use our platform to amplify Native voices, direct participants to Indigenous-led organizations, and support ongoing efforts for land sovereignty and cultural preservation.

  • Avoiding Appropriation: We will actively avoid the use of sacred symbols, practices, or stories without proper context, consent, and cultural competence.

Our intention is to foster a community of learning that celebrates diversity, respects ancestral knowledge, and promotes cultural humility. We invite feedback, dialogue, and collaboration as we continue to grow in our understanding and commitment to these values.

Meet the Team