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January 12   |   Afternoon classes and this evening's potluck have been cancelled.


Trout Lily | Erythronium americanum

A Message From Mike


March, 2024

Dear Friends,

So far, except for a two-week spell in January, it has been the winter that wasn’t this year. There has been very little snow, it’s been much warmer than “normal,” and there was very little ice cover on Lake Michigan and Green Bay—the lowest amount on record. Sandhill Cranes, American Robins, Eastern Bluebirds, Horned Larks and Red-Winged Blackbirds started appearing in late February, several weeks earlier than normal. If winter decides to come back, like it is more than capable of doing in March, these “early birds” could be in trouble.

The last of our 2024 Winter Program classes finished in late February. It was the best Winter Program for class and student numbers since the 2020 program, which ended two weeks before the pandemic closed The Clearing. Registration for Summer Program classes has begun, and we are off to an excellent start. Many classes are already full or near to being full. But there’s room in many other classes for those who are still trying to decide which one to take. But don’t wait too long. You don’t want to miss your chance of spending a week at this magical place!

Take care, be well and do good.

Sincerely,

Michael J. Schneider
Executive Director
The Clearing


Take a Look at the 2023 Summer Program!
2023 Workshop Program Classes Now Available!
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Who We Are

The Clearing is a folk school founded in 1935 by landscape architect Jens Jensen (1860-1951). This “school of the soil” is nestled within 128 acres of Door County forests and meadows and overlooks the dramatic Green Bay shoreline. It was built as a place where ordinary people could, as the name implies, “clear one’s mind” by reconnecting with nature and with one another.

Our Mission

The Mission of The Clearing is to provide diverse educational experiences in the folk school tradition, in a setting of quiet forests, meadows and water. The Clearing is a place where adults who share an interest in nature, arts or humanities can learn, reflect and wonder.

This is in keeping with the goals of Jens Jensen, founder of The Clearing, who loved it as a special place where one could feel kinship with the earth and reassess one’s life.

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HAPPY CAMPERS
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CLASSES OFFERED IN 2023
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BOWLS OF OATMEAL SERVED WEEKLY
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GREAT PLACE!

About

You Can’t Be Around for 88 Years and Not Have a Good Story. Here’s Ours.

 

Folk School Tradition

- HOW WE TEACH -

 
 

Jens Jensen

- OUR FOUNDER -

 
 

Trail Map

- TAKE A HIKE -

 

Classes

The Clearing offers year-long educational opportunities in three programs: the Summer Program, the Workshop Program and the Winter Program. All programs offer a wide range of classes, including painting, writing, quilting, birding, wood carving, poetry, rustic furniture making, photography, poetry, fine wood-working, music, weaving, philosophy, stained glass, metal work, nature study and paper arts. All Clearing classes are taught in a relaxed, informal style.

Summer Program

WEEK-LONG RESIDENTIAL CLASSES FROM MAY – OCTOBER

The Summer Program, which runs from May through October, is The Clearing’s oldest and the one that most closely resembles Jensen’s original folk school vision. The mainstay of the Summer Program is week-long classes, with 25 to 35 students and instructors living at The Clearing, eating family-style meals and renewing their spirit through close contact with the native landscape.


More About the Summer Program...

Workshop Program

ONE- AND TWO-DAY CLASSES FROM JUNE – NOVEMBER

The Workshop Program includes one, two, and three-day workshops from June through mid- November. These workshops appeal to a broad audience by providing shorter length classes during the Summer Program season for those who cannot come for an entire week or who want a “taste” of what The Clearing is like before deciding to take a week-long class.


More About the Workshop Program...

Winter Program

DAY CLASSES IN JANUARY & FEBRUARY

The Winter Program offers over 90 day-classes in January and February. In addition to offering an impressive selection of classes, the Winter Program represents something unique and wonderful about Door County, an amazing group of volunteer instructors who generously share their time, along with their considerable talent, for the benefit of the community. So bring on the snow and the cold. Now over 650 strong, you won’t meet a more friendly or hardier group of people than Clearing students in Winter!


More About the Winter Program...

Support

The Clearing is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that relies on the generosity of many different groups to support its mission of diverse educational experiences in the folk school tradition. Thanks to hundreds of friends, volunteers and donors, The Clearing is able to offer quality programs and services all year long. Interested in supporting The Clearing? Below are several ways to help us out. Take a look!

Door County Half Marathon & 5K

:: Operation Oatmeal ::

Take a Look Around...

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then our picture page is a gold mine! The Clearing is special for so many reasons. Its interesting people, historic buildings, rich landscapes and creative spirit combine to make this place like no other. It’s a place you really have to experience to understand, but we hope our photo galleries will give you a little taste of what The Clearing experience is all about.


Explore The Clearing...

The Clearing Folk School

Your Place to Slow Down, Renew & Reconnect!