Transparency
& Feedback
Organizational Structure
Free Forest School is composed of our wonderful community, staff, Board of Directors, and volunteers.
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors serves in an overview role. Responsible for hiring and supervising the Executive Director, the Board delegates the daily work of the organization to the staff. Read more about the role of the Board
Board members are recruited via an Open Call for Nominations process each spring. The call is put out both internally within the Free Forest School community, and externally, and any person is eligible to nominate themselves or someone else.
Board members are selected in accordance with our two-phase Affirmative Action selection policy, in accordance with our bylaws, and with community input via survey.
Staff
The Staff team is led by the Executive Director. Each staff role takes on a range of interconnected responsibilities, working both independently and in collaboration with team members to complete tasks in their area of focus. Staff positions currently include Executive Director, Administrative Manager, and our Community Engagement Guides. Contractors currently support our work in the areas of Communications and Content Development.
Staff members are hired in accordance with our two-phase Affirmative Action hiring policy and our bylaws.
For more information on our hiring or board selection process, email info@freeforestschool.org.
Volunteers
Volunteers fill a number of essential roles within Free Forest School, including:
Committee Volunteers: Board Committees include Budget & Finance; Development; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice; and Marketing & Branding. The DEIJ Committee is actively accepting new volunteers at this time. Use the contact form to get connected.
Group Hosts: Volunteers work in teams to moderate and support conversation within local country groups and interest groups on the Our Outdoors platform. Any member of Our Outdoors will be able to complete a short training to become a Group Host.
Event Hosts: Volunteers will be able to host in-person events beginning in June, COVID-permitting. Any member of Our Outdoors will be able to complete a short training to become an Event Host.
Decision Making
Strategic Planning
Every other year, our Board of Directors and Executive Director engage in strategic planning to set the organization’s strategic Objectives. A wide variety of inputs are considered in this process, including staff feedback, community forums and working groups, surveys, and metrics.
Our Board Committees and Staff are responsible for developing work plans that lay out quarterly Key Results, which are measurable steps toward accomplishing the Objectives. The Executive Director oversees the staff in identifying and accomplishing Key Results, whereas Committee Chairs guide the committees in this process. Staff and Committees alike report progress and feedback on both Objectives and Key Results to the Board.
Annual Meetings
Each summer, Free Forest School holds an Annual Meeting open to all members. At the Annual Meeting, the Board of Directors will reflect on the past year, announce new members of the Board of Directors, and present new initiatives and objectives. Annual Meetings also include an open Community Forum where any community member may share a comment or bring an idea before the Board.
Grievance Policy & Submission Form
Free Forest School is building an inclusive culture of belonging, one that enables individuals to show up as their whole selves, through the adoption of policies, practices, and ongoing accountability processes. Find our complete Grievance Policy and Submission Form here.
How We Collect & Process Feedback
Free Forest School values feedback and constructive criticism from our community. While you may share feedback on our social media posts, we do not have the resources to engage in conversation in that forum. To be sure your feedback reaches the team and is taken into consideration, please complete the feedback form at the bottom of this page.
When submitting feedback, you will be asked to indicate who you would like your comments shared with, including the DEIJ Committee, the Board of Directors, and the staff. You will also choose whether to share your name (in which case, the organization can contact you to follow up) or to remain anonymous.
Upon receipt, your comment will be shared with whichever group(s) you indicate on the form, and will be considered at the next meeting of that group. If you indicate you would like a follow-up, then a representative of that group will be in touch to discuss and share possible next steps.
Social Media Engagement Guidelines
We expect members of the community and the team to be accountable to these guidelines.
Treat Others With Humanity
Hate speech and harassment will not be tolerated. Hate speech is abusive or threatening communication that expresses prejudice against a particular group. Harassment is communication that seeks to coerce, harm, or intimidate an individual or group.
Be Constructive
Productive and meaningful conversation is the goal. Keep things on topic and limit the use of profanity and vulgarity. Before responding to a post or comment, ask yourself if you are doing it in a way that helps others, rather than just criticizing.
Build a Supportive Community
Consider how your words impact members of our community of all backgrounds, cultures, and abilities. Diversity brings invaluable richness and depth to our local groups and our organization. To support this we must constantly examine our own biases and be mindful of how our language could be harmful to marginalized groups. Avoid tone policing, where you discount or even attack another person’s valid concern because the way it was phrased feels too confrontational or too emotional.
Limited Moderation
Our focus is not on social media, it’s on getting kids out into nature. Due to limited resources we do not have time to read and respond to all comments in detail. Be mindful of adhering to these guidelines, but do not expect violations to be handled immediately. If something has not been properly addressed or you want to ensure your comment is seen, feedback can be submitted on our contact page, the feedback form below, or by email.
“There is no beauty without truth and there is no truth without transparency”
— Carry Somers
Give Us Feedback
Do you have a specific concern or information you would like to provide in order to improve and advance our work? Please feel free to use the form below to provide feedback.
If you have general questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to reach out using our general contact form.
Our formal Grievance Policy and Reporting Form is available here.
You can also email us anytime at info@freeforestschool.org