Living Education in Nature
La Ronda is a self-managed learning community inspired by “educación viva” (living education), located in El Hoyo, Chubut. It is a space where children are supported in their healthy development, respecting their rhythms, interests, and needs.
La Ronda welcomes families with children between 2 and 7 years old. Activities take place Monday to Friday in the morning, with an option for an extended day that includes workshops on different themes such as English, movement, art, music, and gardening. Guidance and support happen in small groups, fostering close relationships and respectful attention to each child’s individual process. The space is designed to respond to children’s needs: the arrangement of the environment, the organization of time into rhythms, the proposals offered, and the collectively built agreements and boundaries all create a nurturing and caring setting.
Currently, work is underway to ensure the continuity and formation of a first cycle of primary education, integrating knowledge from the primary school curriculum while always respecting each child’s pace and intrinsic motivation.
La Ronda is a non-profit civil association sustained through self-management, with the commitment of families and the team of facilitators. It is not an officially accredited institution and does not grant formal certifications; rather, it is a learning space that promotes autonomy, active participation, and respect for the diversity of childhoods.
Key pillars of the children’s space
Free and spontaneous play
Play is the driving force of learning, allowing children to explore and create scenarios both individually and in groups. Through play, they make agreements and resolve conflicts, express their interests, and develop their creativity and autonomy.
Relationships and community living
Based on three main principles: care for oneself, care for others, and care for the environment. The focus is placed on self-awareness, empathy, and the relationship with the natural surroundings.
Connection with nature
Nature is a great regulator and a space for constant learning. Children explore life cycles and develop a deep respect for the natural environment. Each season of the year offers unique experiences.
Our Team
The La Ronda team is made up of education professionals whose practice is grounded in continuous training, reflection, and self-awareness, promoting an approach based on presence, consciousness, and responsibility. To support this, the project also includes a supervision space led by a professional reference in education and health, which helps enrich the team’s work through an external perspective.
We support learning by promoting trust, respect, and autonomy. Our aim is to foster an environment where children feel safe to learn with enthusiasm, developing in a healthy way. Through attentive observation, we create a prepared environment with proposals adapted to children’s needs, generating meaningful experiences.
We prioritize dialogue with children, families, and the team, ensuring respectful and coherent interventions that support conflict resolution and healthy group organization.
Community and Self-Managed Organization
The La Ronda community is organized into different areas of work, from which various committees are formed.
The main areas are:
- Pedagogical area
- Administrative, accounting, and financial area
- Structural and facilities area
- Community area
These areas are brought together under what we call the General Coordination.
Every two months, the community gathers in a general assembly to share updates on La Ronda, including its progress, challenges, and future plans. For these meetings, and to help ensure the proper functioning of the project, the participation of at least one member from each family is required.
Final Reflection
This project is inspired by living education, an approach that recognizes each child as a unique individual with an innate capacity to learn. We believe in the power of free play, exploration, and connection with nature as key drivers of holistic development.
We are a community in constant learning and transformation, committed to caring for ourselves, for one another, and for the environment. 🌱