Trillium Charter School is a public school for pre-k-12th grade students that nurtures each child's inherent curiosity, creativity and connection to community. We support diverse learning styles and use democratic processes to help students grow fully as human beings and contribute to and enhance the world. 

4 years ago we were fortunate enough to purchase our own building (which is quite rare for a charter school). The location was ideal as it was right on the MAX line, sat next door to the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center, and was a few steps away from Patton Park. However, the entrance to our space was quite uninviting. A small parking lot was the major thoroughfare for students, staff and parents to enter the school. This was unsafe but also unattractive and did little to make people feel like they were entering into a unique learning space. With that in mind, in the Spring of 2009, the school’s All School Meeting (made up of all students and staff) voted to close down the parking lot and turn it into a community gathering space. 

With close to 7000 square feet to work with the possibilities for creating a unique and beautiful entrance to the school seemed endless. Through a year of meeting and imagining and planning the school community created a design that not only covered the old parking lot with plants, outdoor classrooms, cob benches, ovens and walls, a bioswale and a small foot bridge, but we also began to re-imaginging our entire outdoor property. With so many possibilities we knew we needed to start with something that could really define who we were and set the tone for a 5 year plan of building and re-design. 

For this years VBC Trillium will be getting support and guidance from the Mud Girls to build a cob wall and benches, a kiosk, a small covered outdoor classroom, and an iron gateway to create a dramatic entrance to our school. Additionally we will be building a wooden fence, perpendicular to the entranceway to create close off access to an unsafe driveway connected to the IFCC. 

We invite anyone interested in joining our project. Come work with students, teachers, parents and other community members from North Portland.