Our mission is to empower neurodivergent students to find success through integrated educational and therapeutic support while strengthening their families and community as a whole.

Trailhead Community Farm School (TCFS) was founded to meet the critical need for a neurodivergent-affirming program that integrates both academic and clinical services for students and their families. In addition to serving enrolled students, we are committed to providing educational opportunities for the broader community and advocating for the needs and strengths of the neurodivergent population.

Founded in 2022, (TCFS) welcomed its first two students in 2023. Today, we continue to grow our mission of providing a therapeutic, experiential learning environment where neurodivergent students can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.

TCFS serves students ages 11–16 in grades 6–10. While many of our students display characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and/or ADHD, a formal diagnosis is not required for enrollment.

Beyond the school day, we strengthen our community through quarterly Family Day events, educational workshops, and partnerships with local organizations that support students and their families.

What makes TCFS different from other academic settings?

• Individualized Learning: Academic instruction is tailored to each student's strengths, interests, learning profile, and pace. Small class sizes allow teachers to provide frequent individualized instruction and immediate feedback.

• Therapeutic Integration: Licensed clinical expertise is embedded throughout the school day. Social-emotional learning, emotional regulation, executive functioning, communication, and self-advocacy skills are intentionally taught alongside academics rather than treated as separate services.

• Experiential and Farm-Based Learning: Students learn through hands-on experiences in gardening, animal care, cooking, community service, entrepreneurship, and outdoor education. These real-world activities increase engagement while developing critical life skills, problem-solving abilities, collaboration, and independence.

• Sensory-Supportive Environment: The campus is intentionally structured to reduce sensory overload while providing opportunities for movement, outdoor learning, and self-regulation throughout the day.

• Executive Functioning Supports: Staff provides direct instruction and coaching in organization, planning, time management, task initiation, flexibility, and self-monitoring.

• Behavior Through a Clinical Lens: Rather than relying on punitive discipline, TCFS uses trauma-informed and neurodiversity-affirming practices to understand the function of behavior, teach replacement skills, and build emotional regulation and resilience.

• Family Partnership: Families are viewed as essential members of the educational team. Ongoing communication, collaboration, and coaching ensure that students experience consistency between home and school.

• Focus on Independence: Every aspect of the program is designed to increase confidence, self-determination, and independent functioning so students are prepared for success in high school, post-secondary education, employment, and community life.

Trailhead Community Farm School is proud to be included in the provider list for the Education Scholarship Trust Fund Program. These programs enable eligible students to receive a tuition scholarship.

We are honored to be selected as one of the five partner schools to receive scholarships from the Rader Ward Foundation. The Rader Ward Foundation offers need-based partial scholarships for elementary-, middle-, and high-school-aged children who are passionate and creative, and struggle to succeed in the traditional educational model of public schools.

Learn more about the Education Scholarship Trust Fund Program and Rader Ward Foundation on our Financial Assistance tab.