ABOUT US
For thirty years, the Foundry was well classified as an alternative school in San Jose, CA on Sunol St. It was not a continuation school, nor an incarceration school, and certainly not a mainstream high school. It was a school for kids in trouble, kids who were troubled, and kids who dropped out or had been expelled from mainstream schools.
The primary goal of the Foundry was to help heal young people who were harmed by systems and generational trauma. It was a therapeutic program for students and families.
Students found great success by being challenged at the Foundry academically through classes and homework, physically through physical education and field trips (including hikes, surfing, rock climbing, running, and much more), and emotionally through group work.
Much of the Foundry work took place in the form of a group circle. They were taught to value themselves and the community around them through volunteer work, and by learning from the school’s numerous and diverse volunteers. Although the school was forced to close its doors in 2005, the spirit of the Foundry lives on in the lives of those who experienced it.
