Gaia School began with a set of shared convictions that came together at the right moment.

In the years following the pandemic, the founders began asking fundamental questions: How do children learn? What kind of education prepares them for a world that is changing rapidly? What environments truly support healthy development? These questions led them to seek something different from conventional schooling that is more aligned with how humans thrive.

At the same time, they separately discovered Waldorf education. Its emphasis on educating the whole child—head, heart, and hands—resonated deeply. It offered a framework that integrated intellectual rigor with creativity, emotional development, and a meaningful connection to the natural world.

In November 2021, in Santa Teresa, David and Georgi met Thomas and Nasiba. Each had been independently exploring a similar vision of a school that would reflect a deeper respect for childhood, a stronger connection to nature, and a more complete model of human development. When they met, they recognized immediately that they were building toward the same idea. They decided to build it together.

In February 2022, they visited the land where Gaia is now located. The property, surrounded by jungle, and alive with biodiversity, made the vision concrete. It reflected something essential about Costa Rica itself: a cultural reverence for nature, and a belief that human life should exist in relationship with it, not apart from it. The founders committed to creating a school that honored that ethos.

From that point forward, they began building deliberately. They assembled a team of educators and families who believed in the mission of creating a school that develops the whole child, not just academic outcomes. A school where students spend meaningful time outdoors, where learning is experiential and bilingual, and where children develop resilience, curiosity, and a sense of purpose.

Gaia opened its doors in January 2023 with 18 students and a clear direction. From the beginning, the goal was not simply to replicate an existing model, but to create a new kind of school that combines strong academics with emotional intelligence, practical skills, and ecological awareness.

The founders believe that education must evolve alongside the world it serves. Children today will face challenges that require adaptability, critical thinking, collaboration, and a deep sense of responsibility for the planet. Gaia aims to give them those tools, grounded in a strong sense of self and a real connection to the world around them.

Since opening, Gaia has grown through the contributions of its teachers, families, and students who continue to shape what the school is becoming. That process is ongoing. Gaia remains a work in progress, guided by a clear idea: education should develop capable, grounded, and thoughtful human beings who are prepared to thrive in a complex and changing world.