The Rainbow Mountain Children's School
Renee Owen, Executive Director
Renee Owen has directed Rainbow Mountain Children’s School since July of 2007. Renee received her Master’s Degree and principal’s licensure through the Administrative Leadership and Policy Studies Program at the University of Colorado. She also holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.
Prior to joining RMCS, Renee founded and directed Paradox Valley School, a preschool through 8th grade charter school in southwestern Colorado. During her eight-year tenure, Renee raised more than $1 million to build a new school, developed administrative and board policy, designed an innovative project-based curriculum, and trained exceptional teachers—all of which earned PVS numerous national and state awards for excellence in teaching, student achievement and in the arts.
With her oldest daughter approaching high-school age, Renee began to search for educational and career alternatives and quickly discovered Asheville’s well-established alternative school, Rainbow Mountain, which was in the process of searching for its next director. The two proved to be a perfect fit. To read more about Renee's journey to Asheville, please read the Mountain Xpress feature article "From Hawaii to Paradox to Haywood Road" published in 2007.
Renee was captivated by the school’s holistic curriculum that educates children in the spiritual, emotional, social/moral, mental, and physical domains. Rainbow Mountain’s community-based learning environment also appealed to her both as an administrator and as a parent who would be enrolling two children.
In her first year at RMCS, Renee focused her efforts on community building and making connections—with the faculty, students and families. This has been a gratifying process for, as she jokes, “It’s impossible to get through a day at Rainbow without a hug!”
She quickly realized that one of Rainbow’s greatest strengths is the incredible amount of love expressed throughout the school. Here children feel safe to explore and express themselves. Parents feel connected and supported. Teachers are encouraged to take risks to create magical and meaningful learning experiences.
In her daily encounters, Renee is continually reminded that Rainbow Mountain’s approach to education is as much a celebration of life as it is a celebration of learning. Each school day provides new opportunities for discovery, contemplation, collaboration, creative expression, playfulness, peacemaking, and connecting with the natural world.
As executive director, Renee is dedicated to nurturing this unique educational village by working with the faculty to develop a living curriculum that encourages all types of learners to soar. She is committed to involving parents in the educational process. She is also committed to socially conscious fundraising that ensures Rainbow Mountain can expand its ability to support its families and the community in which they learn.
When Renee is not serving her larger school family, she savors the opportunity to spend time with her husband and three children simply hanging out or hiking, camping, dancing and making music. Those rare quiet moments call her to the garden or out into the forest to gather wild plants for herbal teas and tinctures.
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