Frequently Asked Questions

The questions families ask us most, grouped by topic. For full tuition and discount detail, see the Nature School page and Specials & Discounts.

The basics

General

What is The Salty Sunflower Nature Collaborative?: A nature-based education community in San Diego. Our 9-Month Nature School is rooted in a parent-participatory cooperative model, with a drop-off option also available for families who need it. Children learn through direct experience in San Diego's beaches, canyons, trails, and open spaces.
Where do sessions take place?: Across San Diego's natural landscapes, beaches, canyons, trails, and open spaces, following the seasons and ecosystems throughout the year.
Who leads the program?: Founder Starla Wheeler, M.S. Child Development (SDSU) and B.A. Psychology (UNLV), with research spanning attachment theory and how nature shapes a developing nervous system. Read more on our Our Founder page.
Is the program licensed?: Our program is license-exempt under California regulations.

Pods, ages, and hours

What ages do you serve?: Sunbeams (ages 3–5) and Monarchs (ages 6–8), each split into two pods that run side by side.
What are your days and hours?: Sunbeams meets Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Monarchs meets Tuesday and Thursday. Both run 9:30am to 1:30pm, with an optional 11:30am pick-up for Monarchs families who need a shorter day.
Is the school year really 9 months?: Our school year runs 9 months, but enrollment itself is month-to-month. There's no contract locking your family in for the full year, and we welcome new families year-round as space allows.
How do I know if a pod is open?: Check the current status on the Our Pods section of the Nature School page. If a pod isn't open yet, you can join the interest list or waitlist.

How the co-op works

Do I have to participate?: Not necessarily, a drop-off option is available for families who need it. But at heart, we're a parent-participatory cooperative, and co-op families get the lowest tuition rates because their participation is what makes our small groups possible.
Who can fulfill my family's participation?: Any approved adult in your family, 18 or older, listed on your enrollment paperwork, and mandated-reporter trained, not only one parent.
Why do you ask families to participate so much?: Our Sunbeams ratio runs about 1 adult for every 3-4 children, well under the state's Title 22 maximum of 1 to 12. Young children build security through relationship, not group size, and co-op participation is what lets us keep that ratio without a large paid staff.
Do older kids (Monarchs) have the same participation requirements as Sunbeams?: No. California's ratio requirements are more lenient for ages 6 and up, so Monarchs' participation options are lighter than Sunbeams', see the Monarchs tuition section for specifics.

Cost and savings

How much does tuition cost?: It depends on your pod, schedule, and how often an adult participates. See the full breakdown on the Tuition and schedules section.
What is the Sunflower Grant?: A need-based rate for families enrolled full-time, awarded after an honest conversation with our founder. No application, and kept confidential. A limited number of spots are available per pod.
Do you offer sibling or military/educator/first-responder discounts?: Yes. Full detail on how each discount works, and how we automatically apply whichever saves your family the most, is on our Specials & Discounts page.
Do you accept charter school funds?: Yes, including Pacific Coast Academy. If your family is enrolled through a different charter, reach out, we'd love to talk about becoming an approved vendor.
Are there any other fees?: A one-time enrollment deposit, applied to your first month's tuition, and an annual materials fee per child (nature journal and loose parts kit for Sunbeams; project materials for Monarchs' hands-on STEM units).

No participation required

How is drop-off different from co-op?: Drop-off families don't participate at all, no adult needs to join in the field. Because of that, drop-off tuition is priced higher than every co-op rate, your participation is what earns the lower co-op pricing.
Is drop-off available for every schedule?: For Sunbeams, drop-off is available for 2 or 3 days a week; because of our ratio, we're not able to offer a 1-day drop-off option there. Monarchs drop-off is available for any schedule, full day or half day.

Good to know

What's your cancellation and refund policy?: Enrollment deposits are refundable if we receive written notice by July 31, 2026. For mid-year withdrawals, we ask for 30 days' written notice; tuition for the current month is non-refundable. Full detail is on our Cancellation & Refund Policy page.
What happens if my child is sick?: Please keep them home, we appreciate it, and so do the other families. A sick-day absence isn't grounds for a refund or credit under standard policy, but if your child misses multiple sessions due to a documented medical condition, reach out and we'll review the situation compassionately.
Will I know how my child is doing?: Yes. Children enrolled 2 or more days a week receive a full written developmental report on a regular basis (every two weeks for Sunbeams, monthly for Monarchs). Children enrolled 1 day a week receive a condensed monthly progress report instead.
Can younger siblings tag along?: Yes, with a participating adult present each time. Siblings under 3 are free with an older Sunbeams sibling; siblings under 6 are free with an older Monarchs sibling.

We're happy to talk it through with you.