Frequently Asked Questions

We do not issue full monetary refunds for tuition payments (unless the class is cancelled or rescheduled). We are a tiny business, with an income based solely on tuition. We often rely on just one or two tuition payments to put us past our break-even point, after covering fair instructor pay, meals, materials, and campus upkeep.

If cancelling more than 30 days before the start date of the workshop, we can either:

1. hold your full payment as credit towards a future course, OR

2. we can refund 75% of your original payment.

If cancelling more than 15 days before the start date of a workshop, we will hold 50% of your payment as credit towards a future course.

Yes, you can bring children with you. In doing so, you will assume full responsibility for supervising your children. We have the following pricing structure, to help us cover costs for food and lodging.

0-11: $30/day

12-17: $100/day

18+: full tuition

We do not allow dogs here, as we have our own dogs, as well as chickens. If you have a service dog that you need with you, let us know so that we can discuss a way to accommodate that.

Basic tent sites are available for free.

We have 5 tiny, natural cottages available to rent, plus 2 tiny, wooden A-frames. Check out our rental options here.

Nearby hotels and AirBNBs are also available. We are 10 minutes away from Saxapahaw, 20 from Siler City and Pittsboro, and 30 from Chapel Hill.

The closest airport is Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), which is 1 hour away.

The closest Greyhound stations are in Greensboro, NC, or Durham, NC - each is about 45 minutes away.

There are Amtrak stations in Greensboro, Burlington, and Durham - all are within 45 minutes of here.

We recommend getting an Uber or Lyft to get here from the airport or train/bus station.

We are an informal school, located on rural land in Snow Camp, NC. Our campus is adjacent to our small homestead, and is made up of a series of tiny, natural, in-progress cottages, garden walls, and community space. The campus is mostly in the woods, and adjoins a clearing with a pond.

No; all of our current classes are appropriate for anyone, regardless of skills or experience!

We plan to offer some advanced course options in the future, but they will be clearly noted as such.

Hands-on learning is our emphasis. We will mostly be on-site all day building together, with a 1-hour lunch break in the middle of the day.

Important topics that aren’t covered in our hands-on work will be covered in discussions or tours, or more spontaneously during the workday – questions as we build are always encouraged!

Yes, we include a 10% discount for BIPOC participants. Make sure to check the box on the registration form to receive the discount.

A limited number of partial work-trade positions are available, generally one per workshop. The tuition reduction is 50%, in exchange for providing us with help around mealtimes and with cleanup tasks.

The intention is to provide an opportunity to attend for someone who otherwise could not afford it, so we prefer to reserve work-trade positions for those with a financial barrier to taking a course.

Meals are included for all multi-day workshops at the Mud Dauber campus. Provided food is always vegetarian, with vegan and gluten-free options available.

Lunch and Dinner will be catered with an emphasis on local food when possible. We provide simple breakfast options that include the following: fresh fruit, yogurt + granola, and oatmeal packets, as well as coffee and tea. (non-dairy oat and almond milk are available)