Marine Mills Folk School

It's Time to giveBIG St. Croix Valley!

This April, we’re joining more than 80 other nonprofit organizations participating in giveBIG St. Croix Valley! This giving event seeks to raise money and awareness for organizations that support people living in Burnett, Pierce, Polk, and St. Croix counties. 

Our Goal

Now through April 30, help us raise $2,400 to replenish our scholarship fund and cover operating costs for freewill-supported community events at Marine Mills Folk School.

While we’re located in Washington County, our programs attract attendees from both sides of the St. Croix River, as well as throughout the Midwest. In 2023, more than 500 people from Burnett, Pierce, Polk, and St. Croix Counties attended an event at Marine Mills Folk School, and that number is growing.

Why Now and Why Marine Mills Folk School?

• Freewill-supported community events such as Knit Night, Bluegrass Jam Session, Open Woodcarving and others have doubled in attendance over the past 16 months
• The loneliness epidemic is disproportionately affecting older adults in our rural communities
• Scholarship funds support expanding access to all who wish to take our classes
• Our community-centric model invites people to make meaningful connections with others through hands-on traditional arts and crafts

Make a financial contribution that is meaningful to you today by clicking the "Donate" button. Thank you!

Discover the Joy of Creating Together From a Folk School Tradition

Marine Mills Folk School is an experiential learning center located in the St. Croix Valley. We partner with skilled artisan-instructors to offer courses in woodworking, fiber arts, visual arts, culinary arts, outdoor skills, and other traditional arts & crafts. Our approach is hands-on learning for all ages in a supportive environment that is fun, collaborative, and restorative.

Marine Mills Folk School opened its doors in October 2018 with 11 classes. In 2023, we offered more than 350 in-person classes and community events. Our philosophy places relationships and connections between people at the center of learning and life.

Support our mission by taking a class, attending one of our community events, and making a donation today!

The Folk School movement began in the 1830s in Denmark and was introduced in the United States in the early 1900s. The philosophy of folk schools is a faith in the intrinsic abilities of all individuals, and that learning should be available to everyone throughout their life cycle. “Schools for Life” give people the ability to understand their own strengths and abilities and, through this process, strengthen and empower communities.

Folk schools also emphasize hands-on learning that is at once intergenerational and non-competitive: learning for the sake of learning. They also endeavor to capture and preserve traditional skills before being lost to new ways.