Rooted in craft. Growing community.
Kaniksu Folk School is your gateway to a world of lifelong learning. Nestled on a scenic 200-plus-acre property in Dover, ID, our school offers year-round classes tailored for adults, spanning a rich spectrum of arts, crafts, and essential life skills. From the age-old craft of blacksmithing to the precision of woodworking, from identifying edible plants in our lush surroundings to exploring countless other subjects, our educational offerings are as diverse as your curiosity.
Whether you're eager to embark on a new adventure or honing existing skills, Kaniksu Folk School is your canvas. Our mission is clear: to foster a vibrant community and a culture of hands-on, locally-rooted education. Through the power of music, the timeless appeal of traditional crafts, and the shared pursuit of knowledge, we invite you to join us in building a stronger, more connected community.
At Kaniksu Folk School, the journey of discovery never ends.
Kaniksu Folk School (KFS) connects individuals to themselves, the community, to traditions, and to the landscape.
To Self
A person who takes a Kaniksu Folk School class is connected to themselves by learning a new skill that can connect them to their head, hands and heart. Learning a craft builds a connection between the mind and the hands. Exercising these muscles can build confidence in a person and help someone to focus, creating a meditative experience all of which are bringing the individual in touch with their heart.
To Community
By attending a Folk School class people have the opportunity to make connections with other members of the community and bond over a common interest. The various classes and folk festivals that KFS holds can bring together people from different ages, backgrounds and life experiences.
To Traditions
Through taking a class and learning a new skill, a person is connected to the past by learning the traditions of where that craft came from and why it was made the way it was. Continuing to teach that skill carries it forward into the future, where others will hopefully continue passing the knowledge on.
To Landscape
A connection to landscape is made through many of the crafts taught at the Kaniksu Folk School that use raw materials from the forest. For example, pine needles, birch bark, wood from various trees, roots, rocks, herbs, wool and animal hides. The experience of harvesting and working with materials from nature helps to foster a more intimate relationship with the environment and the many beings that inhabit it. Having a deeper relationship with the natural world can then have the effect of inspiring a desire to understand, to nurture and to conserve the ecosystem in which a person lives.