July 3, 2025
A Final Message from CPFEA/Woolman
Dear Friends and friends,
Today as we lay down the organization that stewarded the land we called Woolman, we report on our ending and a beginning. A few months ago, the campus of the former John Woolman School in Nevada City, CA, became the property of the California Heritage: Indigenous Research Project (CHIRP) the tribally guided non-profit representing the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe. The passing of the land from Friends to the Nisenan ends our 60-year experiment of Quaker education in the woods of northern California. For the Nisenan it is a beginning of a new era as the Tribe returns to live on a parcel of their homeland stolen from them long before Quakers acquired it.
A group of visionary San Francisco Bay Area Quakers conceived of the John Woolman School in the late 1950s and early 1960s as a place where West Coast families could send their children to “live” and learn Quaker values. With a deep reservoir of exemplary energy, and less deep but equally generous pockets, they built, guided, and sustained the school throughout the years by the Quaker values of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, and stewardship.
In 1962 students began arriving on the campus for their high school education and in the process experienced the joys and challenges of community living and learning influenced by Quaker traditions and ideas. The campus also served as a hub through the decades for other kinds of Quaker gatherings. Even before the school opened there were summer camp programs for youth, work parties for families to help build the facilities on the campus, and as time went on, many traditions of activities for youth and adults developed. Woolman became the home of the Grass Valley Friends Meeting and a regular annual fall gathering place for College Park Quarterly Meeting (CPQM). All these activities needed a versatile and robust facility to house and host folks of a wide range of ages and abilities and Woolman was that place.
Finding adequate funding presented one of the greatest challenges faced by the John Woolman School. Opened without a financial cushion, the fees charged were never enough to pay for all the expenses. For 60 years every activity and every bit of the campus relied on the generosity of the community to exist and thrive. Despite this support, and to the disappointment of many alumni and benefactors, both cultural and economic pressures forced the school to shrink its academic program in 2000. A semester program replaced the full high school curriculum until 2016 when the school closed again. A long period of discernment followed as the staff and board struggled to develop new directions.
By 2022 it was becoming apparent that the survival of Quaker programming on the Woolman campus, now renamed Sierra Friends Center (SFC), was impossible. The impact of the shut-down from the COVID - 19 pandemic and the devastating fire of 2020 combined with relentless financial demands of a changing economic climate for schools and youth programs, in combination with the critically aging infrastructure, forced a wrenchingly hard decision: shut down all programs and sell the property. We began wrestling with difficult choices and explored multiple options with respect to the property sale. We looked both to world-wide Quaker ministries and to the history of Woolman’s land as guides.
Quakers are increasingly becoming more aware of the harm and injustice suffered by Indigenous people throughout the world and are taking action to make amends. Staff and Board had become more aware of the history of the Nisenan people historically; in 2020 during the fall session of Quarterly Meeting Shelly Covert, Tribal Spokesperson of the Nevada City Nisenan, was invited to speak to the general session. Shelly explained that the Nisenan are the original inhabitants of the land where SFC sits. Before the fire Shelly and tribe members had walked the land with staff members and observed landmarks that their people knew as a town called Yulića. Early records from when the property was a ranch mention Nisenan presence. The fire exposed ancient medicine rocks and an important spring. These interactions planted a seed so when the time came to find a buyer for the property, we approached the Nisenan to see if they would be interested in acquiring the land and soon sale negotiations began. The complex transaction took more than a year.
We set a sale price high enough to satisfy all financial obligations with a small cushion for unexpected expenses during the sale. After the sale, most of the residual monies were given to the Pacific Yearly Meeting (PacYM). The John Woolman School Fund is designated to continue the purpose of the school, providing seed money or support to Quaker education for any and all youth through immersive and transformational experiences, including but not limited to programs with systemic uses and broad reach, to help perpetuate the core values of John Woolman of peace, justice, and sustainability. Additional donations were made to The Center for Ethical Land Transition in appreciation for their guidance and assistance in completing the land transition; and to the Ben Lomond Quaker Center, the remaining Quaker-led retreat and education center on the West Coast. Donations to any of these organizations are welcome at the links provided above, and to support the Nisenan’s successful return to Yulića, donations can be made to CHIRP.
We offer many thanks to everyone who has ever been involved with the long history of Woolman, including the visionary founders, dedicated donors, students/campers and their families, teachers, staff, counselors, directors, volunteers, trustees, PacYM and CPQM.
Finally, the sale of Woolman is a beginning as well as an ending. When escrow closed, the Nisenan announced their return to Yulića. This transition never could have happened without the dedicated and long process of negotiations between the representatives of Woolman and the Nisenan. As the process evolved many people aided the meeting of two distinct cultures, Quaker and Native American, including the Center for Ethical Land Transition, the Indigenous Concerns Committee of the PacYM, attorneys, real estate agents, county officials, a variety of individuals with relevant expertise, and donors to Homeland Return. Shelly Covert, Tribal Spokesperson, represented the Tribe through every step of the land sale. She summed up her feelings saying “I’m inspired by the dedication and commitment of everyone who donated to this campaign that will restore a small portion of our Ancestral Homelands. It makes me hopeful and confident that this is just the beginning in an awesome movement for Indigenous peoples everywhere.”
We are proud to take part in the Quaker commitment to social justice represented here by the end of the Woolman era and new beginnings at Yulića.
With sadness, joy, hope, and deep appreciation,
The Trustees of College Park Friends Educational Association:
Sandra Schwartz
Dana Mallozzi
Phyllis Jewell
Alexa Hauser
Jennifer Dickey
Andrew Huang
Mark Myers
SPECIAL NOTE FOR ALUMNI: Please note that previous students of the John Woolman School or the Woolman Semester School may request transcripts by sending an email to info@woolman.org. Please include your name, year(s) of attendance, and confirm the email address to send the transcript. Only transcript requests made by December 31, 2027 can be accommodated.
October 20, 2024
FAQs RE: COMPLETED WOOLMAN-CHIRP PROPERTY SALE
1. "Will College Park Friends Educational Association (CPFEA) continue to offer educational programs or other service programs in California or elsewhere?"
ANSWER: Since the sale closed on 9/27/2024, the CPFEA board has decided to lay down and legally dissolve the organization. The CPFEA board wants its remaining resources to be used to support Quaker education, specifically immersive educational experiences based on Quaker values for Quaker and other youth, and is in discernment about how best to do this now.
2. "What was the sale price of the property?"
ANSWER: The sale price for the property (land and buildings) was $1.2 million. CHIRP raised $2.5 million in donations, enabling them to both purchase the property and begin the infrastructure projects necessary for their intended uses. But the $2.5 million was just a start. As it was with Woolman, CHIRP will have ongoing financial needs to maintain and operate Yulića, the piece of the Nevada City Ranceheria's traditional homeland on the Woolman site. We strongly encourage anyone who feels called to support Homeland Return to make a contribution to CHIRP —see https://chirpca.org/homelandreturn/#supporthomelandreturn.
3. "Does Woolman have any money left over after paying its debts and other obligations out of the sales proceeds?"
ANSWER: The sale proceeds are enough to cover all of our debts and other obligations, and there is a modest amount left to cover bills yet to come in, plus legal and accounting fees associated with the wind-down of the organization or transfer into other hands. Any surplus after that will be used for the support of immersive educational experiences based on Quaker values for Quaker and other youth.
4. "Going forward, who will be the stewards of the student academic records of the John Woolman School and the Woolman Semester School?"
ANSWER: Student academic records (official transcripts) from the John Woolman School and the Woolman Semester School will remain available to former students for a period of just over three years from the property sale —specifically, through 12/31/2027. We will make efforts before the end of 2024 to alert former students to the limited time window to request records. The email address for such requests is info@woolman.org; please include “transcript request” in the subject line.
5. "Will there be an ongoing relationship and/or joint programming between Woolman and the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe and CHIRP, its tribally guided 501(c)(3) nonprofit?"
ANSWER: The sale process drew our two communities much closer and built trust and mutual support. For as long as CPFEA exists as an organization, we will be doing all we can to help CHIRP with the knowledge transfer needed for management of the 232-acre property, and we will encourage financial and other support for CHIRP's ongoing work as they re-establish a tribal homeland. We strongly encourage anyone who feels called to support Homeland Return to make a contribution to CHIRP —see https://chirpca.org/homelandreturn/#supporthomelandreturn.
You can view the report delivered to the College Park Quarterly Meeting by the clerk of the Woolman board, Sandra Schwartz from our Resources page.
October 1, 2024
Escrow has closed, title has transferred! Here is a collaborative press release from CHIRP and the Woolman team...
The California Heritage: Indigenous Research Project (CHIRP) and the College Park Friends Educational Association (CPFEA) AKA Woolman are deeply proud to announce their successful endeavor to transfer 232 acres and the site of the John Woolman School into the hands of CHIRP and the Nevada City Rancheria (NCR) Nisenan Tribe. The escrow completed on September 27, 2024 and was the result of significant and inspired effort of all parties.
The land, located on the historic Nisenan village site of Yulića, will once again become a landbase for the Tribe–and provides an opportunity for the NCR Nisenan Tribe to reclaim a piece of their land-based ceremonial and Cultural practices, Elder housing, and renewal of the Tribe’s relationship with their Ancestral Homelands and its more-than-human kin.
For the past sixty years, Woolman has used the property to operate Quaker-based educational programming, including a residential high school, a semester school for high school juniors and seniors, outdoor school and after-school programs, summer camps for youth, and educational experiences for adults on topics such as activism, the arts, peace, justice, environmental sustainability, and personal and spiritual growth.
In the last few years, due to both the Covid pandemic halting in-person programs and the Jones Fire which incurred unexpected costs, Woolman could no longer sustain its programming, and began to look for a way to transition the property to new hands consistent with its mission and values. The Woolman board asked themselves, “Is there something good that could come from our loss?”
The Woolman board and staff had already been participating in their own internal process of coming to terms with the history of the land they occupied, including the Indigenous Peoples who called that land home, the legacy of colonialism that violently dispossessed those communities, and the land theft and commodification that ensued and led to current day “ownership.” Guided by the belief that the land is Sacred and that restoring “ownership” into the hands of the original stewards was most consistent with the values upheld by Woolman, the Woolman board reached out and began interfacing with CHIRP, who confirmed a commitment to the site. A few years later in Fall of 2023, formal conversations about a land transition emerged between the Woolman board and CHIRP, and an exclusive “discount sale” negotiation between the non-profits began.
Historic cultural complexities mandated significant diligence in this land transition requiring support above and beyond conventional real estate agents and attorneys. Thus, facilitators from the The Center for Ethical Land Transition and the Pacific Yearly Meeting of Quakers accompanied the process. Their involvement helped to create a roundtable environment building trust and offering support among those involved.
What guided this process was the enduring need for repair held by everyone involved. And though painful at times, in the end, transitioning the land was a rich, relationship-centric process that allowed all parties to walk away with a deeper understanding of each other. As Shelly Covert, NCR Nisenan Tribal Spokesperson and Director of CHIRP, comments: "There is a deep desire to return land to Indigenous communities. But many times, one’s desire to return land to Tribes and their real-time dependence on equity and/or dollar value of that land becomes problematic. Emerging conversations to navigate these complexities present an opportunity to evolve the discussion, engage modern economic constraints and possibilities, and craft a new path forward, together."
Proving that these conversations are taking shape and moving forward, CHIRP was successful with their fundraising efforts that currently stand at just over $2.5 million. Crowdfunding was the main conduit used to meet the financial needs of the transition. The Quaker Friends activated locally, nationally and internationally, to provide their contributions to the campaign, ensuring their community would be part of the success story unfolding, and committed to supporting the long-term goals of restoring this small piece of the NCR Nisenan Tribe’s Ancestral Homeland.
This story is exemplary of a new movement of title transfers often referred to as ethical land transitions, in which current title holders voluntarily engage in a reparative process to support land acquisition for communities who have been historically marginalized via land theft and policies of racial discrimination, which has particularly impacted Indigenous, Black, and other communities of color. These processes typically focus on building meaningful relationships between communities over time, eventually resulting in off-market title transfers between known parties.
“Although the sale has closed, our commitment to the well-being of CHIRP and the Tribe will continue. We understand that land-back is always a complicated process and can take many forms; each effort is unique. Supporting CHIRP’s Homeland Return goals for the Nisenan Tribe has been, and will continue to be, a profound and worthwhile endeavor, ” emphasized Sandra Schwartz, Woolman Board Clerk.
In an era of increasing support for Native land return, this story is an important example of partnership and working together to return what was stolen. Exciting next steps include moving Tribal Elders into safe housing together on the Land, opportunities for Indigenous-led environmental healing and stewardship, celebration of the completed transition, and continued land-based Cultural revitalization for the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe.
“I’m inspired by the dedication and commitment of everyone who donated to this campaign that will restore a small portion of our Ancestral Homelands,” continued Shelly Covert. “It makes me hopeful and confident that this is just the beginning in an awesome movement for Indigenous peoples everywhere.”
April 5, 2024
Recent constraints imposed on Woolman land apply to all property owners
The College Park Friends Educational Association (CPFEA – AKA Woolman/Sierra Friends Center) board was recently approached by California Heritage: Indigenous Research Project (CHIRP) with a request to impose a deed restriction expressly prohibiting any casino gaming on the property. The board quickly acted on the request and this restriction is now in place. This is a permanent modification to the deed and applies to all current and future owners of the land.
Another constraint that applies to all owners of the property is a land agreement entered into with the Sierra Streams Institute (SSI) that allows SSI to implement their Forest Management Plan (FMP). The FMP was developed in conjunction with other national and state agencies with funding provided by the California Wildlife Conservation Board. This project involves habitat restoration and fire management/mitigation activities which required Woolman to agree to limiting any development of the areas that SSI is restoring/improving. This agreement is not a deed restriction nor a conservation easement per se, but it does restrict current and future owners of the property from modifying the majority of the undeveloped areas of the land for 15 years. Because the agreement would bind CHIRP when they acquire the property, we worked with CHIRP and SSI to modify the FMP slightly (primarily regarding the discovery of artifacts) in order to ensure that once the property transitions to CHIRP, they won’t be tied to restrictions or modifications imposed on the property that they find unacceptable.
January 19, 2024
Update from the Woolman Board regarding the sale of Sierra Friends Center/ Woolman.
What has been happening in the process of selling Woolman to California Heritage Indigenous Research Project (CHIRP)?
In our last communication to the Quarter on October 21, 2023, we reported that we had received a Letter of Intent to purchase the Sierra Friends Center from CHIRP, a California public benefit nonprofit corporation, guided by Nisenan tribal leaders. Although the details of these negotiations are confidential, as they would be with any pending real estate matter, we are pleased to share that we have a signed purchase agreement as of January 8, 2024, meaning that we have entered escrow or the due diligence period. This period is expected to last several months and details are still confidential as is true in any real estate transaction.
We understand that there was a long period of silence after our announcement that we had received the Letter of Intent. Both parties took their time as they explored, prepared, researched and evaluated various options. At this time, we feel optimistic about the future.
Was selling the land really necessary? What else did you consider?
I think most Friends/Quakers know that Woolman was always a faith-based endeavor. It was always on shaky financial footing. We lived on the edge trusting that somehow the funds would come in to keep the doors open and thanks to many generous idealistic people the doors stayed open for 60 years. But, over the years more and more people became skeptical or tired and our donor pool was shrinking. First the John Woolman school closed in 2001. The Woolman Semester School opened in 2003 and the first students came in 2004. The Semester School closed in 2016 due to lack of enrollment and a shortage of funds.
We took some time to discern what kind of educational programming could be developed to achieve our mission of peace, justice and sustainability. We started an outdoor education, program bringing youth from city schools to campus, we developed partnerships with local organizations that were engaged in environmental education programs, Camp Woolman was popular with both Quaker and non-Quaker youth, but our programs were never financially solvent – then COVID hit, followed by the Jones fire shutting down the campus for two years.
When we re-opened we knew it was a Startup moment, with no guarantees of success. Staff, board, and volunteers worked tirelessly.
Board and committees were continuously looking for additional ways to support Woolman financially. We looked into subdividing and selling off more parts of the Woolman property, partnering with organizations and schools that had deeper pockets, renting the campus to like-minded groups, developing a more robust retreat center, putting the development rights into a conservation easement. We considered anything that seemed reasonable – all to no avail.
How did you decide to sell to CHIRP?
Over the years, we heard again and again that people had profound experiences on the land, the land seemed to be sacred. Woolman programs were experienced as healing and transformational and part of creating that healing was the land itself. So, when it became apparent that we couldn’t keep going, the question became, “What is this moment asking of us? Is it possible to create healing from this moment of loss?”
We remembered that CHIRP had approached us in 2020 before the Jones fire about buying the land. (You may remember that in the summer of 2020 we had started having conversations about selling the land with Quakers and other potential “friendly buyers.”). As we sat with this idea and learned more about CHIRP and the Nisenan story we became convinced that CHIRP stewardship of the land we call Woolman would continue educational programming but more importantly it was a step toward the deep transformational healing that needs to be done for all of humanity. While Quakers may not have specifically harmed the Nisenan people, we are beneficiaries of a brutal history that nearly eliminated the First Peoples of this state. Seeking to ethically transition this land back to CHIRP is a small step on a long path needed for being in right relationship with each other. We believe that the land we call Woolman will continue to be sacred, healing and transformational under the stewardship of the descendants of the first people who lived and worked here.
I hope you can support us by holding the process “in the Light.” We know that change is hard and losing something you love is especially hard. The members of the Woolman Board without exception love Woolman. We have had to grieve this loss while doing the work of moving forward towards a sale. We appreciate all the kind words and thoughts that have been sent our way and we hope that those of you who disagree can begin to hear that this decision is not sudden or precipitate, it is the end of years of trying without success to keep the place going.
For more information regarding CHIRP, the Nisenan, and future plans, please go to our website at www.woolman.org.
January 8, 2024
Announcement: Woolman in contract with CHIRP
College Park Friends Educational Association (Woolman) joyously announces that it has entered into escrow with California Heritage: Indigenous Research Project (CHIRP) with the intention of ethically transitioning the Woolman land and property to CHIRP for the benefit of the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe, on whose ancestral homeland the Woolman property sits. We are excited about CHIRP’s vision for the Nisenan’s ancestral land, which includes youth programming.
As with any real estate agreement, there are contingencies to be resolved, and this may take several months. In the meantime, if you wish to contribute to Woolman’s ongoing operating costs pending the land transition, please donate here. If you wish to donate to CHIRP for this historic land transfer, please keep an eye out for a dedicated donation link coming soon on CHIRP's website. You can sign up for CHIRP's newsletter here.
Please stay tuned for more news of this land transition and hold us and CHIRP in the Light as we move forward.
Warmly,
The CPFEA Board of Trustees
