our new home
We moved to the Presidio in 2022
Brightworks is nestled in the eucalyptus groves of the historic Presidio.
In 2022, we landed at our new home, 682 Schofield Road, in one of the most beautiful national parks, The Presidio. Since before we moved out of our beloved warehouse in the Mission, a team of program leadership and dedicated board members were on a quest to find a long term home for our extraordinary school. On this epic journey, over 12 years, we've been confronted with zoning restrictions, prohibitive rental prices, and spaces that would have forced us to shrink. Somehow, through grit, imagination and spreadsheets galore, we’ve emerged from the wilderness that is San Francisco real estate with an incredible new long-term home in the Presidio. And we love it!
our location
The campus is nestled amongst the cypress trees and willow thickets of the Presidio National Park. It is a short 15 minute walk to Crissy Field, a 5 minute walk to a peaceful redwood grove, and so many other trails waiting to be explored.
When the pandemic threw us lemons, we made lemonade by transforming our elementary program into a forest school in the park. Elementary families and collaborators alike have agreed that even as we move back indoors, we don’t want to lose the beautiful nature connection brought on by our pandemic year. Middle and high school students agree. Being smack dab in the middle of one of San Francisco’s biggest green spaces helps us keep the park-school ethic alive while giving us a cozy home base.
our building
Inside the building, big, light-filled spaces strike a beautiful balance between the open flowing feel of our original warehouse school in the Mission and the focused classrooms of the school space in the Inner Richmond. Inside, the first floor houses our elementary school bands as well as open gathering spaces; the second floor is home to our middle school and library learning commons. The basement houses our middle school math space and the woodshop. The main building is flanked by two long bungalows that serve as the early years and high school spaces.
Over the past decade this building has housed schools like the Bay School and Hamlin, as well as creative offices. In Reggio Emilia, it is said that “The space is the third teacher.” We feel that this space is like that most beloved teacher you had growing up—warm, open and inspiring. The interior has a distinct homey feel with wood floors, fireplaces, decks and beautiful natural light. We have been the lucky ones to fill it with creativity, laughter, and learning.
connections
Nestled in the heart of San Francisco's Presidio, Brightworks offers an unparalleled learning environment that weaves together natural beauty, cultural richness, and strong community ties. Our unique location provides students with instant access to expansive green spaces and forests, benefitting both physical and mental well-being during this time of rapid development. Learners are outdoors at least 2 hours each day; often more.
The tranquility of the Presidio fosters focus and relaxation, while frequent field trips to nearby museums, historical sites, and cultural institutions enrich students’ learning experiences. Artists leave their mark through temporary exhibitions – from Andy Goldsworthy’s Spire, Wood Line, Tree Fall, and Earth Wall quartet to the colorful murals and banners at Presidio Tunnel Tops made by community artists. Other Presidio institutions include The Walt Disney Family Museum where kids and adults can take art workshops, Arion Press where you can pick up a hand-made book or attend an author talk, or Tides Converge which has two free public art galleries.
Our commitment to community is seamlessly integrated into the curriculum through partnerships with local organizations like the Presidio Trust and the Surfrider Foundation. The Presidio is a place for creative expression, where artists, community groups, and performers of all kinds give life to their diverse stories.
Despite its serene setting, the Presidio remains well-connected to the city via public transportation and carpooling options, ensuring that students are never isolated from urban experiences. At Brightworks, our location is not just a backdrop—it's a dynamic part of our holistic, project-based educational approach that prepares students to thrive in an ever-changing world.
the land
We recognize that while we gather at SF Brightworks located within the Presidio, we concurrently gather on the unceded ethno-historic tribal territory of the original people of San Francisco: the Ramaytush, whom are the direct descendants of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area.
As a learning community and guests upon these occupied lands, Brightworks and its extended and immediate communities are committed to honor, uphold and respect the past, present and future of the Ramaytush-Ohlone people.
To learn more about the Presidio and its history, please visit:
Recent history about the building:
In 2011, the building was restored and awarded a gold certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
“Built in 1902, the two-story, wood-frame barracks received a complete rehabilitation. The building is not only designed "green," but looks the part as well with a new "living" roof planted atop a conference room. The outside walls are draped in bougainvillea, which provide an efficient and natural form of insulation. The building's interior features ornate, pressed metal ceilings, an unusual system of supporting beams, detailed cast-iron columns, fireplaces and mantels and the original staircase and railings, all of which were preserved during the rehabilitation, as was its stately facade.
“It served as home to the cavalry soldiers who trained at the Presidio in the early part of the century, before they shipped out to fight the war in the Philippines; and later to protect California's newly created national parks, Yosemite and Kings Canyon. In the years since the Army left the Presidio, the barracks has served as "swing space" for several San Francisco schools while their permanent buildings were being remodeled or constructed.”
