AWSNA Publications Moves to the Research Institute for Waldorf Education

May 2013

The Research Institute for Waldorf Education (RIWE) is taking on the publications arm of the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA). As of August 1st, books and other resources for teachers produced by AWSNA Publications will be handled by RIWE.

Patrice Maynard, who for the past nine years served as AWSNA’s Leader of Outreach and Development, has been appointed to a new position of Director of Publications and Development at RIWE. RIWE has created a new publications committee to assist Maynard with her responsibilities of selecting and publishing new titles as well as managing the existing inventory.

Maynard takes over many of the tasks previously held by David Mitchell. As founding Chair of AWSNA Publications, Mitchell pioneered the production of Waldorf books, pamphlets, flyers, and science teaching kits for nearly three decades. Until his death last summer, Mitchell was also Co-Director of RIWE along with Douglas Gerwin, who in light of these changes has been appointed to a new position of Executive Director.

In separate board meetings earlier this month, the trustees of both AWSNA and RIWE voted to endorse the general terms of this transition. Daily operations concerning publications, including online sales, will continue to be managed out of Maynard’s office in Chatham, NY, while administrative tasks will be handled as before by RIWE’s headquarters in Wilton, NH.

At a time when research on child development and education is underscoring the effectiveness of the Waldorf approach, RIWE is looking forward to this new configuration as an opportunity to bring research about Waldorf education more widely into the academic, scientific, and the cultural mainstream. For AWSNA, this move will allow greater focus on services to the member schools in order to meet the needs of the growing circle of Waldorf schools and institutes.

Both RIWE and AWSNA remain committed to continuing their collaboration in support of Waldorf education.