Beginning in September 2014 my three
and five-year-old sons will embark on a new journey on 40 acres of forest in
Litchfield County, CT. Our program is Eastern Woodland Learning, and our goal
is to provide children with the environment, resources, and liberty to nurture their innate curiosity, fascination and joy. As native people long have done, they will
be learning about nature while in nature.
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My name is Steinen Hurtado, and I am the mother of four boys. For the
past six years, my children have attended several different schools in
Connecticut as we have searched for a good fit for each. Montessori works for
our seven-year old, who is interested in tracing shapes and labeling maps of
South America. Traditional and even progressive schooling has not been a good
fit for our second and third children, who take every opportunity to run off,
play with sticks and stomp around in the woods. To serve their penchant
for physical learning, I designed an educational model that is radically
different from what is locally available. It honors their exuberance for the
outdoors and nurtures their practical wisdom. So was born Eastern Woodland
Learning.
As we venture into this new endeavor, we are incorporating many of the
principles of the Forest Kindergarten model established in Europe.
These programs give children considerable independence and unstructured
time to make connections with the environment and one another. We are
also exploring deeply
the cultural encounter between indigenous and colonial people through
handicrafts and primitive skill building. While we are erecting a heated tent and will
have a composting toilet, the built facilities are intended as more of a home
base than a classroom. The children will come to know the rhythms of
Mother Earth from daily discovery of the Eastern Woodlands themselves.
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Your donation will enable us to fine-tune
our model during the 2014-5 school year and expand the program to
include more children. Our start-up costs include but
are not limited to the following:
- Teacher
salaries
- Scholarships for families in financial need
- Field
trips to local parks, wilderness areas, and recreation facilities
- Professional
development for teachers and staff
- A
library of field guides and nature-based children’s books
- A blog documenting our learning
Please join us in creating a new
type of learning experience grounded in nature and ancient wisdom.
For more information, please visit easternwoodlandlearning.org
Suggested Reading:
"Let Kids Run Wild in the Woods" by
Emma Marris
"The Backyard Revolution: How Native Plants Can Save
Children and Other Endangered Species" by Richard Louv
"The Overprotected Kid" by Hanna Rosin
