A Letter
Hey friends,
I’ve been thinking about opening a kids program for a while now, and it finally feels like the time is right.
I’ve taught people ages 4- 70 outside for years now and I really miss having a consistent weekly class with kids- building fires, cooking together, wandering forests, making things with our hands, and learning from the land. I love being witness to watching children grow in community and with the earth.
This fall, I’m considering starting a small forest based kids program, and I’m taking a pulse of the community to see if there is enough availability and interest to make it happen!
This is my first season offering it here, and since I’m putting this out a little later than typical registration season, I’m approaching it as a bit of a trial year- seeing if there’s need.
Let me know, and spread the word please!!
Coleen
A day in Nature School
This is an all- weather, fully outdoor program. Rain, snow, cold, hot- we’ll be outside in it all. We will we always have a shelter and a fire.
Our days will include:
fire making, gratitude, song, tool use, carving, cooking over the fire, naturalist studies seasonal awareness, sensory awareness, fiber arts and wet felting, hunting knowledge and hide tanning, as well as lots of play and free time.
I care immensely about peer mentoring, especially in mixed- age groups. Some of the richest learning happens when older kids help younger ones, and when kids practicing communicating and being with each other.
Age: 6- 13
Location: Stannard/ Wheelock (final location TBD)
Schedule: Thursdays 9am-3pm (if this class fills- which I hope it does- I can open a Wednesday class too!!)
Dates: September 7-December 7 (12 weeks total, with Thanksgiving week off and two other weeks TBD)
Cost: $600
Email me with interest: closetotheskin@gmail.com
This program will run if there’s enough interest, so please reach out if it feels like a fit- and feel free to share with others who may be excited too.
A little about me
I’ve been teaching outdoor and nature-based education for over a decade and have worked with children in wilderness settings in a variety of places.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies with an emphasis in nature-based education.
I have taught with programs including The Wilderness Awareness School in Washington State (one of the primary primitive skills schools in the US), as well as Ageya wilderness program in Alaska that is no longer. And I taught for a number of years at Bread and Butter Farm with their Village School Program, as well as through my own business Close to the Skin, at local libraries and nature schools.
I’m really into hide tanning, hunting, fiber arts, cooking over fire and helping young people build confidence in their communication and kindness. I’m really into free time, and allowing kids the freedom to find what sparks their interest and giving them the opportunity to follow that passion.
Future Ideas
If there is enough interest I’d love to explore a teen wilderness programs- where we meet once a month for an overnight- let me know if thats of interest!
I’m also very interest in building outdoor lunches into this curriculum- where I provide the food and the kids and I cook it over fire together. This food would include wild rice, hunted and local meat, as well as local fruits, veggies, and dairy. Again let me know the interest! If that is something that aligns with you I’d have to build that into the budget.
Interested?
