Programs

My Side of the Village

9-12+ year olds - Monday, 9:15am - 2:15pm

(Replaces previous Farm/Kinesthetics/Math program)

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live off the land like Sam Gribley? Are you interested in exploring the natural habitats of the OC village, its plants and animals? This program will use the My Side of the Mountain series of books by Jean Craighead George to explore such activities as building shelters, finding and preparing food, making clothes and tools, reading weather patterns, tracking animals, building simple machines (Sam got a water wheel working again) and caring for our natural environment. All of this wonder can be found in our own backyard at the OCV. Other ideas for projects include: learning to can and preserve foods for the winter; developing a letter boxing project; analyzing the water quality of the ponds; building a habitat for birds and butterflies outside the Barn; hosting a luncheon for our families using foods foraged from the OCV grounds. (Have you ever had dandelion fritters? They are delicious!) Special guests may include a French ethnobotonist and foraging expert, a medical herbalist (What is available on the land that can heal us?), an astronomer, a meteorologist, a stream ecologist, a falconer and an animal rehabilitator. (Book 3, Frightful's Mountain, talks about the rehabilitation and repopulation of birds of prey).

Each week the day will start with a reading from the three books (in sequence), and then the youth will head outside to explore the different concepts and survival skills highlighted in the books. They will also keep personal journals (as Sam did during his time alone in the wilderness). We won't be copying Sam's life, but we will be enjoying his adventures and using them to inspire our own explorations in the natural environment of the OCV. Chris McNichol (lead facilitator) brings a strong interest and expertise in woodworking to this program, so youth will have ample time to create and construct projects in the woodshop. A love of the outdoors in all types of weather is a must!

$2,625/year
Registration | Tuition

Back to programs for ages: 4-5 | 6-7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17+