Fall 26 – Spring 27
Enrollment opens in March
Daily opportunities to build social, emotional, academic, and wilderness skills. Mentors offer engaging projects each day, with a wide variety of choices for different ages and abilities. Projects range from nature based crafts, to wild food processing and cooking on the fire, learning math through games and Montessori inspired lessons, science experiments, wilderness and naturalist skills including shelter building, knot tying, bird language, tracking, and more.
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What is Self Directed Learning
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Just a few of the benefits of a self-directed, nature-based learning environment:
• Whole child development
• Increased fine and gross motor skills
• Increased language and communication skills
• Integrative approach to incorporating academic subjects
• Self-directed: based on participant interests and observations
• Practice regulating one’s own behavior
• Increase competence in social interactions and collaborative skills
• Development of problem solving skills and independent thinking
• Curriculum is not pre-scripted but instead inspired through nature-based play and skill building
• Deepening relationship with the more than human world
We wanted to say a massive thank you for camp! The kids had such a wonderful time and learned a lot. They have been telling us things they learned about crows and fires, and we have observed an increased sense of confidence and independence in both kids.
Our child has had so many experiences that could not be gotten anywhere else from learning the tanning process for animal hides to starting a fire with just a flint and steel and of course making tea from autumn berries, and so many more!
Our children have experienced interactions with other children of all ages that would not have been possible for us outside of White Ash. They have learned healthy boundaries and the importance of communicating with their peers.
Winter camp really helped us break out of a rut and open our eyes again to possibility.
My 3 year old made leaps and bounds when it came to her personal space and the space of her friends during her first year. I regularly see her use phrases that I know her mentors have taught her to convey what she needs to other children her age.
There is always something they come back talking about whether it’s something the built in the woods, a whittled stick or learning how to make beeswax torches.
We love the Deer Isle summer camp, the kids love camping out and attending the program during the day. This past summer they really enjoyed bringing a pot and a bunch of ramen and cooking lunch over the fire for everyone in the program!
It’s amazing and is helping my child blossom, hands down.
White Ash Learning has enabled my child to be in a social learning environment while not being confined to a classroom and allows her to focus on the things she loves.
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