Fall Program Slate
The Rewilding School
​
In recent years, we’ve seen an uptick in interest and engagement in the wonderful outdoors that surround us, and we want to help the children and families of Westchester to better explore these options in a safe environment that is both educational and connective..
In 2016 our founder, Eric Stone, decided to offer something different - a program that offers education through hands-on, all outdoor experiences. What has resulted is beyond our wildest imaginations. Kids are learning how to exercise independence and a connection to that which surrounds us. Since we began, our team has worked tirelessly to provide individual support, education, and play to the next generation. The following images showcase some of my personal favorite moments from the last six months, and on the next page I’ll describe our range of programs and some of the great things parents have to say about our work.
Rewilding is a concept borrowed from scientific literature. It means to reintroduce wild elements of an ecosystem that have been removed from that system. The first step towards creating a healthier environment, one where we are part of the habitats we live in, is to Rewild ourselves. We must recognize how people have been a force for good for thousands of years and we must heal our relationship with the land. Will you join us?
Our Land Partnerships
As part of our commitment to reciprocity, The Rewilding School partners with local nonprofit and governmental conservation organizations to use lands that these organizations care for to teach our programs. When we enter an agreement with our organization, we commit to donating 10% of the revenue we receive from programs at that location back to the care of the land and the conservation work of the organization. Over the life of the organization, this has allowed us to direct over $100,000 back to conservation in our area.
​
If you want to know more about our awesome conservation partners, follow these links below!
Forest Preschool
Our flagship Forest Preschool is unique in its approach to education. Our dedicated team of teachers come from a cross-section of naturalist and educational backgrounds. This combination of skills lets the teachers spend their days preparing their kids for life with play and nature based approaches that are not possible in a traditional classroom. Our half-day programs include forest exploration, wildlife and plant identification, Social and Emotional Learning, early literacy work, and most importantly direct and intimate socialization with same-aged peers in a safely structured and heavily expressive environment.
Our Fall Programs
Wildlings & Wild Ones
We believe that nature education and stewardship is a lifelong pursuit, and starts from birth. That’s why we offer programs starting from 10 months old, with a focus on exposure, play, and collaborative learning in a natural space. Both our Wild Ones program and Wildlings program caregiver/child, so the two participants can learn and bond together in the space while meeting like-minded friends and growing a connection the natural world that will last a lifetime. We encourage even our youngest explorers to enjoy the forest and fields through fairy house construction, campfire cooking, bug study, and more!
Nature Club
The traditional education system is a necessary one, but each child deserves to experience more than just the four walls of a classroom as they learn. Our Nature Club is an afterschool program designed to give our kids a chance to decompress after the school day, connect to peers who also love the outdoors and give participants access to fishing, foraging, firemaking and shelter construction. If your child is passionate about science, nature, or survival, this is a great way to give them access to supplemental education in ways that don't feel like school.
Weekend Hunter Gatherers
Some kids connect with sports, others connect with music or art. For kids who connect with nature, our Weekend Hunter Gatherers lets them dive into adventure every weekend. We teach our standard basket of firemaking, shelter building, foraging and exploration, and take it to the next level with stealth games, earth-based crafts, and seasonal specialties like foraging. If your child wants the fun of summer camp, it can continue all through the year.
Archery
One of the best ways to integrate the outdoors in your life is to build skills and abilities within the space, and Archery is a great way to do so. We offer youth programs where your child can learn alongside peers with a USA Archery Certified coach. Gary is full of knowledge and experience both on and off the range, and for families interested we offer caregiver-child classes as well.
ROOTS Program
We teach on the un-ceded and traditional homelands of both the Lenni Lenape and Wappinger peoples. As we work on these lands, we acknowledge the historical and continuing injustices that have forcibly excluded these people from their lands. We also acknowledge that colonialism and systemic injustices have given our organization and leadership unequal privilege to access these lands and the knowledge and skills we teach. These systemic injustices are not just in the past, but also continue to happen today for peoples of Indigenous, Black, Hispanic/Latine, and Asian descent.
The Rewilding School is committed to reparative actions that build true community around connection to the land for all people, especially those harmed by settler-colonialism.
We offer a Reparative Roots program for adults and teens of BIPOC communities to explore ancestral skills like foraging, fire making, shelter building, fishing, tracking, crafting, spoon carving, survival techniques, archery, and more.
