Venture Learning
Where Nature is a Master Teacher...
This series of programs is for homeschooled students in grades K-8, M-F from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Developed to aid homeschool families who would like more educational support than provided by our stand alone classes. We are offering one summer program and four consecutive, independent school year programs.
Children will get dirty. They will take physical risks. They will have fun. They will learn.
For much of each day we'll be relying upon a Nature-Based model. This model has several important characteristics. The goal is to educate children in developmentally appropriate ways and to teach environmental stewardship, by helping children build authentic, meaningful connections to the natural world. This approach supports children in all domains: physical, social-environmental, and cognitive. To this end, we plan to spend at least 30% of our time outside each day, in all weather, as long as it is safe to do so. Many of our explorations will be keyed into what children will directly observe outside. Students will learn to make observations, ask questions, and begin to take initiative in their own learning. Academic goals will be individualized, and mastery based. We will explore projects, allowing students to individualize the focus of their explorations. Language Arts, and Music will be linked to our project themes.
One of our goals is to create a community of families learning together. Toward this end each project will conclude with some sort of family event and we will have several family events, outside of regular class time, which will enhance your child's learning. While attendance is not required, it is strongly encouraged as it functions as a capstone to the work the children will be doing.
We will often take field trips to local parks. This may require parents to drop off and pick up at the field trip location. Occasionally, we will need a parent to help out chaperoning.
Worldview: Our goal is to teach the children 'Kindness and Respect for all living things and their work.' This flows from our personal worldview as Christians. This is not a specifically Christian program; all spiritual paths are respected. But, God is present in everything we do. The children will see Christian imagery. While we will not be quoting Scripture, the worldview pervades our teaching, as does Science and the Arts.
This program will be led by a group of dedicated mentor guides, with varied backgrounds and specialities, all with current clearances.
Health precautions - students should wear masks if it is desired by you, their parents, but we will not be enforcing social distancing or mask-wearing. Students will be encouraged to keep their hands to themselves (unless a particular activity demands otherwise), surfaces in common areas will be disinfected frequently, and hand sanitizer/soap and water will be available. Children who feel ill, have a fever or who have been in contact with someone who tested positive for any serious illness in the last 5 days should not attend class.
