the CNTK

The Childhood and Youth Educational Program at CNTK will provide the following services during its first year of operation:

Home Schooling Program

The CNTK will provide regular programs in wildlife education, agricultural education, cultural geography, life science, earth science, and practical skills for children from preschool through grade eight.  The Home Schooling Program will be divided into four levels: Early Childhood (4 to 5 years old), Lower Elementary (6 to 9 years old), Upper Elementary (9 to 12 years old), and Middle School (12 to 15 years old).

The Home Schooling Program will be designed as follows: 

Each group will have approximately two to three half days per week available for on site education; for example, the Early Childhood program may run from 9 AM to 12 PM on Mondays and Fridays, Lower Elementary may meet from 9 AM to 12 PM on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, Upper Elementary may meet from 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.  The Middle School program, as it is different in content and design and would not occupy the same space, could overlap with these times.  Families would be able to enroll in the full Home Schooling Program for their child’s age group, or sign up for individual “courses;” for example, in the Lower Elementary program, one hour per week in a ten-week semester may be devoted to a course called “Sun and Earth,” in which students would learn about the interaction between the earth and the sun.

Families sign up for the Home Schooling Program or individual courses on a semester basis.  There are four semesters per academic year:  Fall (September-November), Festival (December), Winter (January-March) and Spring (April-June).  A sample of course offerings for one age level is below.

Fall Semester Home Schooling Program- Lower Elementary

Creation Stories

Students will explore, through dramatic storytelling and presentations, stories of the Creation of the Universe from around the world.  These stories will include both the current Big Bang theory and traditional myths.  In our coverage of the Big Bang, students will become acquainted with basic properties of matter.  Our exploration of the Creation will move on from there to include stories of the Creation of the Earth and of humans.  Students will engage in many levels of follow-up work, including designing scientific demonstrations, making artistic representations of creation stories, and performing Great Story dramas.

Viva Los Vertebrates!

This beginning study of biological classification starts with an introduction to the difference between plants and animals, moves on to distinguishing vertebrates from invertebrates, and then moves on to study, from real-life observation, the body parts and vital functions of the five classes of vertebrates: mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and fish. 

Nature Songs, Poetry and Writer’s Workshop

Each workshop will begin with both new and memorized songs and poems that relate to the natural world.  Then, time will be given for children to write and draw from their outdoor observations of nature.  Students will meet and share their work, and learn principles of constructive feedback, as well as the basics of writing mechanics.

Geometry In Nature

Geometry is everywhere.  Students will begin by learning the basic concepts of solid, line, and point, going out into nature to find allegorical representations of these.  From there, we will learn about different types of lines and shapes and observe them in the outdoor environment. 

Putting Food By

This practical skill class teaches students how people through the ages have preserved their fall harvest for the winter.  Students will learn techniques such as canning, pickling, making preserves, drying, and smoking with crops harvested from the on-site gardens.

Sustainable Living for Young Teens

The Sustainable Living program for young teens program teaches agriculture, wildlife conservation, wilderness survival, community service, and economics to students aged 12 to 15.  These students work with expert mentors in order to learn to live and farm in harmony with nature, and create products that can bring income and provide a service to the community.  This program will include basic sustainable building, farming, and fiber arts practices as well as opportunities to engage with the local marketplace.  Homeschooled students can engage in this program on weekdays; workshop versions of these programs will be available on weekends.

Overnight Camps

Weekly overnight camps for middle and high school students, both from the local area and from urban areas, will provide a context for learning wilderness skills, storytelling, and Native American traditions.

After School Programs

The CNTK will provide a setting for after school “clubs” for children from local public, private, and parochial schools in such engaging fields of study as archaeology, fiber arts, gardening and agriculture, and wilderness awareness.  The Center will also have an on site sustainable youth center to provide a wholesome place for teens to gather after school hours. 

Weekend Workshops