Maine Local Living School
nurturing the human-earth relationship
Day-Long School Programs
For School or Homeschool Groups
"Our public school has worked with Maine Local Living School for more than a decade-- via field trips and in-school programming. Foraging, planting, making herbal teas, bowls, twine, utensils and bread from acorns...the activity itself is only one layer of the learning. While deftly interweaving songs and stories, Chris nudges everyone beyond the instruction in new and practical skills, to think about and engage with their place in the earth community.
- Tracy Williams, Mallet School Principal
Day-long programs in place-based and nature-based skills and experiences
Location: At your school or at Maine Local Living School campus
Group Size: Our max group size for an interactive presentation is 50 students. For handwork and more involved outdoor projects our max group size is 24.
Duration: Programs are day-long. For larger schools we divide the day into three learning blocks of roughly 1.5 hours each. In some instances we work with one class or a smaller grade for the whole day
Goal: To inspire this reaction: “Wow, this place I live--my schoolyard, and backyard--are full of of amazing gifts: real food, sources of warmth and shelter, and homes for other unique beings such as animals, bugs, plants and trees. I am in relation to all these beings, I am part of an earth community!!”
Methods:
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Hands-on work with local foods: shelling dry-corn off the cob, grinding cornmeal, shelling beans, cracking and processing acorns.
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Outdoor cooking with local foods.
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Plant and tree identification, observation, and appreciation
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Story and Song
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Wild Gathering: wild edibles, wild teas, plant fibers, roots for sewing bark bracelets and baskets
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Shelter building
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Making safe fire from found materials, making fire with friction
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Weaving with local materials
Custom Programs: We are happy to focus on a particular lesson that complements your classroom instruction.
Cost: $550 per day plus mileage for programs at your school, $800 per day for programs at the MLLS campus
We are striving for financial accessibility of our programs; our Financial Aid Request form can be found here.
“Maine Local Living School inspires and supports our efforts for place based education at Kingfield Elementary School. Mr. Chris, our favorite guest educator, facilitates experiences for our students, such as making flour from acorns, shelter building, making medicinal pine tea, local winter food, maple sugaring, and brown ash basketry. These experiences are intricately integrated into our curriculum, and they connect our students to the place in which they live. Mr. Chris’ teaching style is rooted in gratitude for our place and all it provides for us. His storytelling and songs engage students in content and spark wonder, curiosity, inquiry, and appreciation for all living things.
- Selina Warren, Kingfield Elementary School
"Thank you for coming to our school today. The students were mesmerized and encouraged to live an ecologically friendly lifestyle...They love the demonstration of fire and the satisfaction of making rope. We determined as a team of teachers that your presentation was our top priority when discussing field trips and special functions."
- Fifth grade teacher, Albert S. Hall School
