By Julie Johnson
This is a challenging time for the field of environmental education. It’s no longer enough for environmental centers to help people learn about the natural world and the ecological systems that support life. The potentially devastating consequences of humans’ actions on the environment make it urgent for educators to seek out new approaches. These must be aimed at helping people understand the natural and human communities in which they live, their interconnection and interdependence, and the fact that we all have the ability to make contributions to change.
By Ted Watt
Fourteen teachers from Holyoke, Ludlow, Whately, Northampton and further afield, participated in a twelve-hour training on the integration of science and arts to meet instructional goals and standards identified for teachers in grades K-8. The training, funded in part by the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, introduced teachers to the steps in the engineering design process, something that carries a high profile in the new 2013 MA Science and Technology/Engineering Standards.
Many years ago, Josia Gertz DeChiara was a camper at the Hitchcock Center, climbing trees and playing in mud puddles. Her fascination with the magical inner workings of plants drew her to study molecular ecology at Hampshire College, where she is now a sophomore.
22News
It’s one of the highest honors in arts and entertainment in Massachusetts. The Commonwealth Awards only take place every two years, and they highlight some of the best and brightest across the state in the field of the arts.
By Patty O’DOnnell
The Hitchcock Center is excited to announce that, in partnership with Enchanted Circle Theater (ECT), it is receiving a prestigious 2015 Commonwealth Award. Presented every two years by the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC), the Commonwealth Awards shine a spotlight on the extraordinary contributions made by the arts, sciences, and humanities to education, economic vitality, and quality of life in communities across the state.
Going Green, a Recorder Publication
The conversation was about more than simply finding a bigger home. Any new building, Johnson says, “needs to be an extension of our mission.” Given Hitchcock’s emphasis on education, the organization was determined that its expansion project not only be environmentally responsible and sustainable, but also serve as a model for a new kind of approach to building. To do that, Hitchcock’s leaders decided to take the Living Building Challenge.
By David Spector
I have enjoyed seeing whales on many whale-watch boats, but I find a special pleasure in my own sightings from land. Over years of visiting Cape Cod beaches, especially Herring Cove and Race Point, in the fall, winter and early spring, I have identified the same species that I’ve seen from boat trips in New England waters: North Atlantic right whale, humpback whale, fin whale, minke whale, Atlantic white-sided dolphin and harbor porpoise.
Press Release Hitchcock Center
The Hitchcock Center for the Environment (HCE), in partnership with Enchanted Circle Theater (ECT), announces that on February 24, 2015 it will be receiving a prestigious 2015 Commonwealth Award. Presented every two years by the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC), the Commonwealth Awards shine a spotlight on the extraordinary contributions made by the arts, sciences, and humanities to education, economic vitality, and quality of life in communities across the state. The Hitchcock Center in partnership with the ECT won the award for an individual, school, or cultural organization that has successfully fused learning in the arts with science, technology, engineering, and math – STEM to STEAM (the addition of the ”A” stands for arts). The award honors a unique collaboration between Hitchcock and ECT to deepen students’ understanding of science and the arts in the Holyoke Public Schools.
Daily Hampshire Gazette
Since the green building movement took off in the United States in the past two decades, Massachusetts has become a leading state in embracing the practice of environmentally friendly, energy-‐efficient construction. And the Pioneer Valley demonstrates the success of green building in an array of residential, commercial and institutional projects.
Share this page with friends!
Hitchcock Center for the Environment
at Hampshire College
845 West Street | Amherst MA 01002 | 413.256.6006 | 413.253.2809 fax