Homeschool and Homeschool Discovery Days

Registration for Fall 2023 programs will open Tuesday, June 13. 

REGISTER HERE

A note about registration: Many of our programs fill quickly, so we highly recommend registering on the waiting list. We go to this list first if a space opens up. And by adding your name, you can help us better plan for the programs that are in high demand.

FALL 2023 HOMESCHOOL SERIES

Homeschool I: Magnificent Mammals

With Lauren Dausch
Grades 1-3, Ages 6-8
Tuesdays, 10:00 am -2:00 pm
September 12 – December 5 (No program September 26, November 21, and December 12 for Discovery Days and November 7 for Curriculum Day)
Tier A: $781 | Tier B: $651 | Tier C: $553 | Tier D: $423
Limited to 12 participants 

What are mammals and why are they unique? Are all mammal life cycles the same? What roles do different mammals play in our local ecosystems? This fall we will study a variety of local mammals and learn about their behavior. Together we’ll interact with the land around us as we utilize outdoor play, hands-on activities, journaling, songs, and more to enhance our understanding and knowledge of our incredible local mammal friends!

Homeschool II: Outdoor Skills and Exploration

With Jeff Mazur
Grades 4-6, Ages 9-12
Tuesdays, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
September 12 – December 5  (No program September 26, November 21, and December 12 for Discovery Days and November 7 for Curriculum Day)
Tier A: $781 | Tier B: $651 | Tier C: $553 | Tier D: $423
Limited to 12 participants (if over enrolled, we may open a second class on Thursdays)

Join us as we explore the woods of Hampshire College Campus and other beautiful areas in and around Amherst. During this series, we will build our wilderness skills and overcome challenges together. As we enter into our own survival story, we will need to develop skills to help us to survive, such as,  orienteering, fire building, shelter making, plant identification, tracking, and more! This class will also have time built in for free play, journal time to reflect on our experiences and organized games. For this class there may be drop off and pick up locations at the Hitchcock Center, or within a 20 minute drive from the Center.

Fall Homeschool Discovery Days

Patterns in Nature
Instructor TBD
September 26, 10 am – 2 pm
Grades 1-6, Ages 6-12
Tier A: $79 | Tier B: $66 | Tier C: $56 | Tier D: $43
Limited to 12 participants

What do a fiddlehead, DNA, and a hurricane all have in common? They’re all spirals! Many other patterns and designs are common throughout nature, and today we’ll study them and look for examples in nature.

Owl-ology
Instructor TBD
November 21, 10 am – 2 pm
Grades 1-6, Ages 6-12
Tier A: $79 | Tier B: $66 | Tier C: $56 | Tier D: $43
Limited to 12 participants

Who, who, who will we be studying this discovery day? Owls! We will learn all about owls, play owl games, practice our owl calls and even dissect some pellets. Get your silent wings on and fly on over!

Following the fossils
Instructor TBD
December 12, 10 am – 2 pm
Grades 1-6, Ages 6-12
Tier A: $79 | Tier B: $66 | Tier C: $56 | Tier D: $43
Limited to 12 participants

How can we learn about the amazing animals and plants that lived in the Connecticut Valley hundreds, thousands, and even millions of years ago? By following the fossils! To find these fabulous fossils, we’ll visit the Beneski Museum and explore its collections.

Fees

Out of a strong commitment to improve access to our programs we are now offering a sliding scale fee structure aimed to provide greater flexibility in choosing a price that is right for you and your family.

• Tier A: The fee is set 15% higher than what it costs to run the program and helps to support those who cannot afford the full cost of the program.
• Tier B: The fee is set to cover 100% of the program costs.
• Tier C: The fee is set at 15% less than what it costs to run the program.
• Tier D: This fee is set at 35% less than what it costs to run the program. This option is available for EBT, WIC, and Connector Care participants, that is, households receiving benefits through the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance and the Massachusetts Health Connector.

Cancellation policy

Cancellation policy for Hitchcock’s seasonal programs: You may cancel your registration for any of our programs up to a week prior to the program’s start date to receive a refund minus a 10% administrative fee.  If you cancel within 7 days or less of the program’s start date, we cannot offer a refund unless we are able to fill your spot in the program.

COVID-19 Safety

Read our complete COVID-19 Program Participant Guidelines.

Our programs are designed to be fun and engaging and above all safe. The COVID-19 program guidelines are designed to help protect everyone as we meet the strict health and safety requirements of the CDC and our state. Please take the time to read the information thoroughly. If you feel that you or your child(ren) cannot follow these guidelines, we ask that you wait until these restrictions have been lifted to join one of our programs or events. We may change our guidelines to reflect new guidance from CDC and Massachusetts.