Elementary Outreach partners with the Williamstown Elementary School to fund K – 4th grade programs with Outside In. The success of the school garden is a testament to the enjoyment of plant and nature-based learning by the students, teachers, and parents. From the Outside In website:
“Outside In offers a unique opportunity to bring specialized science education into the classroom. Each class provides hands-on, minds-on, inquiry-based experience pertaining to the plant world. Programs are grade appropriate from pre-school through fourth grade and can be customized to integrate science into the language arts, social studies, and math curriculum. All programs are linked to the Massachusetts Frameworks for Science and Technology.”
Elementary Outreach partnered with HooRWA (Hoosic River Watershed Association) in the winter and spring of 2009 to bring an artist and scientist river unit to the 2nd grades at Greylock Elementary School. For this program, Williams students served as the scientists and taught the children about river science, including trips to the river by the school. Also, artist Ann Kremers shared her expertise to help the children with various art projects based on the river science concepts they were learning. The program involved weekly classroom visits by the artist and scientists during the winter and spring. The elementary students’ artwork was displayed at Riverfest in May.
During the 2009-2010 school year and again in 2010-2011, Elementary Outreach partnered with CET (Center for Ecological Technology) to bring Energy Day to Williamstown Elementary School’s 6th grade. Energy conservation curriculum and home / school energy investigations are the focus of learning for the 6th grade students.
Stephanie Boyd, Director of Sustainability at Williams College, kicked off the day with inspirational words about how students use energy and why saving energy is important. Students spent the remainder of the morning attending hands-on workshops focusing on energy efficiency, heat transfer and solar energy. In the afternoon they toured the school to learn about energy use and then met in their classrooms to brainstorm actions to save energy and resources. At the end of the day, students convened in the auditorium to share their ideas and recommendations. Williams students assisted with the workshops. The study of energy culminated with the 6th grade visiting the wind turbine at Jiminy Peak.
