Noa Jones is the founder of Middle Way School, an independent progressive school in Saugerties.
Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu. At one point in June of 2020, not long after George Floyd s murder, a parent suggested that we change the language of a Buddhist prayer that has been recited around the globe for millennia. It means
may all beings be happy and free. Every morning at the Middle Way School, our students are invited to open their hearts, summon up their best wishes, and send good vibes out to the world while reciting it in Sanskrit. It s a universal sentiment. You may have chanted it in yoga class.
This summer marks 18 years that Wild Earth will get kids outdoors in the Hudson Valley. At Wild Earth, all of the senses are engaged as campers meet local plants and animals, learn wilderness skills, create natural crafts, and build deep connections with friends and inspiring adult and teen mentors. Guided by patterns we ve observed in nature, we begin each day by gathering in the woods through songs, expressing gratitude, and finding new ways to play. We form smaller groups and set up camp in the forest by building fire pits and shelters. Our instructors tailor activities to the interests of the campers, fostering curiosity and guiding learning through skillful questions, opportunities for appropriate risk-taking and empowering challenges.
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Using the Hudson River as a natural lab for learning, Clarkson’s Beacon Institute connects local students to STEM activities. In the US, jobs in the fields of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) have a supply and demand problem. Due to an array of trends, including the creation of new types of jobs that require STEM skills and lower graduation rates for STEM degrees, there are currently too many jobs and not enough qualified candidates to fill them. This issue was the crux of the last two reports on the state of STEM education from the President s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), published in 2018 and 2012. As both reports acknowledge, the solution isn t as simple as just getting more college students to stick with majors in STEM though that does certainly help.
From utilizing their imagination in the woods with friends to learning to care for gentle giants at an equine nonprofit, Summer in the Hudson Valley is a great time for kids, even during a pandemic!