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Environmental Science Program of Newton

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Ages: 7 - 10th grade by September 2023
Dates: Wednesday, July 5th to Thursday August 3rd, 2023
Requirements: students should have sturdy, over-the-ankle boots, and be able to participate in hiking and vigorous outdoor activities. If choosing bicycle trips, a working bicycle and helmet are necessary.
 
The Environmental Science Program is a unique month-long outdoor program that lets students enjoy the wilderness while learning about the science of the environment.
 
The Program takes students who will be going into grades 7 - 10 in the Fall.  Highlights of the program include walking trips, bicycle trips, T trips to science landmarks in Boston, a 12-mile canoeing adventure on the Charles River, an expedition through the salt marshes of the North shore near Gloucester, and hikes in Massachusetts and New Hampshire such as the Blue Hills Reservation and Mount Monadnock. The Program ends with an exhilarating three-day backpacking trip up Mount Washington, the highest peak in the northeast, which includes a two-night stay at the AMC Lake of the Clouds hut. If students do not have a frame-pack, the Program can provide one. Equipment and clothing lists will be available on the Program’s website.
 
The Program centers around the idea that students learn best about their surroundings when taught by other students in the specific environment. To do this, leaders develop science workshops for each location to teach to students during daily trips. Topics include geology, botany, ecology, wildlife, the water cycle, pollution, forest succession, climate change, and conservation.
 
Each year, the Program collaborates with an expert to participate in a hands-on environmental cleanup project. These have included trail improvements at Sawmill Brook Parkway, removing invasive species near Auburndale Cove, and an outdoor plant and tree cleanup at City Hall.
 
Many students apply to become leaders when they reach the eligible age. Alums of the Environmental Science Program have gone on to study forestry and oceanography, teach science in Minnesota, and study evolutionary biology in a PhD program at Cornell.
 
This year, the Program will start on Wednesday, July 5th and will end on Thursday August 3rd, 2023. The Program is based at Bowen Elementary School in Newton Centre. A typical day runs from 9:00am to 4:00pm but hours may vary depending on the daily trips. Families are notified in advance of any days on which times or locations differ.
 
Full tuition for the session will be $2,345 for Newton residents, $2,395 for non-residents. A non-refundable deposit of $250.00 is due at the time of registration.  Scholarships are available for residents that qualify.
 
You can find more information and photos of trips at our website: newtonenvisci.org
 
For more information, email  envisci@newtonma.gov
or by phone 617-796-1522
 

EnviSci Mt. Washington, 2021!

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