The RMSC Cumming Nature Center (CNC) is looking for at least four more students to complete The Walden Project-NY enrollment for this fall.
The Walden Project-NY is a full-time outdoor education program for high school seniors and gap year students that is inspired by the teachings and writings of Henry David Thoreau. Based at the CNC in Naples, the program provides an opportunity for interdisciplinary education in an outdoor setting with an emphasis on academic independence and freedom.
“I feel so lucky to be part of this program. Every day, I watch young people challenge themselves, solve problems in their communities, engage with big ideas, and have meaningful experiences that they’ll remember forever. I can say, without hesitation, that this educational model works,” said Andy Webster, Lead Teacher at The Walden Project-NY. Based on 17 years of data from the Walden Project in Vermont, Walden students are 40 times more likely to go to college than their peers that learn in a conventional classroom.
The Walden Project-NY at the RMSC Cumming Nature Center will once again offer dual enrollment credit through the Finger Lakes Community College (FLCC) Gemini program. Eligible students enrolled in The Walden Project-NY may earn up to 10 college credits from FLCC after their successful completion of the program and will receive access to Gemini program resources while enrolled in The Walden Project.
“The Walden Project-NY is so important to the mission of the Cumming Nature Center because it not only acts as a capstone opportunity for our thriving suite of Forest School programs, but it also provides students a chance to understand their own learning styles and have the freedom to research topics meaningful to them in a supportive outdoor environment setting,” said Director of the RMSC Cumming Nature Center, Nathan Hayes. “I have no doubt that the Walden Project-NY is leading the way in rethinking what a high school education can be, and in these early years, enrollment is very important to help illustrate the exceptional impact that this program has on students and their futures.”
The Walden Project-NY has received incredible feedback from participants and their families in the last few years, with a parent sharing “I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say that this program saved my daughter’s life” and a student sharing that ”My worst day at Walden was a thousand times better than my best day in normal school.”
Enrollment ends on September 1, 2023. Students who are interested in enrolling in The Walden Project-NY program can learn more at http://rmsc.org/walden.
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