Education Update

Antioch University Interns

Every year we have the opportunity to work with graduate students interns from Antioch University New England. These talented individuals work with us on projects in environmental education, exhibit design, facilities management, or trails.

This winter and spring, we have been lucky to have two interns working with us.

Tanya Milano is working with Springfield teachers in their classrooms. She is working with five classrooms and is designing place based programming that ties into the curriculum for that classroom. Her projects have gotten the students outside using their observations skills, having them design trail signs to correspond to their unit on raising salmon, and are having them learn mapping skills by drawing the downtown. She is passionate about connecting kids to their local communities and we are excited that she is sharing that passion with the students in Springfield classes.

Lenoir McDougal is working with the former Falls Playschool in Bellows Falls. This preschool had recently discontinued formal preschool education, leaving many young children without a structured educational gathering to attend. Working with the Museum and parents of the young students, Lenoir is designing and leading eight weekly visits that revolve around the natural world. She is engaging these young learners with fun activities and also providing them essential skills for entering Kindergarten. With each visit, she also engages the families through a newsletter filled with topical activities that they can try at home together. Lenoir is very creative and engaging with these young students and their families. We are very excited that she is working with us to bring nature education to the Falls Playschool.