Mobile STEAM Education

Forest Folk New England 

Hello. My name is Heather.

I am a Nature Based Educator based out of Portsmouth, NH. I earned my BFA from Madonna University in Livonia, Michigan and my MEd. from  Antioch University New England in Keene, New Hampshire. For the last two decades I have been teaching children ranging in age from 3 to 18.  I have worked for local museums, Portsmouth and Hampton Schools, Waldorf Schools, and Nature Based Schools in the New England area.

This year has been a particularly challenging year for society as a whole. Our children are missing their friends and social opportunities. Parents are scrambling to do the best they can for their kids. And teachers are trying to help everyone get the education they deserve. I am seeking help to make learning possible for a larger group of students through out the New England area and hopefully beyond.

Help me fund a Mobile place where EVERYONE regardless of income is able to use a telescope, USB microscope, build a robot, dissect owl pellets, explore trails and record natural history data, learn to grow a garden, participate in plein air painting, photography, sing, engage in music, build a relationship with the environment and be an active part of our community.

We have already learned to wear masks, and to social distance. We have been separated from friends, our adult children, parents, and grandparents. All in an effort to do our part to keep those around us safe. That doesn't change the fact that children are still children. They need fresh air. They need an opportunity to develop risk assessment skills in order to make good choices. They need an opportunity to explore, grow, and ask questions. They need us to help them learn about the world around them and ultimately help them to become someone that cares about the environment and how their actions affect other people. We have been forced to learn how to be resilient in our lives.

Part of resilience building begins with adaptation to your environment.  Regardless of whether you live in a warm or cold climate, you must adapt to the conditions around you. Given the new social rules everyone is learning together, we now know we must apply this practicality to our current teaching environment. We need to be resilient. And as schools are adapting, be it through online learning, modified in-person learning, or some hybrid approach, some students are getting lost between the cracks.

Outdoor Education has become popular for many preschool and younger aged elementary students already. With our current climate all grades from k-12 are now also realizing the benefits of outdoor learning for traditional and non-traditional subjects. Outdoor locations offer the space we need to social distance and connect with peers while learning. Not all people have access to the ability to tap in to these resources or connect with others that may wish to engage in learning in a safe and socially responsible way.

I am raising funds in order to purchase a small bus that I may outfit with STEAM equipment for children ages 4-18. The money raised will be used to purchase a vehicle, insurance, microscopes, telescopes, materials for specimen collection and dissection, art supplies, simple musical instruments, cameras, robotics kits, automata kits, supplies for students to journal, take-home kits to practice lessons at home plus travel costs, and other required materials as they are identified. This is a project that not only teaches students via mobile unit but also teaches parents to help their children learn by giving them the supplemental tools they need to provide guidance for their children's education at home.

My short term goal is to travel to the communities that need supplemental education and offer classes outdoors in state parks and nature preserves where safe social distancing practices can be followed in a large outdoor space. Children have an innate sense of wonder. We need to keep that wonder growing. When I am able to travel and share resources with those who need them, I'm helping to keep the sense of wonder and their love of learning and possibility alive in our communities. My short term goal is $50,000 to make phase one of the dream come true.

The long term goal is to raise enough funds to purchase a small plot of land where we are able to permanently plant gardens, create trails, and offer a designated space for people to be able to come learn in an open space that offers a natural setting. I would like to be able to purchase a structure that may be used for children's programming (Ages 3-18), teacher trainings, parent trainings, and guest teachers to offer educational and arts programming for the community. Included in this plan is purchasing additional vehicles to help more teachers reach additional communities.

I'm looking for a "Blue Fairy" to support the long term goal. I have held on to a special treasure for many years. It is a 1960's vintage blue chiffon dress that reminds me of the Blue Fairy in Pinocchio or what a Fairy Godmother may wear to grant a wish. Perhaps there is someone out there destined to be my Blue Fairy? If someone is willing to donate $10,000 or more to the campaign the Blue Fairy gown is yours and we will place a fairy statue in the garden with gratitude to you for financing a place where children, parents, and grandparents can learn to grow food and take the bounty home with them. Your contribution will allow us to acquire a small piece of land for a working environmental education space, working capital to maintain the property, educational resources and a place to park our buses between community outreach visits.

Let's work together to make the world a better place!