The Walden Project - New York
Donation protected
Overview:
The Walden Project is an educational program for teenagers where the curriculum is based on the three questions that guided Henry David Thoreau during his sojourn to Walden Pond: What is my relationship to myself?, What is my relationship to my culture?, and What is my relationship to the natural world? At The Walden Project , students are outdoors all year round examining what is really needed to live a happy and meaningful life.
Program Themes Include:
- Nature-Based Education
- Self-Directed Learning
- Social Justice
- Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
- Sustainability
- Environmental Stewardship
- Health and Wellness
- Service Learning
History:
The Walden Project began in Vermont in 2000. Since then, it has been recognized as an innovative school by NPR , Huffington Post , and Edutopia: The George Lucas Foundation. The program has been transforming lives and helping young people find their direction in life toward creative and purposeful futures. Each year, many high school students who say they would have otherwise dropped out regularly go on to college because of the experience they had at Walden.
Current Project:
In the fall of 2018, a second Walden Project is opening based at Cumming Nature Center in Naples, New York. So far, there has been a great deal of interest in the program:
- the promotional video has been viewed over 19,000 times,
- the Facebook page has over 700 followers,
- our first fundraiser on YouCaring received over $1400 from 22 donors and was shared 234 times, and
- most importantly, twelve students have already enrolled for the pilot year!
Students coming to The Walden Project come from a wide variety of backgrounds and no one has been turned away from the program, regardless of income or any other challenging factors. It has been a challenge financially to ensure that The Walden Project is accessible to those who need it most, but we are committed to this goal.
Donations to The Walden Project enable us to build the program in our first year with adequate staff and services to meet our students’ needs so it can become a transformative presence in our Finger Lakes community.
- Nature-Based Education
- Self-Directed Learning
- Social Justice
- Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
- Sustainability
- Environmental Stewardship
- Health and Wellness
- Service Learning
History:
The Walden Project began in Vermont in 2000. Since then, it has been recognized as an innovative school by NPR , Huffington Post , and Edutopia: The George Lucas Foundation. The program has been transforming lives and helping young people find their direction in life toward creative and purposeful futures. Each year, many high school students who say they would have otherwise dropped out regularly go on to college because of the experience they had at Walden.
Current Project:
In the fall of 2018, a second Walden Project is opening based at Cumming Nature Center in Naples, New York. So far, there has been a great deal of interest in the program:
- the promotional video has been viewed over 19,000 times,
- the Facebook page has over 700 followers,
- our first fundraiser on YouCaring received over $1400 from 22 donors and was shared 234 times, and
- most importantly, twelve students have already enrolled for the pilot year!
Students coming to The Walden Project come from a wide variety of backgrounds and no one has been turned away from the program, regardless of income or any other challenging factors. It has been a challenge financially to ensure that The Walden Project is accessible to those who need it most, but we are committed to this goal.
Donations to The Walden Project enable us to build the program in our first year with adequate staff and services to meet our students’ needs so it can become a transformative presence in our Finger Lakes community.
The Willowell Foundation is our sponsoring 501c3 nonprofit. Any donation made to The Walden Project - New York can be made tax exempt.
Final Message:
I have never been part of something that is quite so magnetic as starting this program. I get phone calls and emails almost daily from community members offering support, people from all over the country who like the idea, and from parents who tell me they hope this program will be available in a few years when their kids are old enough to participate. Starting something new is always a little scary and uncertain and I can't thank you all enough for the support you have already given; you helped sustain the momentum when we needed it the most! Thank you to everyone who has shared our posts online, attended open houses and information nights, donated money and gifts, and for everyone who has offered their support for The Walden Project ! It means more than I can ever express! (-Andy Webster)
Organizer
Andy Webster
Organizer
Naples, NY
