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EDUCATION CATALOG
Our new theme packages each unfold a story through interconnected learning experiences.
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In our real schoolhouse built in 1817, our talented staff—in costume—play the part of the strict School Master or Marm, using 19th-century texts and lessons to offer insight into the lives of schoolchildren 200 years ago. This entertaining class facilitates discussions about old and new education models; students will leave with a deeper appreciation of their rights.
Travel back to a simpler time on the Ashokan Homestead, where students are embraced as members of our homestead family. We expect everyone to earn their keep! Contribute to daily life at our beautiful hand-built cabin by learning to cut roof shingles, firewood, and wall beams with tools of the era, or huddle around the fireplace and bake gingerbread in the Dutch oven.
Paddle on the Esopus Creek and experience the magic that has attracted so many to this important waterway. While navigating the waters with friends, students practice cooperation and communication to explore the wondrous habitat and get close with the wildlife the creek attracts. Whether it is seeing the fish swimming below the surface or the birds flying high across the sky, the experience is always unique and one that students will surely remember!
Home to many elusive creatures like beavers, bobcats, and bears, Ashokan is one of the best places in the Catskills to find traces of our animal neighbors. From feathers and bones to scat and tracks, we’ll actively observe and learn about the inhabitants of the woods, their behavior, and their roles in the ecosystem. We may even find nests and other homes animals create in burrows and tree cavities. Students learn what to look for in the environment to discover evidence of their favorite species, turning any walk into an exciting wildlife expedition!
Press locally grown apples into delicious cider using our antique cider press and learn all about its amazing history in our country. Each student will have a chance to participate and work the press and taste the results. Students will learn about the history of apples in NYS and the importance of cider as a daily beverage in the 17th and 18th centuries in early America.
In this classic archery class, students learn the history of archery along with the necessary rules, safety procedures, and archery techniques before hitting the range and letting the arrows fly. With a variety of fun targets, kids and adults alike are certain to have a blast at the Ashokan archery range, challenging themselves to improve their power, precision, and accuracy with a bow and arrow while cheering on others to do the same!
Not far from the foundation of Ashokan’s original blacksmith forge are two fully functioning blacksmith shops. Sparks will fly as students use ancient tools to hammer iron into a fire poker, trivet, or plant hanger under the guidance of our master craftspeople (and help their classmates by pumping the bellows or hauling coal). Students will discuss concepts such as industrialization, renewable vs. nonrenewable resources, and the role of blacksmithing in colonial life.
Heighten your coordination and focus by synchronizing sound and movement as a group. This program is available as part of the Fiddles in the Forest experience. Watch the video.
Forage outdoors for materials and engage in drawing and painting with newly opened eyes to discover and draw the beauty of the natural world.
Learn traditional fiddle tunes and techniques on the fiddle, viola, cello, or bass from our talented guest instructors. This program is available as part of the Fiddles in the Forest experience. Watch the video.
Students will become citizen science detectives and investigate the cause of the disappearance of Ash Trees in our area. After using a variety of tools and scientific methods to explore and collect data from existing trees, students will learn how to use evidence to develop conceptual understanding of invasive species and their dramatic impact on the ecosystem in New York State.
During this active inquiry based activity, students will closely investigate, explore and contrast specific forest and meadow ecosystems. They will determine the difference between biotic and abiotic evidence and the conditions required to support life. As a result of these investigations, students will develop a deeper understanding of ecosystems and the interconnectedness between living organisms.
Hike through an old Eastern Hemlock forest along the Esopus Creek and explore the natural and social history of the region! The trail passes relics of the recent and prehistoric past, including a 19th-century water mill, a 130-year-old covered bridge, and a glacial gorge, before it ends at a 80-foot waterfall—the walls of which reveal rock layers that are millions of years old.
Students will venture into the lab to assess the water quality of aquatic systems found on campus. Through observation and analysis of water samples, students will learn about the natural processes involved in purifying water. Students will participate in hands-on activities, creating virtual watersheds using our Augmented Reality (AR) Sandbox and studying otherwise unseen organisms through our digital microscope! This unique class combines technology and science to encourage a deeper understanding of hydrology. (Designed for 6th grade and up.)
After a scenic hike out to our sugar shack, students will learn about the history of maple sugaring and its roots in Indigenous and colonial cultures. Our staff will demonstrate how to tap a sugar maple tree in order to sustainably harvest sap from our sugarbush. Inside the shack, students will learn all the steps involved in turning that sap into a sweet maple syrup. Finally, they’ll enjoy the fruits of their labor with a maple syrup taste test and enjoy jackwax candy!
Students will interact with nature while exploring the elements and principles of art. Using inspiration from artist Andy Goldsworthy and their imaginations, students will cooperatively create a temporary art installation using natural materials. (click here to see his work).
Just downstream from the Ashokan Reservoir, a vital source (40%) of NYC’s drinking water, The Ashokan Center is the host of many aquatic systems for students to explore. Students become citizen scientists by collecting biological samples from our ponds and streams to investigate the health of our freshwater ecosystems. Through observation and identification of the organisms found, students can form and test hypotheses about the health of the Ashokan aquatic ecosystems.
Challenge yourself on an obstacle course in the trees above the forest floor. Students work on their teamwork and communication skills while practicing personal and group responsibility as they encounter diverse elements along the course, such as the kitten crawl, the Burma Bridge, and the log crossing. The course culminates with a thrilling ride down our zipline!
Vocalize with guest instructors who know how to help you connect your musicality and feeling to your breath. This program is available as part of the Fiddles in the Forest experience.
What would you do if you were lost in the woods or stranded on an island? Learn basic survival skills and wilderness safety concepts in this fun, hands-on class. With the guidance of our survival experts, students work together to enact survival techniques, prioritize needs, brainstorm prevention measures, build a functional shelter, and gather kindling for a small fire.
Work as a team to solve a variety of fun and purposeful challenges that cultivate trust and cooperation among the group. Designed to de-emphasize competition, these activities encourage creativity, spontaneity, and imagination, along with communication and leadership skills.
This team building course is more advanced than Challenge and Discovery, designed to challenge a group, both physically and mentally, through a variety of fun initiatives and ground-level elements. As a team, the group will be given the opportunity to practice effective problem-solving and communication skills in order to reach the final goal.
Did you know that without houseflies there would be no chocolate? Explore the myriad of creatures (insects, birds, bats, and more) that pollinate flowers and keep ecosystems thriving.
Students work together to make beautiful, functional crafts using colonial methods and tools. They will learn about the raw materials they’re using and question how the industrial revolution has changed the way we acquire and repair tools today (including the environmental implications). Each student will go home with a deeper appreciation for handmade crafts!
Participate in one of the most important scientific studies in the Catskill watershed, an essential part of NYC’s water supply system! Equipped with professional water testing supplies, and with the region’s largest reservoir in our backyard, students can work as citizen scientists as we monitor water chemistry, turbidity, riparian vegetation, bank stability, macroinvertebrates, and the physical properties of the Esopus Creek. Students are exposed to a number of scientific methods of measurement to study water quality in the field.
This area’s geography, proximity to NYC, and pristine environment made it the perfect place to build the Ashokan Reservoir, but its construction was not without controversy. Students will learn about the natural and social history of the site, use maps to identify the range of the watershed, and gain a deeper understanding of the reservoir’s impact on land, animals, and people.
Step into the wilderness to learn about the great naturalist writers of the 19th century and their victories in environmental protection. Thoreau, Muir, and Catskills-born John Burroughs sought the peace and inspiration that can only be found in the woods; with their Ashokan journal in hand, students can be inspired by the same serene landscape as they create their own works.
Meals are served in our dining hall where students learn to reduce waste and sometimes get a musical visit.
At the end of each meal, we work together to weigh our food waste and learn about composting. This is a fun part of every school’s visit.
An important element of the Ashokan experience, a little down time offers a chance to recharge and have fun together.
Before breakfast, students have the opportunity to participate in an instructor-lead morning ritual such as a short hike, tending to the barn animals, or writing in their journals.
Kids are grouped by age and gender into the clean, comfortable bunk rooms. Bunk supervisors, who reside in the bunkhouse with the students, read communally to the students before bedtime and are responsible for the students until pre-breakfast activity the following morning. This is a wonderful and memorable part of the Ashokan experience for all students, many who have never slept away from home before.
During Open Rec time, you may choose to add an activity like beginner Ukulele lessons with our fun staff instructor!
Teachers choose evening programs (in advance of their class’s arrival to Ashokan) that will complement the day programs. Some are presented by visiting instructors; historic re-enactors, music & dance leaders, and animal specialists. Ashokan instructors lead other evening programs like night walks, skits & song night, and campfire. Click photos for more details.
Use your ears like the deer, step softly like the fox. Observe the forest at night! (After May 15th, special arrangements need to be made.) This is an optional evening program with an additional cost of $38.
Inquire when you contact us about this exciting new evening program option with no additional cost.
Watch and discuss short films from esteemed author Lynne Cherry’s inspiring series, Young Voices For The Planet as an evening program. The films document the true success stories of kids making a difference for the planet in their communities, and spark conversations on civic engagement and youth leadership. This is an optional evening program with no additional cost.
Bill or Brian Robinson bring in a number of beautiful and interesting predatory birds (owl, Harris Hawk, kestrel, Turkey vulture, or red-tailed hawk.) While each bird perches on his leather glove, they engage the group on the subjects of instinct, migration, the food chain, and adaptation, noting the differences in beak and talon. This is an optional evening program with an additional cost of $420.
Neil Murray arrives in costume and engages students with a historic perspective on the War of 1812.
Jonathan Duda creates an exciting hands-on drumming and percussion workshop for groups up to 40 students.
Ashokan staff lead fun recreational field games.
Make warm s’mores and enjoy ann hour-long campfire experience with jokes, songs, and stories from the Ashokan staff. Larger groups may split in half, with the other half participating in another activity such as field games or star gazing (weather dependent). This is an optional evening program with no additional cost.
Strengthen community while finding joy in traditional circle, square, and contra dancing. This program is available as part of the Fiddles in the Forest experience.
Renowned storyteller and folksinger John Porcino regales students with songs and stories.
Ashokan staff lead fun recreational field games.
Enjoy an hour-long full-group campfire experience with warm s’mores, jokes, songs, and stories from the Ashokan staff. In the event of inclement weather we will create a similar experience indoors!
Cut loose on the dance floor as the Ashokan staff spins fun dance tunes.
Ashokan staff lead the group in a fun night of skits and songs!
Peter, Paul, and George build community through traditional American dance & music. They joyfully engage the group with called dances that strengthen connection.
Jonathan Duda creates an exciting hands-on drumming and percussion workshop for groups up to 40 students.
Enjoy traditional music & dancing as Jay Ungar & Molly Mason perform lively and beautiful music on the fiddle and guitar and lead students in fun, easy circle and line dances from the colonial period and beyond.
Neil Murray arrives in costume and engages students with a historic perspective on the War of 1812.
Neil Murray arrives in costume and engages students with a historic perspective on the Civil War.
Neil Murray arrives in costume and engages students with a historic perspective on the Revolutionary War.
Bill or Brian Robinson share reptiles with the group and explain their importance in nature and their varied adaptations. Normally they will bring a large snapping turtle, an alligator, a legless lizard, and snakes.
Bill or Brian Robinson bring in a number of beautiful and interesting predatory birds (owl, Harris Hawk, kestrel, Turkey vulture, or red-tailed hawk.) While each bird perches on his leather glove, they engage the group on the subjects of instinct, migration, the food chain, and adaptation, noting the differences in beak and talon. This is an optional evening program with an additional cost of $420.
Use your ears like the deer, step softly like the fox. Observe the forest at night! (After May 15th, special arrangements need to be made.)
Inquire when you contact us about this exciting new evening program option with no additional cost.
The Ashokan Center
477 Beaverkill Rd.
Olivebridge, NY 12461
General Inquiries
office@ashokancenter.org
845-657-8333
Public Events & Camps
events@ashokancenter.org
845-657-8333 x3
