ECO is a standards-based nature immersion program that works in collaboration with Hardwick Elementary. ECO’s goal is to help our students to develop a lasting relationship with the natural world and foster a sense of place and stewardship in our local community. ECO works with Hardwick Elementary to help meet Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards outdoors while introducing children to the natural community right outside their classroom. 

Teachers, students, and ECO staff spend two to four hours weekly exploring a forest, wetland or field, playing games, engaging the senses, journaling at sitting spots, sharing in a community circle around a fire, and engaging in cooperative learning through guided discovery. We practice these core routines continuously throughout the school year.