Afterschool programs are a great way to discover the outdoors, with much less structure than traditional field trips and classes. We believe in child-led exploration and nature immersion and are excited for the return of the 2024-25 school year at the Green Mountain Audubon Center in Huntington.

Audubon Afterschool is BACK for the '24-'25 school year! Register Here!

We are excited to continue our weekly afterschool program for the 2024/25 school year! Join Audubon Teacher-Naturalists for a breath of fresh air, immediately after school until 5pm. Students will spend each season (10 weeks in Fall, 11 weeks in Spring) getting to know the Audubon Center and its inhabitants. We're offering two sessions: September 18th - November 20th and March 5th - May 21st, which INCLUDES 4 early-release days. 

Read this article to learn more about what a day at afterschool is like: Wednesdays in the Woods | Audubon Vermont

Note: You must commit to the entire session for which you apply. You are welcome to apply for either or both sessions. As our aim is to increase the access to and affordability of afterschool childcare, we think it would be unfair for someone to claim a spot they do not intend to use in full. (We of course understand that we live in a post-COVID world and know that illness and life happens. We ask that you call our office should you not be able to attend for one of these or any other reason.) We ask for an 80% attendance record or better and to call our office if your child is unable to attend.

Age: elementary-aged students, Kindergarten-4th grade

Date and time: Wednesdays 2:30pm - 5pm*
Session 1: September 18th - November 20th
Session 2: March 5th - May 21st
* Our early-release afterschool is included in our weekly afterschool at no extra cost. On early-release days, following the MMUUSD calendar, on the second Wednesday of every month, afterschool will start at 12:30 instead of 2:30.

Fee: In previous years our once weekly afterschool program has been provided at no cost to participants thanks to grant funding. Unfortunately that funding source has run out, we will be asking participants to pay for their child to join our program. We know that our services are important to our community and do not want price to be a barrier to participation. For this reason, we are launching a pay scale for our afterschool program. 

• Full-price: $175/child/season
• Three-quarters price: $131.25/child/season. Consider this level if you can pay for basic needs but have little expendable income. 
• Half-price: $87.50/child/season. Consider this level if you receive or are eligible for public assistance (SNAP, social security, disability, etc.). 
• If the above options do not apply to you and you could pay more, please consider making a donation in any amount. Your contribution will support our mission at Audubon Vermont and quality outdoor educational programming for our community. Consider paying more if:
  • You own your own home 
  • You can afford to travel on vacations  
  • You have investment income 

Transportation: Thanks to the MMUUSD transportation depot, students who attend Brewster Pierce Elementary School or Richmond Elementary School can ride the bus to Audubon. Students from other towns are welcome to join us, but families must provide their own transportation.

Weather: This is an outdoor program. We will have access to a heated space on the coldest of days, but the objective of this program is to spend as much of the time outdoors as we can. We employ several strategies to stay warm, from hiking and playing, to building fires and shelters. Proper attire is required. If you do not have the appropriate gear to be safe and warm outside, please let us know. We do not want a lack of gear to be a barrier to your child's participation.

Staffing and Accessibility: We operate at a small ratio of 1 adult: 8 kids, making for a very manageable group size while exploring and playing in the outdoors. However, we do not have the staffing available to provide 1:1 support to students. Additionally, the terrain of the Audubon Center is varied, uneven, dirt or grass, there are stairs, and none of the paths are paved. Please give us a call to discuss options for your child’s participation if it feels like these things would present a barrier to your student. We welcome interventionists coming with your child to our program, but unfortunately do not have the resources to provide them ourselves. Call our education manager at 802-434-3068 x 13 to discuss.

Families MUST commit to the entire session to which they apply. 

Forms: We are moving Afterschool to our registration system CampDoc. You will be able to request a funding level and complete health forms online.

----

Questions: Contact Emily Calder at emily.calder@audubon.org or (802) 434-3037