MAPLE
Freeport, Maine
Full Day Nature Immersion Program for Ages 5-7*
September through May, 9:00am to 2:30pm
ABOUT MAPLE
In our magical forested setting, children in Maple explore and play, while cultivating an innate connection with the Earth's wisdom. Our guides and mentors engage children in building fairy houses, discovering trees, plants and animals, doing nature-inspired art projects, playing in our mud kitchen, and taking hikes to explore the many ecosystems on our land. Children will have opportunities to learn basic tool use, fire and shelter building, foraging and other basic wilderness skills. Cooperative problem-solving, community-building, empathy for other living beings, and strengthening confidence and comfort in nature are all skills that are organically woven into the day. There is about a 6:1 child to staff ratio in Maple with a maximum of 18 children.
The program will be outdoors, rain, snow or shine unless weather is extreme and potentially dangerous (such as high winds, low wind chill, low temps and steady rain, or unsafe driving conditions), which may result in cancellation.
Choose to attend 1 to 4 days per week (Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays) from 9:00am to 2:30pm for the school year. We encourage families to enroll children for 2 or more days if at all possible as this provides continuity and stability and helps children become more immersed within the program, social dynamics, skill building and activities. Often kids seem to "settle in" on their second day of the week, finding their groove more quickly.
Aftercare is available for participants in our homeschool program from end of program to 4:00.
*We recognize that children don’t all develop at the same rate. For children who are on the line between age groups, our staff will work with parents to make an assessment as to which group seems most appropriate based on personality, ability and group dynamics.
Children must be at least 5 years old by the start of the program to join the Maple cohort.
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Current Families: Emails will be sent out with enrollment information and instructions, usually in late February.
New/Interested Families: Please join a tour or if none are available, email enrollment@throughthetrees.org. An application will be available to prospective families after they have toured. Submitting an application doesn't guarantee enrollment.
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We offer the option to pay tuition in monthly payments, due the 1st of each month (September through May) and automatically charged to the card used at registration.
A $50 application fee is required for new participants. A $15 registration fee for each day of the week you are enrolling your child, plus 4.5% (of total tuition) processing fee is due at the time of enrollment. Both are non-refundable.
#Days/Week Tuition One $2,475, Two $4,950, Three $7,425, Four $9,900
Family Discount: Families enrolling more than one child at TTT receive 10% off.
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We are committed to supporting and creating a community that is reflective of Maine's economic diversity. A limited number of partial Scholarships are available to families who are unable to pay full tuition cost. We encourage you to complete a scholarship application when enrolling if full tuition pricing creates a financial hardship. Scholarships are limited, due to limited funding.
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If you must withdraw your child from the program a 30-day notification is required. If at least 30 days notice is given, the remaining monthly payments will be cancelled. If less than 30-days notice is given, the next month's payment is required, and all remaining tuition payments thereafter will be cancelled. Reduced Enrollment: This policy applies to reducing the number of days of enrollment. (ex. enrolling on Tuesday and Thursday, then cancelling Thursday). Notice of withdrawal/ must be emailed to transform@throughthetrees.org. The registration fee of $15 per day of enrollment and 4.5% system processing fee paid at the time of enrollment are non-refundable.
“Children become connected to the web of life by seeing the relationships between plants, insects, wildlife, and human beings...our own backyard can be the foundation of environmental education and a journey for the whole family.”