2023 centenary conference

Join an intimate group of Charlotte Mason educators in the heart of Wordsworth world. Your day in picturesque Grasmere will begin with an immersive experience at the Grasmere Church of England Primary School where you will have the opportunity to explore how nature study and living books are incorporated into human-scale life of the village school. Experience outdoor learning with students at the village beck and science learning in the classroom (3- to 7-year-olds). Examine literary learning through living books and poetry with 7- to 11-year-olds. Meet with educators while together you observe the integration of outdoor playtime into the curriculum. Lunch will be shared at St. Oswald’s Church (founded in 642 AD) where you will have opportunity to visit William Wordsworth’s grave and the Grasmere Gingerbread Shop. The afternoon will be marked by a tour of Dove Cottage and time at the Wordsworth Museum where experts will lead us through William Wordsworth’s influence on Charlotte Mason. The day will also include nature journalling with John Muir Laws in the beautiful surrounding countryside which inspired many of Wordsworth's poems.

*Lunch included; museum entrance, and bus fare not included

**Registration is open only to conference attendees (and their family members) currently; any remaining spaces will open to the public starting April 1st, 2023.

‍Join a small group for the day in an idyllic school set in the majestic Langdale Valley. You will receive a warm welcome from head teacher Rachel Underwood at the Langdale Church of England Primary School where leading experts in outdoor experiential learning including Dave Harvey  will guide immersive outdoor learning sessions on the school grounds followed by a workshop on how to provide and enable excellent learning outdoors. After a fireside lunch in the school forest, participants will move to the outdoor chapel area for a time of guided reflection on resonance with Charlotte Mason's philosophy of education and for applicability to one's own educational setting. The day will culminate with nature journaling led by the renowned John Muir Laws who will guide participants of all ability levels in an immersive nature note booking session. Did we mention the majesty of the setting for this not-to-be missed day?

*Lunch included; bus fare not included

**Registration is open only to conference attendees (and their family members) currently; any remaining spaces will open to the public starting April 1st, 2023.

Open the door to rich discovery, better memory, and more fun in nature. What if you could change one simple thing and make yourself a more astute observer, curious explorer, creative thinker, deliberate investigator, and better naturalist? You can: it is keeping a notebook to record your discoveries and questions and to help you plan and document your investigations.

A journal is a ubiquitous part of a naturalist’s gear, more important than binoculars or a microscope. No tool has a more profound effect on your ability to see and think. It is much more than a sketchbook. It is a place to map out your observations and inquiry process as you document, explore, or reflect. There are many ways you can use a journal: you can draw, diagram, map, model, list, and write. Each approach changes the way you see and think. A new approach is a new lens on the world. Strategically combining these methods virtually guarantees new discoveries and will delight your mind.

If you have never used a nature journal before, you will learn simple techniques that you can apply immediately with no drawing experience required. If you already keep a notebook of your discoveries, learn ways to expand the scope of your practice, and open new doors to discovering the world. 

Our time together will include instruction, activity, time outdoors together, and more. You will leave with a rich kit of tools to focus your observations, organize your thoughts, enhance recall of critical details, stimulate creativity, and expand the possibilities for your adventures and discoveries. Both students and educators are welcome to register for this event!

*Lunch included

**Registration is open only to conference attendees (and their family members) currently; any remaining spaces will open to the public starting April 1st, 2023.