Youth Programs
I’m grateful to NBNC for teaching me love for the outdoors that I have carried with me throughout my life. I’ll always remember the amazing counselors, the trails we walked,
— Phoebe, Age 15
and the friends I made.
NBNC is a national leader in nature-based education.
We believe that healthy, inspired learning and development depends on immersive, curiosity-driven nature exploration, guided by passionate teachers and mentors. Our place-based and inquiry-based approach recognizes nature as our most dynamic, enriching, and inclusive classroom. NBNC offers a lifetime of learning and growth through deepened connections with the environment.
Our Youth Programs
Forest Preschool
Our four-star, licensed, play-based preschool embedded within the nature center.
Robin’s Nest Nature Playgroup
Free, weekly nature playgroups for families with children 0-5 years old.
Educating Children Outdoors (ECO)
A standards-based, nature immersion program in public schools across Central Vermont.
ECO Homeschool
The ECO approach, adapted for a full-day weekly program at NBNC.
Afterschool
Our "Treksplorers" program offers loosely-directed extracurricular adventure.
Summer Camps
From chasing butterflies to flipping rocks, what a child’s summer should be.
Marine Ecology
A semester-long high school course culminating a research trip to Bermuda.
Field Trips
Bring your class to NBNC to explore nature with our Teacher-Naturalists.