Farm-based education connects youth to agriculture, community, and the environment, through hands-on experiential learning. Offered as a two-week enrichment program, the curriculum is interdisciplinary and is aligned with national and state learning standards in several subjects, with a special focus on English Language Arts and environmental science.  

Students choose from a menu of daily activities based on their own unique interests, as they relate to food and farming, such as:

  • Animal care
  • Gardening
  • Cooking with farm produce
  • Journaling
  • Agriculture art projects, such as beeswax candles and tea
  • Farm stand management

Our program

Growing Season is located at COA’s Peggy Rockefeller Farms in Bar Harbor, Maine, 4.7 miles from the college campus. Through exploration on an organic farm, Growing Season promotes:

  • Active participation in authentic learning experiences, leading to greater enthusiasm, increased self-esteem, and academic achievement.
  • Reading, writing, and creativity
  • Entrepreneurship and leadership
  • Collaboration and teamwork
  • Environmental responsibility
  • Healthy food choices