Our Story
Elements Learning Collaborative
ELC was formed as the parent organization of Elements Nature Program(ENP). ENP emerged out of a desire for community connection. Co-Founders, Cristy O’Brien & Rachel Medeiros, both with a background in education and little ones at home, wanted an alternative to traditional schooling for their children. Homeschooling presented itself as the right fit, with the wide spectrum of educational styles and learning opportunities that it offers. The Southcoast community has many homeschooling families with whom Rachel & Cristy were eager to connect with.
After familiarizing themselves with the myriad of classes, programs groups and co-ops for homeschooling families, they felt like something was missing. They were inspired by center-based homeschooling programs such as North Star, Sudbury Valley, and The Macomber Center in Framingham, but wanted something closer to home, with a few tweaks in programming.
Having already fallen in love with forest schools and nature-based programs, and the nurturing and self-directed learning styles of Montessori, Waldorf and Reggio Emelia, they knew they wanted to incorporate these aspects into their own children’s learning experiences. The connection and community that full-day, long term programs offered, combined with the philosophies of forest schools and the aforementioned education models, came together to create Elements Nature Program’s seasonal sessions. Summer Elements Nature Camp was designed as a fun way to share the Elements experience in week long sessions, with our friends who are in traditional schools, and those looking for shorter enrollment periods.
