The mission of the Thetford Outdoor Program is to ignite academic curiosity and foster environmental stewardship through outdoor exploration, recreation, and project-based, experiential learning.
The Thetford Outdoor Program (TOP) launched in 2014 with the generous support of the Woodbury Foundation. TOP builds on TA’s long commitment to experiential and outdoor learning, and uses TA’s vast natural resources and the diverse ecosystems of the Upper Valley as a living laboratory and outdoor classroom.
TOP offers students wide-ranging opportunities to learn, grow, and lead outside the classroom. Outdoor and place-based learning is an important part of TA’s curriculum and is embedded into almost all academic disciplines. A cornerstone of the TOP academic program is its multidisciplinary, half-day Environmental Studies and Outdoor Education elective. This immersive outdoor experience explores concepts of environmental science, ecology, nature writing, mindfulness, and more and is open to students in grades 10-12.
TA’s school garden program provides another unique opportunity for students to learn outdoors. The 800 sq ft garden is a hub of student activity year-round. In the spring, summer, and fall, TA’s school garden coordinator works with students to plant, maintain, and harvest a wide variety of vegetables, flowers, and herbs. With two hoop houses and TA’s greenhouse for winter warmth, the season is extended through the colder months. Food from the garden supports TA’s culinary arts program and supplements our lunch program.
For students interested in outdoor recreation, TOP offers a variety of day and overnight hiking, camping, rock climbing, and canoeing trips through the year as part of the TOP Outing Club. In the winter months, TOP hosts recreational Nordic ski club for students of all ages and abilities. Finally, each summer the TOP Summer Leadership program offers a series of week-long outdoor recreation and leadership opportunities for TA students in grades 7-12. Opportunities include canoeing on the Connecticut River, backpacking on the Appalachian Trail, and introductory Vermont Adventure program, Garden Camp, GLOW (for students who identify as girls, ladies, or women always or sometimes), and a student-led trail maintenance crew.
During the two weeks before Thanksgiving break, many students helped “put the garden to bed.&#...
30 November, 2022 No comment
Photo: TOP rock climbing trip in South Royalton last weekend. The Thetford Outdoor Program has added...
29 September, 2022 No comment
Photo left to right: Anthea Lavallee, Executive Director of the Hubbard Brook Research Foundation, E...
30 August, 2022 No comment
The Thetford Outdoor Program will lead a series of outings for students this fall, starting with an ...
26 August, 2022 No comment
Though the academic year is over, TA’s Thetford Outdoor Program (TOP) continues its work ̶...
06 July, 2022 No comment