Project Stewardship
Inclusive community-based classes and membership opportunities that are open to the general public, including small group education sessions and outings, as well as Dungeons & Dragons, and Lego options for teens and young adults in middle, high school, college, and the workplace who have a range of abilities. Participants are able to explore interest areas and embark on new, creative learning experiences guided by passion-sharing adults and mentors, while developing friendships with peers. Heart-centered education takes place at our center and in community partner settings where participants have the chance to build skills, cultivate leadership abilities, and often take part in advocating for people and planet.
Civic Mentoring
Structured community-based classes open to the general public where mentors work directly with young people and in mentoring teams as a community of peers on innovative, hands-on learning opportunities. Themes and topic areas range from the creative arts to an array of academic and professional subjects, building a range of skills directed towards independence at our center and with community partners. Active engagement in an integrative setting using a project-based learning framework taps into each individual’s inherent strengths while increasing self-confidence, providing a sense of direction, and enabling participants to find and follow their bliss!
Guidance Services
Sessions utilize the Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS) approach and other methods to assist teens and young adults in solving problems and overcoming obstacles while building skills. Guidance may include goal setting towards reaching their full potential and transition planning as they enter new chapters of their lives. We meet each individual where they are, helping them to learn, grow, and thrive into adulthood. Experiences are formulated into an action plan to navigate life, school, and career while minimizing anxiety, enabling success, and promoting well-being.
Community Support Group
Education, support, and resource information for parents and professionals based on the Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS) approach for working with all of our young people, especially those who are experiencing difficulty and/or exhibit challenging behavior due to varying degrees of lagging skills and unsolved problems. Learning and behavior are interconnected. Become part of a community that understands “Children do well if they can.” Additionally, benefit from learning about positive psychology and how to remedy learned helplessness and cultivate learned optimism! In-person and virtual sessions are offered throughout the year.
Educational Consulting & Training
Consultations provide a roadmap to guide families of young people who have a range of abilities in addressing educational and social-emotional concerns while devising a plan to work with school personnel and community resources. Different types of training are offered, blending mentoring, tutoring, and skill-building for young people, parents, and professionals by educators who embrace whole-child learning methods with strengths as the entry-point, recognizing that one-size-does-not-fit-all.
Nature & Wellness Connections
Recharge in nature through guided Forest Bathing Meditative Nature Exploration, offering peaceful and engaging sensory experiences with physical and emotional health benefits, a community circle for communication, and a closing tea ceremony. Sessions include education about the origins and science of Forest Bathing in Japan. Learn & Grow inclusive community classes include hands-on outdoor education in a variety of topic areas, in addition to nature-art opportunities for creativity-inspired personal development. We invite the community at large (all ages, abilities, learning styles, and needs) to learn and grow with us on the premises of our historic property and organic farm space, enhancing academics, embracing creativity, and enabling calm and connection. We offer family and group discounts to provide access to all.
Summer at the Sangha
During this 4-week summer general public program, teens and young adults are introduced to a sampling of hands-on inclusive community classes with nature and wellness themes across a range of topic areas such as history, science, and creative art outlets. Games and team-building take place during lunchtime. Meeting on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, participants come together for outdoor learning experiences, enjoy camaraderie, and minimize anxiety. Learn what diversity in nature has to teach through exploration and discovery of plants, animals, land, and water in our Long Island “learnscape”, connecting us as kin. Guided by our farmers, teachers, peer-mentors, and community partners, there is something for everyone!
Long Island History in Your Own Backyard
Long Island History In Your Own Backyard reflects the life and times of local families and the farming and maritime culture to which they were connected. Learning from the wisdom of those who came before us can enlighten minds and strengthen community bonds. Inclusive community classes for the general public include presentations, hands-on experiential learning, and house or walking tours on the Jericho Preserve (more to come!). Discover the web of Quaker and African American communities that resided in Jericho, Wantagh/North Bellmore, and Old Bethpage, and their involvement in abolition and the Underground Railroad. Our current general public offering includes: Long Island Quakers, The Underground Railroad on Long Island, Historic Malcolm House, and Women in Abolition. All ages and abilities welcome! Family and group discounts are offered.
Start Your Own Garden
We offer design, planning, and consultation services to assist schools and local community organizations in starting their own gardens, which can serve as an outdoor classroom. Community members come to recognize that environmental and personal wellness are interdependent, developing new “stewards” for Earth. Hands-on training includes Seed Starts, Nature Communities, and Compost & Worms. In taking care of Earth and understanding our innate connection to all living systems, we can develop a deeper understanding of “well-being” while cultivating the physical and emotional health of our young people and communities in the process.