Summer at the Sangha 2026 – Week 4

Week 4 Sessions

MONDAY JULY 27TH

AM – LI History In Your Own Backyard – Women & Abolition with Thereze Madison, History Educator

Sangha Education Center is excited to introduce another one of four Long Island History In Your Own Backyard inclusive community classes. We will conclude this summer with Women and Abolition. Through family ties, friendships, and a shared mission, Quaker women have worked together with others to assist enslaved people throughout history, including as abolitionists and educators in secret charity schools and in other capacities connected to the Underground Railroad. Today, we will embark on an educational presentation and activities at Historic Malcolm House that shed light on the life and work of such women. Thereze Madison, Public School Educator and History Enthusiast, will guide this educational experience.

PM – Cold Porcelain Claywork Painting & Decorating with Ester de la Fuente, Artist & Yoga Instructor

Now that the cold porcelain claywork designs made earlier in July have fully dried, we will embark on another class with community partner and artist Esther de la Fuente of IndigoAzul29 to paint and decorate our pendants, ring dishes, or keychain holder designs. The nature textures used will prompt creativity as we utilize acrylic paint, beach glass, beads, and other elements to make our creations truly our own. These beautiful and practical items can be keepsakes or gift items resembling real porcelain. Esther’s guidance will encourage subsequent cold porcelain claywork undertakings that participants may do at home or in future Sangha classes where more advanced artwork can broaden their skills.

WEDNESDAY JULY 29TH

AM – Oyster Raising in Oyster Bay with The WaterFront Center of Oyster Bay

We are grateful to The WaterFront Center of Oyster Bay for bringing a new class to us this summer. Today, we will learn about how to raise oysters for continued health and clean waters within Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor. Oysters were endangered, and efforts on behalf of many on the North Shore of Long Island led to their ability to remain an integral part of our ecosystem. Important concepts will be discussed about the life-cycle of oysters, we will embark on cage-building, as well as sorting and cleaning oysters, and learning why this is critical to the local oyster population, our waters, and the eco-health of the entire system. In the future, we may choose to volunteer with The WaterFront Center of Oyster Bay to help clean oyster cages and embark on other supportive functions with Friends of the Bay.

PM – Our Long Island Waters Then and Now with Christine Keller, Educator, and Brian Autar, Mentor

Some may be aware that our Long Island home has a very unique geography, and important water resources that were shaped about 21,000 years ago during the last ice age. In today’s class, we will learn about the two massive glacial drifts and moraines—the Ronkonkoma and Harbor Hill Moraines that created the landmass on which we live. We will explore the North Shore and South Shore features and the underground aquifers, groundwater, and the history of the L.I. Sound that comprise the ecosystem and water we need to survive. Through hands-on model making and experimentation, we will see how the ongoing evolution of land and water works together, and the human awareness that is necessary for its future.

FRIDAY JULY 31ST

AM – The History and Science of Soap Making with Steeve Sproul, STEM Educator

Has anyone ever wondered where soap comes from or how it works? During this class, participants will learn about the history, science, and interesting fun facts related to soap making and usage in cultures from around the world, starting with ancient Babylonians and Egyptians to the Romans through the Middle Ages, and during the Industrial Revolution of the 18^th-19^th centuries. We will then embark on a related science experiment and create bars of soap to take home. In addition to making the soap itself, there will be an option to add natural decorative elements. Come enjoy learning about the importance of soap making and embark on the process with others.

PM – Magnifying Technology and Patterns in Nature with Steeve Sproul, STEM Educator, and Brian Autar, Mentor

Magnifying tools can reveal the hidden mathematical wisdom at work in nature, allowing us to see how microscopic structures form complex, repeating designs of fractals (ferns and snowflakes), spirals (nautilus shells and scales of pinecones), and symmetry (butterflies and leaves), based on number sequences that provide scientists with profound blueprints for technological innovation. Today, we will learn about these hidden patterns in nature and use various magnifying tools such as a hand-held magnifying glass, a miniature zoom lens for an iPhone, and a microscope to explore concepts such as the Fibonacci Sequence and the Golden Ratio, the mathematical sequences, and rules that govern biological growth.

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