Discover After School is an after-school program engaging middle school students in community activities that encourage connecting with nature through ecological investigations. The activities – such as place-based art projects, maker spaces, journaling time, and photography – help youth express their own stories. The program provides a safe, informal, and inclusive after-school space for middle schoolers to spend time outdoors and develop a closer relationship with nature. DAS participants may get dirt and/or paint on their clothes; please plan accordingly. Sign up to discover your own stories and nature’s stories from new perspectives! All supplies included.
This spring we will be building an educational native plant garden at Pete's Pond with the students. We meet after school from 3:15-5:30 on Thursdays for six sessions April 20th - May 25th.
Cost: Free
Off-Site: Each DAS meeting starts at the La Grande Middle School picnic tables; two instructors and the middle schoolers then walk to Pete’s Pond at 913 Miller Drive in La Grande. The program also includes a field trip to a different location during one of the six sessions. The field trip location may be subject to change due to inclement weather and/or accessibility needs of the group. Pete’s Pond, a Blue Mountains Conservancy property, is on Miller Avenue, one mile south of La Grande Middle School.
Discover After School is a collaboration between Art Center East and La Grande Parks and Recreation. The following businesses and organizations support Discover After School by donating their time and materials: Naknuwithlama Tiichamna – Caretakers of the Land, Cook Memorial Library, Greater Oregon STEM Hub, Grande Ronde Model Watershed, and Blue Mountains Conservancy.