School Field Trips at Grace Farms
Grace Farms offers innovative field trips for grades K-12 that engage students with our award-winning building and nature preserve. These programs align with the Next Generation Science Standards, Common Core, Connecticut Elementary and Secondary Social Studies Frameworks, and Social and Emotional Learning practices.
School Visit Request Form
Field Trips by Curriculum Theme
Experiences
Experiences take an inquiry-based approach to learning through collaborative problem solving and hands-on activities. These are led by a Grace Farms Educator and last about 90 minutes. Each experience includes two educational engagements, a specialized tour, and a hands-on maker moment. Experiences are available for all grades, and recommended for grades 2 through 7. We also offer a 60-minute experience for pre-school through grade 1.
School Visit Request Form
Pre-School and Kindergarten Experience
This 60-minute field trip is designed for our youngest visitors.
Visit this unique site where nature and architecture come together. This program takes students into the garden, where they will learn about the plants we grow. During an interactive story time, students will learn about the importance of pollinators and what they can do to support their work.
After a visit to the garden, students will have an opportunity to visit the River building and create with the Imagination Playground. Students will develop, play, collaborate on, and explore the ideas inspired by their visit. Architect David Rockwell designed this playground of foam shapes and parts.
$6 per student
curriculum standards | K-ESS2-2, K-2-ETS1-2, K-ESS3
Nature Experience
Learn how nature has influenced Grace Farms and how intentional design has put nature first in its LEED-certified award winning building.
Grace Farms began with the land. It informed the mission of Grace Farms Foundation as well as the design of the River building.
Your group will explore solutions that can reduce human impact on land, air, water, and the living things in your local environment. Your group will be led through parts of the 10 biodiverse habitats at Grace Farms to learn about the power of the 2,000 trees on site to sequester carbon and how ongoing stewardship has allowed more than 100 species of birds to be observed throughout our nearly 80 acres of restored meadows and woodlands.
This program includes visiting the Garden, home to a variety of organic vegetables, fruits, herbs, brambles, and native flowering plants that feed our pollinators. Your group will engage in a close look at the roof of the River building to discover how it supports the natural water system. You will also examine the meadows and how natural species thrive in adverse conditions. Each student will also participate in a maker moment that will support further exploration of the natural environment.
$8 per student
curriculum standards | NGSS K-ESS3-3, 5-ESS3-1, MS-ESS3-3, MS-ESS3-4, HS-ESS3-6, 2-LS4-1, 3-LS4-4, 5-LS2-1, MS-LS2-5, HS-LS2-7
Before Your Visit | Download Pre-Visit Resources and Activities PDF
Architecture Experience
Explore the award-winning SANAA-designed River building at Grace Farms to learn how “space communicates” through intentional design.
Special consideration was given to the landscape of Grace Farms, ensuring that no matter where one is on the site, one can see nature.
This program introduces young learners to architecture and design concepts. Students will walk through the River building, exploring the architecturally significant design and how the structure supports the landscape and the mission of the organization. Students will investigate the materials used in the creation of the River building and learn to trace the materials as far as possible along the supply chain.
By exploring the supply chain for timber, participants will be introduced to the Design for Freedom movement. Launched in 2020, the Design for Freedom movement aims to end forced labor in the building materials supply chain. Students will learn how decisions that are made in the design process can impact communities around the world. Finally, participants will engage in a maker moment and have the opportunity to use their own creativity to respond to a design challenge.
$8 per student
curriculum standards | NGSS K-2 ETS1-1,2&3, 3-5-ETS1-1,2&3, MS-ETS1-1,2,3&4, HS- ETS1-1,2 & 3 | HIST 8.3 | CIV 2.1-4, 8.4, 9-12.1 | ECO 2.2-3, 8.6, 9-12.5-6 | GEO 2.4-6, 8.4
Before Your Visit | Download Pre-Visit Resources and Activities PDF
SEL Experience for Grades K-7
Grace Farms’ humanitarian mission seeks to create more grace and peace in our local and global communities.
The award-winning SANAA-designed River building, with its winding silhouette and glass walls, was designed to be a peaceful respite. As the building meanders down the hillside each glass volume frames a view of the landscape, encouraging visitors to connect with nature while coming together under one continuous roof.
Students will explore the natural landscape and the Garden, play in the Court, pause in the Pavilion, and have a seat at the table in the Commons. This guided tour incorporates participatory, hands-on, inquiry-based activities.
This program participates in SEL frameworks.
curriculum standards | INQ 3
Before Your Visit | Download Pre-Visit Resources and Activities PDF
Tours
Led by a Grace Farms Educator, each tour runs about 90 minutes and is recommended for grades 8 through 12. Each tour provides students with a moment of inquiry, a Q&A session, and the chance to solve problems and reflect.
School Visit Request Form
River Building Architecture Tour
Explore the SANAA-designed River building.
This program will visit several locations throughout the River building that illustrate the intentional design architects, engineers, and designers used to create a public space communicating with nature.
Grace Farms is LEED-certified for its building design and construction as well as its operations and maintenance. Get a behind-the-scenes look at how the built and natural environment can work together. This inquiry-based tour will allow participants to observe the River building and gain new insights into its creation.
$8 per student
curriculum standards | NGSS MS-ETS1-1, HS- ETS1-1,2 & 3 | HIST 8.3 | CIV 8.4, 9-12.1 | ECO 8.6, 9-12.5-6 | GEO 8.4
Before Your Visit | Download Pre-Visit Resources and Activities PDF
Sustainable & Ethical Materials Tour
Combined with our LEED certification in building and operations, the River building and Grace Farms Foundation are striving for a more graceful and peaceful world.
Take a guided tour of the SANAA-designed River building and Barns to highlight ethical and sustainable material sourcing. The Design for Freedom movement was launched by Grace Farms in 2020 to address forced labor within the building materials supply chain.
This tour will make several stops along the River building to highlight the decisions made throughout the design process to address environmental and ethical challenges. The group will also engage in conversations on what are the next steps and where limitations still exist. Students on this tour are invited to take a closer look at timber, glass, brick, stone, and copper sources and learn how your class can create a more equitable and peaceful world through creative design and informed choices.
$8 per student
curriculum standards | NGSS ETS 1.B, ETS 1.c , GEO 9-12.7,GEO 9-12.8, ECO 9-12.1, CIV 9-12.1
Before Your Visit | Download Pre-Visit Resources and Activities PDF
SEL Workshop
Intertwined with participatory activities and discussions, this tour of the SANAA-designed River building explores questions that shaped the architecture and guides the humanitarian work of Grace Farms Foundation.
Experience how intentional architecture creates inclusive spaces and take time for contemplation and reflection. Students will pause to take a closer look at design, nature, and site-responsive art work. Collaborate to weave a giant web in the landscape and form a deeper understanding of community, notice artworks that create beauty from disorder, and examine architectural elements that support a thriving landscape. The SEL Workshop explores themes from embracing failure to what it means to flourish personally and as a community.
This 90-minute program focuses on three pillars of the CASEL Framework: Self-Management, Social Awareness, and Responsible Decision Making.
$8 per student
curriculum standards | NGSS ETS 1.B, ETS 1.c , GEO 9-12.7,GEO 9-12.8, ECO 9-12.1, CIV 9-12.1
Before Your Visit | Download Pre-Visit Resources and Activities PDF
School Field Trips Frequently Asked Questions
General
How do I register for a field trip?
Please fill out our application.
Where will we meet our educator?
Upon arrival, a Grace Farms Foundation Educator will meet your group at the West Barn welcome desk, provide an orientation to the site and Grace Farms Foundation, and answer any questions.
How long is each program?
Out standard program for 1st-12th grade programs is 90 minutes. The Pre-K and Kindergarten experience is 60 minutes.
Do you offer extra information to prepare me and my students prior to our visit?
We’re happy to provide more information prior to your visit! Please reach out to your tour coordinator at [email protected].
Is there a minimum or maximum number of students I can bring?
While there is no minimum amount, Grace Farms can accommodate groups of up to 100 students, depending on the program and staff availability.
Facilities
What is Grace Farms’ weather policy?
There is no bad weather at Grace Farms! We only interrupt daily operations or events if the weather poses a safety concern. In this case, we’ll reach out to your contact person and confirm the cancelation. In the rare event where we cannot contact you, 0r if you are uncertain of status, please visit our home page for the most up-to-date information about closures.
Are there restrooms?
Restrooms are located throughout Grace Farms’ River building and barns, and are open during operational hours.
Can we store our lunches and backpacks during our program?
Lunches can be stored in an air-conditioned room during the length of your program. However, personal items, such as backpacks, cannot be stored and should remain on the person, at school, or on the bus.
Do you have a gift shop?
A limited number of retail items are available at the West Barn Welcome Desk and the Library. Purchases are not allowed while a program is in session.
Can our busses park at Grace Farms?
Our safety team will provide instructions to the bus driver on where the group can be let off. The bus driver will then be directed to a parking space in our lower lot.
Can my group do more than our Experience or Tour during our visit?
Yes. All groups must be pre-registered. During your registration, kindly let us know if there are other activities, including a self-guided Grace Farms tour, that might interest your group. We offer self-guided materials for certain activities. Please note that extra fees may apply.
Food and Drink
Can we bring our own lunches?
Yes, please indicate in your reservation that you would like to eat lunch here so that we can provide a designated lunch area for your group, depending on the weather.
Can my students purchase food or beverages?
Students may purchase food or beverages from the Commons during any potential free time before or after their program, and at the discretion of their chaperone. Food and drink purchase are not allowed while a program is in session, and we cannot reserve space for school groups in the Commons.
Payment
How much do visits cost?
The cost associated with your visit depends on the size of your group. Our experiences and tours are $8 per student, except the Pre-School and Kindergarten experience, which is $6 per student.
Our minimum administration and orientation fee is $75.
Do you offer financial assistance?
Financial assistance is available for Title 1 Schools. Please note this request when filling out the Field Trip Request Form under Additional Information.
When do we pay for our visit?
An invoice will be sent to the group contact once all visit details are confirmed. Please provide payment two weeks prior to your visit. We accept credit card, check, or PO. We do not accept cash.
