Connecticut Experiential Learning Center

About CELC

An Outstanding MIddle School Education for Young Adolescents

Hands-on real-life learning with a structured curriculum!

A dynamic middle school program, CT Experiential Learning Center (CELC) of Branford provides small classes that combine exceptional academics with hands-on and real-world learning experiences to fit the academic, social, and developmental needs of the 5^th – 8^th grade student.

The intention of the Connecticut Experiential Learning Center (CELC) is to challenge students and nurture their highest potential. By providing a learning community based in the guiding principles of respect, integrity, responsibility and individual learning, the innate desire of all children to learn, grow, communicate, and create is honored.

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The Latest News & Events

Welcome to Camp!

Time away from home for young people can change lives. Student travel is an integral part of the CELC education. Each year at CELC, students take a year-end trip, spending a few days and nights in a brand new place. This year, we spent one glorious week at Hulbert Outdoor Center in Fairlee, Vermont.

From the moment we arrived we were impressed with this facility, part of an over 1000-acre parcel of land host to Aloha Foundation’s three different camps that began in the 1920s. During the school year, Hulbert Outdoor Center occupies one of the camp facilities, offering adventure-based learning and teambuilding programs to youth.

Each day CELC students enjoyed and were challenged by a variety of activities, including wilderness skill building, forest and ecology classes, archery, a program about the Underground Railroad, lots of group games, and a high-ropes challenge course. This, plus an amazing variety of well prepared and plentiful home-cooked food made for quite a week together.

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Here are some of the student’s own impressions: [Read More...]

Summer Camps at CELC – Register Now!

Math and Science Camp

for ages 10 – 14

Explore math and science through a variety of hands-on and minds-on activities, including cooking, sports, art, and nature.

Meets 24 – 28 June 2013 or 8 – 12 July 2013 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Limit 10 campers per session. Cost is $295.00 for the week, includes all materials and instruction.

Math/Science Camp Registration Form

“Folks and Field Trips” Summer Camp

for ages 10 – 14

Visiting teaching artists will bring the depth and breadth of their talents to share with young people. Each day will include a different type of experience in the morning, such as visual art, story illustration, farm and garden, Japanese art form Oshibana, or peace studies. [Read More...]

Classroom Becomes “Living Museum” Construction Site

Sitting in the Lucy Hammer Room at the James Blackstone Library in Branford, CELC students learn about how to write effective introductions and conclusions for their research papers. This is only one aspect of the larger world that is part of our year-long thematic study of Ancient to Modern Civilizations.

Each year at CELC we have a particular theme that weaves its way into areas of academic and experiential study. In addition to CELC’s 5^th-8^th grade curriculum, the thematic study is included through literature, math, science, etc. Theme is also where students learn to write formal research papers.

During the past month, CELC students have chosen a different civilization and time period to study, gathered resource materials, researched and read about their topics. They were then taught to create a working outline and to take notes that correspond to the parts of the outline. First drafts are now beginning to happen, and over the next few weeks, each will have completed a formal paper that achieves a grade level–appropriate word count, table of contents, bibliography, interesting visuals, and an attractive cover page. [Read More...]