Connecticut Experiential Learning Center, CELC Branford, Connecticut – Experiential Education

2012 National Geography Bee

For the 23rd year, the National Geographic Society sponsored the National Geographic Bee for students in the fourth through eighth grades in thousands of schools across the United States and in the five U.S. territories, as well as in Department of Defense Dependents Schools around the world.

Connecticut Experiential Learning Center (CELC) is host for the National Geography Bee for all Connecticut homeschoolers.

On Monday, 23 January 2012 nine students took their places on the stage of the auditorium of the James Blackstone Memorial Library in Branford, Connecticut.  These students have all been working to prepare for the day’s event – The National Geographic Geography Bee!

After the preliminary round containing seven questions to determine which four would be moving on, there was a tie for the third finalist and third-place winner.  The tie-breaking round commenced, followed by a final championship round, which ultimately determined our 2012 Bee champion!  

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CELC Hosts 2012 National Geography Bee

CT Experiential Learning Center 

Hosts 2012 National Geography Bee

for all CT Homeschoolers

CELC 3^rd Annual Geography Bee

James Blackstone Memorial Library

 Branford, CT

23 January 2012 at 1 p.m. 

Free and Open to the Public

For more information or to participate contact us:

 mandm@ctexperiential.org

or call 203-433-4658 / 203-215-2317

MONDAYS are Open House Days at CELC in Branford

Connecticut Experiential Learning Center (CELC), located at 28 School Street in Branford, provides an outstanding middle school education for students grades 5 – 8, blending strong academics with lots of hands-on and field experiences, as well as private tutoring, workshops, and special events.

CELC is a rewarding choice for students in grades 5 – 8 in the shoreline area. It could be the right fit for you and your family.

Registering now for 2012-13 academic year.

Call 203-215-2317 / 203-433-4658 to schedule a Monday visit.

Workshops and Special Events With CELC in Connecticut

A variety of workshops and classes are available throughout the year  including: Outdoor Education at Meigs Point, drama classes at Long Wharf Theater, and water science with the Whitney Water Center.  Read on for more information, class descriptions and pricing, or call 203-215-2317.

Introduction to Japanese for ages 10-14

Location: CT Experiential Learning Center (CELC) at 28 School Street, 2^nd floor – Suite G, Branford

 Date/Time: Thursdays: Oct. 20, 27, Nov. 3, 10, 17, and Dec. 1, 8, 15 from 3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Price:  Rate of $65.00 per class to be divided among participants   (minimum of 6 students to run the program)

This 8-week introduction to Japanese language and culture taught by an experienced instructor will include some or all of the following:

Writing systems (Kanji, hiragana, katakana) & basic usage read more

CELC – Rock On!

So much goes into each moment, each day, and each week.  This final week of CELC was typical in that it too, like all the rest, was filled to the brim with new adventures and focused academics.

We began on Monday preparing thank you notes and gifts for the many people who have graced our lives to share with us.  Visiting the Abbey of Regina Laudis, having Carlos Eire meet with students, and working with native Spanish speakers from Mexico were just a few. read more

Learning Happens … Anywhere!

CELC students just returned from a 7-day sailing adventure on the Chesepeake Bay aboard Boundless, a 46-foot ketch captained by Jeff Armor of Different Drum Sailing Adventures.  We knew we’d sail, but we could not have predicted all of the aspects in which this kind of experience would offer for learning and growth. Sailing requires knowledge of such a variety of areas, including meteorology, navigation and geography, not to mention the art of conversation, cooperation, and consideration of others.  Living aboard a boat also changes one’s perspective about what is possible.

En route to Fredericksburg, Virginia students had a math class in the café car of the Amtrak train. CELCers are quite adept at making a classroom happen, whether it is on the deck of Boundless for Literature Circle or on the train platform for writing workshop.   read more

A Week In The Life At CELC

CELC at Tsongas Industrial History Center in Lowell, Massachusetts

Learning opportunities come in a variety of ways.  Tuesday, 19 April CELC students interviewed residents at La Casa Otoñal in New Haven, a senior housing community serving mostly the Latino population. Students wanted to learn about the immigrant experience first-hand from these elders. Each student had a set of questions to use as a guide, and in addition to speaking English, read more

Another Fine Week In The Life At CELC

A Theme Study of Immigration    

Theme combines subject areas, including social studies, science, language arts, math and field experiences.  As Americans, we can only understand our country through a study of how we all came to be here.

A variety of opportunities are provided to allow students to gain an understanding of the immigrant experience.  In addition to creating artistically done scrapbooks that document their own family histories, writing a comprehensive research paper focusing on a particular country from where waves of immigration came to the U.S.A, and becoming an immigrant during our year-end theme extravaganza event, students travel to a variety of places and host visitors to the classroom who share their own life stories.

Recently, Miriam Swidel came to CELC and told of how she and her family were able to survive the Holocaust and how she eventually was offered the read more

Immigration and Family History Study

This year’s theme at CELC is entitled “Quest for Freedom in America : Immigration and African American Migration”.  Students have completed a study of their own family histories, elaborating on aspects in seven different areas: food, language, clothing, family tree, religion, and geography.  The research was compiled into artistically created and illustrated ‘family history scrapbooks’, which in addition to photographs, documents, and other visuals also included student’s own creative writing.

The study will now expand into learning about the waves of immigration to the United States spanning the past four hundred years.  We also will take special note to investigate current immigration policy and conditions.  A visit to New Haven’s Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services (IRIS) to learn about refugee resettlement, community service work with Casa Otonal, and visits to New York’s Tenement Museum and Ellis Island are some of the field experiences incorporated into our study.

Likewise, this study is enhanced by a variety of guest speakers who share their stories with students.  One such speaker who visited today was Angeli, a recent emigrant from Mexico City. After completing a four-year residency in psychiatry in her native country, and because of her outstanding academic accomplishments, she was eventually invited to the U.S. by a local university to study. Our students had an opportunity to listen to some of what was read more

Journey With CELC

Last week our outdoor education component of life included a visit to the Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill, CT.  Observing tracks of dinosaurs that roamed in Connecticut during the Jurassic Period, from about 200,000,000 years ago, and seeing a movie about fossils with Bill Nye, the Science Guy was a great way to spend a Tuesday afternoon.  Thursday students continued with our study of migratory birds when we visited the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge in Westbrook, CT.  Ranger Shaun Roche conducted a variety of activities focusing on the birds of the area, including red-winged blackbird, American kestrel, egret, and terns.

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