StoneLedge Stables Offers Student Summer Programs

Combine a focus on acquiring socio-economic skills with working with rescue animals, and you get the gist of what the StoneLedge Stables summer programs are all about. The founder and educator of the program is Sandy Bailey. “I have been educating preschoolers in the Upper Valley for over 20 years and rescuing animals my entire life,” she said. “After noticing the increase in challenging behaviors in my students, I knew there was more that needed to be done to facilitate social emotional development. I found out that combining my two passions was the answer.”
What exactly is social-emotional development? Bailey describes it as “social emotional skills in young children includes; the ability to collaborate with others, manage their own emotions, focus their attention, have a strong sense about their own identity, self-discipline and connection. Social emotional learning is the foundation from which all learning builds.”
“Animals are natural teachers and give students the ability to learn these skills in an outdoor natural setting,” she said. “For students, this can be the breakthrough needed in their own unique learning.”
StoneLedge Stables began in 2015, with the first summer of programs held in 2016. This summer, StoneLedge offers three different summer programs:

Children at Stoneledge Stables
Photo by Kimberly Chu

The Way of the Horse

Students will explore the farm using their five senses just like a horse does. The program consists of animal husbandry activities, riding, gardening, mud kitchen play, woodworking, and nature-based crafts.

The Way of the Sheep

Students will actively explore numerous areas of the farm, including the garden and the vernal pool. Animal husbandry and sewing activities will be a large part of the curriculum. Coats will be explored once shorn by washing, dying, carding, and spinning fiber.

The Way of the Pig

Students will explore the farm in an intelligent, muddy, and social way. They will work in the garden and participate in animal husbandry activities. Pigs have one of the highest IQs of all domestic animals, and students will sharpen their minds as they study native New England plants and animals.

Sandy Bailey with Bella Photo by Kimberly Chu

StoneLedge is situated on Union Village Road, just before the steep hill before the road joins Route 132. When I visited the program on a Monday morning, there were maybe 10 young children busy with various activities. One or two were engaged in a project involving a microscope that was donated to the program. One or two children were busy grinding feed for chickens, while others were playing with and picking up the chickens. One girl sat by herself busy making a bracelet. There were three or four Counselors-in-Training (CIT) to help the children with their various endeavors. The highlight of the morning was Bailey shearing a rescue sheep. The children watched as she struggled to hold the sheep while it was being sheared, and a few of the children wanted to play with the wool after it had been sheared. In addition to the sheep and chickens, the stars at Stone Ledge are the two rescue horses and Cooper, a rescue dog.

The program relies on the community for funding. “Without community grants, there would be no program,” Bailey said. “We have been blessed by grants from the Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation, Norwich Lions Club, Norwich Women’s Club, Dan & Whit’s, Mascoma Bank Community Grants, the Co-Op Food Stores, Hypertherm Hope Foundation, and the Susan D. Kaufman Foundation.” StoneLedge also has a close relationship with the local Sweetland Farm, which hosted a fundraising event last September — Hoofin’ it for Hay, a 5k and Fun Run.

Kindness Rock Garden Sign Kimberly Chu Photography

Bailey said this type of education model is the way of the future for young children. “I am currently working with the Early Childhood Education Association (ECEA) of the Upper Valley by mentoring the next generation of Early Educators,” she added. “Outdoor farm-based programs are a unique model that facilitate the teacher’s ability to meet students where they are at in their unique learning journeys. In response to community needs we offer both a Junior Counselor in Training program (for 4-8 graders) and a CIT program, which then becomes a paid position if the student wants to continue their learning on the farm.”
Learn more about StoneLedge Stables by visiting stoneledgestables.org.