Wright-Locke Farm’s youth education programs offer children a unique, hands-on experience learning about farming and the natural world on our historic working farm. For each child, we aim to inspire curiosity about the natural world, foster a sense of comfort in the outdoors, and develop a sense of respect for living things. All of our programs include lessons and activities related to agriculture and the environment using our fields, pastures, barns, woods, and farm animals as a living classroom. Specific subjects include Wright-Locke farm animals (goats, chickens, honey bees), farm operations, outdoor exploration, and plant growth.
Limited financial assistance is available for all of our youth education programs. For more information, please email the Youth Programs Manager.
Interested in a group visit or enrichment program? Click here to learn more!
1. Log into, or create, your account via WLFarm.org. It’s quick and easy! We just need some basic information about yourself.
Special note: Have you made a donation or registered for programs before? If so, be sure to use the EXACT same first name, last name, and email address you previously used to make your account. If you’d like to change any of these pieces of information, you may do so by logging into your account.
2. Create a child profile for each child you wish to register. Similar to creating an account, you must provide some basic information about your child(ren) in order to register them for programs. You may edit this information at any time by logging into your account.
3. Prior to registering for a program, please be sure to read our Youth Program Terms below for information on our payment and refund policy, photo and video policy, and liability statement.
*Please note that payment for a program is due at least 2 weeks prior to a program’s start date in order to guarantee your child’s spot in a program.
4. Register for a youth program!
We strongly recommend having one internet browser tab open to this page (with program details) and another tab open to log into your account and do the following:
- Choose a specific program (i.e. “Monday Spring After School Program”) from the drop-down menu on the Event Registration page.
- Select the profile of the child you wish to register for this program–you’ll be given the option to pay immediately by credit card or to pay later; we recommend opting to “pay later” if signing up for multiple programs or children so that you may pay for all programs with one credit card transaction on the Make Payment page (one check payment can also be mailed in lieu of credit card payment).
- To sign up your child for another program or to register multiple children for the same program, you will repeat this step.
Did a program of interest sell out?
If a program sells out, we have a wait list available–just contact our Youth Programs Manager to let us know which program(s) you are interested in having your child attend. Many wait list families end up receiving notice about openings, you just never know when it will be (spring – summer). We notify wait list families in a chronological order as soon as a spot becomes available.
Contact our Youth Programs Manager with any questions.
Payment & Refund Policy:
- Online payments can be made via the following credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, Discover
- Payment for a youth program, made by credit card, check, money order, or cash, must be submitted at least 2 weeks in advance of the program’s start date. Failure to comply may result in the loss of your child’s spot in the program for which payment is owed.
- Tuition refunds are guaranteed up to 2 weeks prior to the start date of a program minus a $10 administrative fee. Cancellation within the two weeks prior to the program start date will be given a 50% refund if the child’s spot cannot be filled. (If the spot can be filled, a full refund minus the $10 administrative fee will be given.)
- There will be no tuition refunds for cancellations made after a program has begun.
- No full or partial tuition refund or credit will be given for a child’s failure to attend any part of a program for which they are registered.
- A full tuition refund will be given in the event Wright-Locke Farm cancels a program.
Photo & Video Policy:
- The Conservancy may take photos and digital video footage of activities throughout the educational program season for record keeping and publicity purposes. Participant names are never used in connection with these photos or videos.
Liability Statement (Permission for the Conservancy to handle emergencies):
- I realize injuries can occur from participation in Farm programs. I hereby waive, release, absolve, indemnify, and agree to hold harmless the Wright-Locke Farm Conservancy, Inc., their Board of Directors, instructors, or assignees, and the Town of Winchester from any claim arising out of injury to my child or myself. Should my child be taken to the hospital for emergency purposes, I hereby grant permission to the attending physician and staff to administer anesthesia, medical, X-ray, and surgical procedures as may be deemed necessary or advisable. I understand that every attempt will be made to contact me in an emergency.
— Summer Programs —
Join our Education Director for a guided tour of the farm! Our Farm Tour gives an overview of everything happening on the farm, including our agricultural operations, goats, chickens, honeybees, compost, farm history, and pond & forest ecology. This is a great way to spend some time outside and see the farm up close! Tours will last about 1 hour with two groups per timeslot and cost $30 (for 3 people), plus $5 for each additional person (maximum of 5 people per group). This program is open to all ages, but it is important to remember that it will be entirely outside with no access to a restroom.
Please note: for everyone’s safety all members of a group must be from the same family/household and there must be at least 1 adult for every 2 children present. All visitors over the age of 2 are required to wear masks while visiting the farm.
Click on a date/time to register:
Aug 5, 9:30-10:30 am (Postponed due to weather)
Aug 5, 11:00 am -12:00 pm (Postponed due to weather)
If programs fill, email Jack (jwright@WLFarm.org) with your name and desired date of visit to join the waitlist.
— Fall Programs —
In our efforts to include as many families as possible, participants are limited to one session each. Thank you for your understanding!
All programs are currently full. Please email Jack (jwright@WLFarm.org) to join the waitlist for your desired program. Thank you!
Preschool (4-5 y.o.)
This group is for preschool-aged children (4-5 years old) and will meet Friday mornings (9 am – 12 pm) for 6 weeks from September 18 through October 23. For everyone’s safety, this group is limited to five participants. Children must be out of diapers and able to use the bathroom independently.
Friday Farm Explorers (9/18 – 10/23) (FULL)
This program provides the perfect opportunity to explore outside with other kids. Each day, we’ll complete “chicken chores,” providing fresh food and water and collecting the hens’ eggs. We’ll also visit our education garden to learn about plant growth and food! In addition to these weekly routines, each session will focus on one aspect of the farm or surrounding conservation land. Examples include learning more about our goats, building fairy houses, or going on a hike! We make use of all of the natural areas around us, including the Whipple Hill Conservation Area, our own Pond Loop, and our cultivated land. This program aims to facilitate a connection with the outdoors, develop a love of learning, and foster curiosity. Cost: $250.
Limited financial assistance is available for all farm education programs. To request assistance, first reserve your space in the program by registering and selecting the “Pay Later” option. After reserving your space, please complete this form and return to Jack at jwright@WLFarm.org.
After-School Programs (3:30-5:30 pm). Register using the links below:
Monday After-School (K-2nd) (FULL)
Tuesday After-School (K-2nd) (FULL)
Wednesday After-School (K-2nd) (FULL)
Thursday After-School (3rd-5th) (FULL)
Each of the groups above will meet once per week for 6 weeks on their designated day from September 14 through October 26, with no meeting on Indigenous People’s Day (Oct. 12). Programs will be split into no more than 4 participants per educator to ensure everyone’s safety.
This program provides the perfect opportunity to learn more about agriculture and the environment. Each day, we’ll complete “chicken chores,” providing fresh food and water and collecting the hens’ eggs. We’ll also visit our education garden to learn about plant growth and food! In addition to these weekly routines, each session will focus on one aspect of the farm or surrounding conservation land. Examples include learning more about our goats, playing games to understand pollination, or going on a hike! We make use of all of the natural areas around us, including the Whipple Hill Conservation Area, our own Pond Loop, and our cultivated land. These programs aim to facilitate a connection with the outdoors, develop a love of learning, and foster curiosity. Cost: $210.
Limited financial assistance is available for all farm education programs. To request assistance, first reserve your space in the program by registering and selecting the “Pay Later” option. After reserving your space, please complete this form and return to Jack at jwright@WLFarm.org.
Farm Explorer Programs (2:00 – 5:00 pm). Register using the links below:
Tuesday Farm Explorers (3rd-5th) (FULL)
Wednesday Farm Explorers (K-2nd) (FULL)
The Farm Explorers groups are a great option for families that are homeschooling or looking for alternative educational opportunities this fall! These groups will meet once per week for 6 weeks from September 15 through October 22. The groups will run from 2-5 pm and will be 8 kids in total, but in two separate groups (running concurrently), yielding 4 kids per 1 educator. These groups will remain separate and will not mix.
These programs will follow a similar curriculum as the after-school programs, but with added time, we’ll be able to dive deeper in-depth and cover additional topics! Lessons and activities will focus on different aspects of our agricultural and conservation operations such as our animals and their role on the farm, organic food production, composting, and more. Exploring these topics will allow us to apply various STEM subjects in addition to understanding food and environmental systems. We make use of all of the natural areas around us, including the Whipple Hill Conservation Area, our own Pond Loop, and our cultivated land. These programs aim to facilitate a connection with the outdoors, develop a love of learning, and foster curiosity. Cost: $275.
Limited financial assistance is available for all farm education programs. To request assistance, first reserve your space in the program by registering and selecting the “Pay Later” option. After reserving your space, please complete this form and return to Jack at jwright@WLFarm.org.
At Wright-Locke Farm, we recognize that many families are looking for alternative or supplemental education and social programs this fall! In addition to our scheduled education programs, we’re happy to schedule additional programs for homeschool groups, pods, or any other group! We’re happy to tailor the contents of programs to the group’s interest, or we can focus activities based on what’s happening on the farm. Here’s a list of topics we’ve covered before, but we’re always open to hearing what you’re interested in!
Program costs vary based on the program duration and the number of participants. As with other education programs, need-based financial assistance is available.
If you’re interested in scheduling a program (or a series of programs) for your group, please email us at FarmEd@WLFarm.org with more information about what you have in mind!
Financial Assistance
Limited financial assistance is available for all farm education programs. To request assistance, first reserve your space in the program by registering and selecting the “Pay Later” option. After reserving your space, please complete this form and return to Jack at jwright@WLFarm.org.
Group Visits & Enrichment Programs
Are you interested in having your class, group, or organization come to Wright-Locke Farm for an education or volunteer-oriented visit? Or would you like the Farm to come to your school or group for an in-house enrichment program? Please contact our Youth Programs Manager to book a future farm visit or enrichment program. Please note that we host farm visits April through October. Off-farm enrichment programs can be hosted at your location as our schedule allows. Click here for a list of our enrichment program topics.
For information about hosting a child’s birthday party at the Farm, please visit our Private Events webpage.
Please read our Visitor Guide to prepare for your future visit or program.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Youth Programs Manager
Farm education programs are generously supported by the Cummings Foundation and the John and Mary Murphy Foundation. You can support the Farm by making a donation.