September 15, 2025
Students who initially resisted coming to the farm were suddenly asking how they could continue the program during the school year. By summer's end, they were donating handmade picnic tables back to the farm and telling their intern educator they'd try harder in school because of her influence.
"Hearing the students say they are going to try harder in school because of me almost made me cry," says Abby Bird ’26, an MCLA undergraduate who spent her summer as an educator intern with a partnership between North Adams Public Schools, Greenagers, and Many Forks Farm in Clarksburg. "Knowing that I and this program had left a difference on these kids' lives left me speechless."
Bird worked with two groups over six weeks: middle schoolers from Colgrove and high school students from Drury. Each day began with morning circle time on donated log seats, followed by rotations through "crew groups" focused on cooking, gardening, and building projects. Students caught tadpoles at the river, played with donated bunnies, and harvested crops throughout the summer.
"Many of them said afterwards that they wouldn't believe how much math, science, and reading they did without even knowing it," Bird explains. "The kids being outside brings it into a new perspective that some of the boring things they learn in school can be applied to the real world."
The program culminated in ambitious "passion projects." Colgrove students chose from survival skills (including growing "space onions" for Mars), art (painting a farm mural), nature education (creating trail signs), and cooking. Drury students built picnic tables and Adirondack chairs, worked with a mason to construct an outdoor pizza oven, created a video documentary, and prepared elaborate meals, all from farm ingredients. Most remarkably, students chose to donate their handmade picnic tables back to the farm.
Despite being voluntary, both groups averaged 90% attendance. "These kids showed every
day and gave it their all," Bird reflects. "There was rarely a time a student said
no and didn't actually participate."
The program's success stems from its collaborative foundation. North Adams Public Schools provides enrollment and transportation, Greenagers brings educational expertise, Many Forks Farm offers space and agricultural knowledge, and the MCLA Foundation funds intern positions.
For Bird, who credits program director Sue Wells with creating an environment where "any idea you have can be turned into something amazing," the experience has been transformational. Students who initially approached the program with skepticism now want to continue year-round, demonstrating that when learning feels relevant and engaging, everything changes.
Those handmade picnic tables represent more than summer achievements. They're evidence of what happens when students are given meaningful work, supportive mentorship, and the freedom to learn through discovery.
