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Upcoming Events

Online InfoSessions for Prospective Families

Wednesday December 4, 7pm

Thursday December 19, 7pm

Sunday January 5, 7pm

Tuesday January 28, 7pm

Monday February 3, 7pm

Friday February 28, 7pm


Online

Join us online for an informational call with Head of School Allison 

(she/her) and/or Admissions Outreach Alex (she/they) to welcome you to our school's credo and answer all your questions! Our InfoSessions are a space to learn about the unique curriculum, relationship to the land, and commitment to queering education that makes the J.S. Bryant School so singular. 

RSVP

Behind the Scenes Campus Tour for Students and Families

Sunday, December 15th, 9am

Tuesday, January 21st, 9am

Saturday, February 8th, 10am


Learning & Wellness Campus followed by Farming Campus (Indoor/Outdoor)

Behind the Scenes Campus Tour for Students and Families. Curious about the J.S. Bryant School? You're invited to a sneak peek of our work-in-progress on campus. Head of School Allison Druin will introduce you to our unique curriculum, answer your questions, and explain how co-design with LGBTQ+ youth is shaping our vision and spaces. Come see for yourself what we're all about. Now accepting applicants for Fall 2025 for students entering grades 9-11.


You Belong.

RSVP

Volunteer Saturdays

Look here for more volunteer opportunities in the Fall.


Past Volunteer Saturdays:

Saturday, September 14th, 9am-noon - Outside: Dismantle some of the "obstacle course" to make room for improved apple orchard fencing - Learning & Wellness Campus.


Saturday, September 28th, 9am-noon - Indoor: continued painting of select rooms - Learning & Wellness Campus.

Interested in an up close and personal experience with goats, burdock root, perennial gardens, a paintbrush, hammers, nails, saws or some other tool or task while you learn about the vision for the school? We’ll gather from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM most Saturdays to give time and labor to the many physical tasks of bringing this school to life. We find joy in sharing this labor of love and invite you to be part of it! Stay for as little or as long as you like. We welcome the hands and hearts of all generations, identities, and abilities into the mix of our community.

RSVP

Please RSVP by emailing rsvp@jsbryantschool.org

Past Events (2024)

Goat Cheese Making Workshop

Saturday, October 19, 2-4pm

Farming Campus (Indoor)

Get a taste of what life as a J.S. Bryant student will be like at our very own goat cheese making workshop! Meet the school’s goats, learn about the role of the herd in a permaculture system, and take home your own custom cheese. We wouldn’t be surprised if you make some friends (animal or human) in the process. Workshop is offered to LGBTQIA+ teens and their communities. 

Community Fire

July 13, 2024, 7 - 9 PM

J.S. Bryant Learning & Wellness Campus

We’re fond of building fires to gather around, and smores for everyone to enjoy, so we hope you’ll join us in this opportunity to sit together underneath the evening sky. We’ll offer the opportunity to tour and learn about the school before the fire starts. Then we’ll move into a space of reflection and sharing, storytelling and perhaps even song!

deTours

with Cummington Cultural District

Saturday July 20th, 9:00am - 11:00am

Farming Campus (meet at Bryant Homestead)

The school is named after William Cullen Bryant’s daughter, Julia Sands Bryant. She was the first steward of Bryant’s legacy, and important in her own right as an early queer figure in the region. For this deTour, JS Bryant School team members will lead a program that takes a walk through the land and its history, offering a place-based learning experience for teens, their families, and the local community.

The tour will take place on the Homestead grounds and also on the School grounds, and will take stops throughout to discuss the histories of place and the people who have animated it. The full walk will be roughly 2 miles, and will stop for a break with refreshments about halfway through at the Farm House.

Yin Yoga

with Luke “Tt” King

Saturday, February 17th, 10 - 11:45 AM EST

Location: Virtual

Experience the FIRST class in our new-to-us Learning & Wellness Center! Take a brief virtual tour and learn a little about the school and our mission, and then take a long slow breath and join Luke (he/him) for his Yin Yoga class. This class serves as an introduction to Yin Yoga for the community. Yin is a unique yoga style that focuses on nourishing the joints and the fascia, making it a balancing practice for “Yang” exercises that focus on muscular development. Yin practitioners experience a range of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual benefits from the practice, where the style asks us to enter a pose, find stillness and stay awhile.


A Zoom link and how to donate will be shared prior to the event. A suggested donation of $10 - $50 helps us to open our doors in 2025; everyone is welcome regardless of donation.

Community Conversation

Monday, February 26th, 6:30 - 8 PM EST

Location: Virtual

Please join us for a virtual Community Conversation about the J. S. Bryant School. We'll share our vision for a therapeutic high school to support LGBTQ+ students struggling with anxiety and depression. We’ll talk about where we are in the process, answer your questions, and share what our next steps are to open the doors in 2025! We invite your ideas and your curiosity in shaping how a historic farm in the Berkshire Foothills becomes a learning community for wellness and creative activation.


A Zoom link will be shared prior to the event.

Friends & Family Maple Tour & Tasting!

with Two Mama’s Farm, Hilltown Land Trust and High Five Books

Saturday, March 16th, 11 AM - 1 PM

Bad Weather: Sun., Mar. 17th, 11 AM - 1 PM

Location: Two Mama’s Farm, 11 Porter Hill Road, Cummington

Join Two Mamas Farm, the Hilltown Land Trust, High Five Books and the J.S. Bryant School for a very special family-friendly tour of queer-run Two Mamas Farm, where you'll learn more about small-scale maple tapping and sugaring, their sustainable practices and their approach to land conservation. The tour will also include a tasting of the different grades of maple syrup from their sugarbush, a community potluck, and opportunities to connect around the fire!


The High Five Team will be available throughout the event in the barn with beanbags, books, and activities related to maple trees for all of the kids and kids-at-heart to enjoy! Join us in this beginner and family-friendly experience. LGBTQ+ community and allies invited.


A suggested donation of $0 - $50 is encouraged, with donations being shared between the Hilltown Land Trust and the J.S. Bryant School. Everyone is welcome regardless of donation.


Read details about the event [pdf].

Seasonal Baking Class

with Rori of Lemon Bakery

Monday, March 18th, 6:30 - 8:30 PM EST

Location: Virtual

Do you LOVE baking?! Do you LOVE learning how to bake with in-season ingredients?! Well, you’re in luck! We’re partnering with Rori (they/them) of Lemon Bakery to explore what delicious savory treats you can bake in-season during this time of the year. We’ll give you an opportunity to learn more about the school throughout the process, and we’ll hold space for questions about baking and the school, as we wait for our treats to finish baking. Bakers at any and all levels are welcome!


A Zoom link and how to donate will be shared prior to the event. A suggested donation of $10 - $50 helps us to open our doors in 2025; everyone is welcome regardless of donation.

LGBTQ+ & Allies Trivia Night

with Ivy of Skye Trivia in the Pioneer Valley

Thursday, March 28th, 6:30 - 8:30 PM

Location: Bombyx Center for Arts & Equity, 130 Pine St., Florence, MA

In this special edition of trivia, Ivy will share a wide range of trivia questions about the LGBTQ+ community, their allies, and the J.S. Bryant School and team. You’re guaranteed to laugh, to enjoy the company of those around you, to be humbled, to celebrate, and to learn. The perfect way to spend your evening whether you bring your family, your partner, or someone from your chosen family. Join us as we find our way through the last of the cold and gray days of March into the Spring!


A suggested donation of $10 - $50 helps us to open our doors in 2025; everyone is welcome regardless of donation. RSVPs are required for this event.

Community Conversation

Hosted by Zen Frog Cafe

Thursday, April 18th, 6 - 7:30 PM

Location: Zen Frog Cafe, 90 Maple St, Florence

Please join us at Zen Frog Cafe for a Community Conversation about the J. S. Bryant School. We'll share our vision for a therapeutic high school to support LGBTQ+ students struggling with anxiety and depression. We’ll talk about where we are in the process, answer your questions, and share what our next steps are to open the doors in 2025! We invite your ideas and your curiosity in shaping how a historic farm in the Berkshire Foothills becomes a learning community for wellness and creative activation.

Community Work Parties: Planting Our Apple Tree Orchard

Friday April 26th, 9:30 AM - 1:30 PM

Saturday, April 27th, 9:30 AM - 3 PM

Rain Dates, May 10th & 11th

Location: J.S. Bryant Farming Campus

There are many physical tasks to be completed in preparation for opening our doors in 2025; this Spring we’re planting over 200 apple trees so that when our students arrive for their first months with us, they will have an orchard full of apples as part of their educational and culinary experience! We welcome the hands and hearts of all generations, identities, and abilities into the mix of our community work party. Join us for a day of connecting with the earth, with others in the community, and delicious snacks!

Past Events (2023)

Volunteer Fridays

Fridays, Sept 8 – Nov 17, 2023
9 AM - NOON

Interested in an up close and personal experience with goats, burdock root, perennial gardens, a paintbrush or some other tool or task while you learn about the vision for the school? We’ll gather from 9 AM - 12 PM most Fridays to give time and labor to the many physical tasks of bringing this school to life. We find joy in sharing this labor of love and invite you to be part of it! Stay for as little or as long as you like. We welcome the hands and hearts of all generations, identities, and abilities into the mix of our community. Send an email to rsvp@jsbryantschool.org to let us know that you’re interested in joining us!

Community Conversation

July 31st, 2023

6 PM - 7:30 PM

Please join us for a Community Conversation on the J. S. Bryant School. We'll share our vision for a therapeutic high school to support LGBTQ+ students struggling with anxiety and depression. We invite your ideas in reimagining how a historic farm in the Berkshire Foothills becomes a learning community for wellness and creative activation.

Sponsorship Event: J.S. Bryant School supports Yet Another Queer Pop-Up Market

Saturday, December 2nd, 2023

10 AM - 5 PM

Florence Civic Center, 90 Park Street, Florence, MA

Meet us at this fledgling pop-up market centering LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and emerging artisans and makers exploring their craft. This market is rooted in the belief that there is always room for more spaces in the community to support the financial success of BIPOC, queer, and trans makers, artists, crafters, creators, and entrepreneurs.


Learn more at https://yet-another-queer-pop-up-market.mailchimpsites.com/

Community Picnic Brunch & Music

August 19th, 2023 (rain date of August 20th)

10 AM - 12 PM

Bring a blanket or chair and spend some time with us enjoying brunch picnic treats, the view, and each other as we enjoy the sounds of local and regional musicians, John Bye and Peg Cowen of One Part Luck, cellist Stephen Katz, and singer, songwriter and jazz musician, Pamela Means. Bubbles, games, and laughter are also welcome as we take a moment to pause before the school days begin and Fall returns to the land.

J.S. Bryant School & Bryant Homestead Community Volunteer Work Party

September 30th, 2023 (rain date of October 1st)

9 AM - 12 PM

Join us for a day of community, connection, and tending the historic Bryant Homestead land and building. The history of the J. S. Bryant School land and buildings are deeply entwined with our neighbors, and we look forward to a bright future of collaboration and care as part of the future of our school. Join us indoors as we turn the gift shop back into the historic house kitchen of the homestead...OR work with us outdoors to cut away invasive plant species. All ages and abilities are welcome. Snacks and beverages will be served, and post-party trips to visit with the J. S. Bryant School goats will be included in the event!

Partnership Event
J.S. Bryant School supports High Five Books

October 5th, 2023

6 - 7:30 PM


@ BOMBYX Center for Arts & Equity

130 Pine St, Northampton, MA 01062

https://bombyx.live/events/highfivebooks-alexgino/



High Five Books presents award-winning author Alex Gino. Families Welcome!

Community Fire

October 14th, 2023 (rain date 15th)

6 PM - 8 PM

We invite you to join us underneath the evening sky as we individually and collectively reflect on this past year and offer gratitude for the abundance that the seasons have brought to us. We’ll offer the opportunity to tour and learn about the school before the fire starts. Then we’ll move into a space of reflection and sharing, storytelling and perhaps even song. Register to join us for s’mores, cool and crisp air, community, and a beautiful fire amidst a (hopefully) star-filled sky.

Community Walk

May 21st, 2023 (delayed because of rain)
10 AM - 12 PM

We’ll meet at the main house and then meander through the fields and into the woods, exploring and sharing what we each know about the plants and trees of the land. Your plant and tree knowledge is welcome as part of our collective understanding of the landscape, as well as curious minds that are new to this type of exploration. For those who are unable to walk with us or who may need a shorter walk, the house will be open for rest and conversation.

Community Conversation

June 7th, 2023, 7 PM

@ The Bear & Bee Bookshop, North Adams


Please join us for a Community Conversation on the J. S. Bryant School. We'll share our vision for a therapeutic high school to support LGBTQ+ students struggling with anxiety and depression. We invite your ideas in reimagining how a historic farm in the Berkshire Foothills becomes a learning community for wellness and creative activation.

Community Fire

June 15th, 2023 (rain date June 16th)

7 PM - 9 PM

Our co-founder, Ben, is fond of building fires to gather around, so we hope you’ll join us in this opportunity to sit together underneath the evening sky. We’ll find our way into sharing stories about our lives and the lives of those who worked at the farm, and maybe even break into song.

Community
Work Party

July 29th, 2023 (rain date of July 30th)

9 AM - 12 PM

There are many physical tasks to be completed in preparation for opening our doors in 2025. We welcome the hands and hearts of all generations, identities, and abilities into the mix of our community work party. We'll have a range of opportunities for engaging with the land: weeding the demo gardens, cleaning up the old sugar house site, pulling invasives to feed to the goats, planting some livestock medicinal gardens, general landscape care, and so much more!

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