Integrating the Wild into Public Education

For the last nineteen years, through the Walden Project, Matt has integrated the wilds of Vermont into the public school curriculum. Matt will share stories of some of the triumphs, pitfalls, and possibilities when nature becomes the lead teacher in the classroom.

LIMITED SPACE | RSVP here

Matthew Schlein

Matthew has spent 45 years in the public school system, including 27 years as an educator. For the last 19, Matthew has founded and directed The Walden Project, an innovative internationally recognized public school program where students follow Thoreau's dictum of living deliberately and consciously. Meeting outside through Vermont's four seasons, the curriculum emphasizes student choice, as well as writing, environmental studies, and the social sciences. Matthew is also the Founder and Director of The WIllowell Foundation and serves on the board of a number of other non-profits, including the New England Young Writers Conference. Matthew has received a B.A. in English/Psychology, an M.A. in Education, and an M.S.W. from The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Prior to his work in education, he served as a writer, actor, and director in Just Kidding Production Company.