Frequently Asked Questions
What are Mission ECHT's Environmental Education Classes?
Mission ECHT is a non-profit environmental education organization offering structured, instructor-led classes for students in kindergarten through grade 8.
Our educational curriculum combines environmental science, scientific investigations, nature-inspired art, conservation studies, and hands-on learning.
Each class has defined instructional objectives, a scheduled beginning and ending time, and activities designed to develop students' knowledge of the natural world.
Our mission is to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards through curiosity, discovery, creativity, and scientific understanding.
Which grades can participate?
Classes are available for students in kindergarten through grade 8.
Instructional content and projects are adapted to students' ages and grade levels.
Classes and Schedules
What classes does Mission ECHT offer?
Families may select from three environmental education classes:
Class 1: Environmental Discovery
Kindergarten–Grade 5: 3:00–4:30 PM
Grades 6–8: 3:30–4:30 PM
Students explore ecosystems, wildlife, oceans, waterways, plants, climate, and sustainability through structured lessons and scientific investigations.
Class 2: Environmental Science & Creative Exploration
Kindergarten–Grade 8: 4:30–6:00 PM
Students participate in guided environmental science activities, nature-inspired art, conservation projects, and creative educational investigations.
Class 3: Planet Discovery Experience
Kindergarten–Grade 5: 3:00–6:00 PM
Grades 6–8: 3:30–6:00 PM
This extended instructional class integrates the environmental science and creative exploration curricula into a coordinated educational experience.
When are classes offered?
Regular environmental education classes are scheduled Monday through Friday on school days, according to the published instructional calendar.
Families register for specific classes and recurring instructional days.
Can my child attend only on certain days?
Yes. Families may select either:
2 days per week
5 days per week
The minimum enrollment for regular classes is two days per week.
Enrollment is for scheduled educational classes rather than occasional drop-in attendance.
Is Wednesday included?
Yes. Wednesday is treated exactly like every other weekday, with no additional tuition charge.
Families enrolled in the two-day option may select Wednesday as one of their recurring instructional days, subject to availability.
Do you offer a special Wednesday class for kindergarten?
Yes!
Little Nature Artists — A Year of Art, Wonder & Discovery
Day: Wednesdays
Time: 12:30–3:00 PM
Frequency: Once per week
Tuition: $150 per month
This instructor-led environmental art class introduces kindergarten students to the natural world through guided illustration, artistic exploration, environmental storytelling, and creative projects.
Throughout the year, students create artwork that becomes part of their own illustrated nature book, My Wonderful World of Nature.
The Wednesday kindergarten class is a separate educational offering with its own registration and tuition.
All standard instructional materials and art supplies are included.
How is tuition billed?
Tuition is divided into 10 monthly payments, September through June, due on the first of each month.
Tuition is a fixed monthly amount across the program year, not a per-session charge.
Monthly tuition remains consistent regardless of the number of scheduled instructional sessions in an individual month.
Is there a registration fee?
Yes. The annual registration fees are:
New families: $100 per family
Returning families: $50 per family
Registration fees are non-refundable and separate from tuition.
There is no fee to submit an interest form.
Do you offer a sibling discount?
Yes. Families enrolling more than one child receive a 10% tuition discount for each additional child.
When children are enrolled in different class schedules, the discount applies to the lower tuition amount.
Is there a discount for paying annual tuition in advance?
Yes. A 3% annual tuition discount is available for qualifying full-year advance payments received by the published deadline.
The discount applies to tuition, not registration fees or other charges.
Can the sibling and annual-payment discounts be combined?
Yes. Eligible families may combine the 10% sibling discount with the 3% annual-payment discount.
The annual-payment discount is calculated after the sibling discount has been applied.
Enrollment and Registration
Does submitting an interest form enroll my child?
No. The interest form allows families to express interest in specific educational classes and preferred instructional days.
Submitting the form does not guarantee enrollment or reserve a place.
Mission ECHT will contact families with registration instructions and available class options.
How will I know whether my child has been accepted?
Mission ECHT will contact the parent or legal guardian using the information provided on the interest form.
Enrollment is confirmed after the required registration documents, applicable fees, and written enrollment confirmation have been completed.
Is enrollment limited?
Yes. Class enrollment is subject to available instructional space, instructor capacity, grade-level groupings, and scheduled class times.
When a class is full, families may be offered another available class schedule or placed on a waitlist.
Is transportation provided?
Mission ECHT does not operate transportation services.
Families are responsible for arranging their child's transportation to and from the instructional location.
Can students arrive directly from school?
Students may arrive directly from school if their transportation arrangements allow them to reach the instructional location in time for their registered class.
Families are responsible for coordinating transportation and ensuring students arrive at the appropriate scheduled instructional time.
Curriculum and Learning
What will students learn?
Mission ECHT's environmental education curriculum includes:
Environmental science and scientific investigations
Oceans, rivers, and water conservation
Wildlife, biodiversity, and ecosystems
Climate and environmental sustainability
Plants, gardening, and soil science
Nature-inspired art and environmental illustration
Scientific observation and experimentation
Conservation and environmental problem-solving
Age-appropriate STEAM projects
Each class follows instructor-guided educational objectives, with activities adapted to the subject matter and students' grade levels.
Are the classes educational or recreational?
Mission ECHT offers structured environmental education classes with defined subject matter, instructional objectives, and scheduled teaching periods.
Hands-on experiments, art projects, and collaborative investigations are incorporated as methods of teaching environmental science and related subjects.
Is homework assistance included?
No. Mission ECHT's scheduled classes are dedicated to environmental education and related instructional activities.
Homework supervision and general after-school care are not part of the class curriculum.
Are instructional materials provided?
Yes. Standard educational materials, scientific experiment supplies, and art materials required for scheduled class activities are included in tuition.
Are snacks or meals provided?
No. Snacks and meals are not included in the scheduled educational classes.
Families should ensure students have eaten appropriately before attending their registered instructional sessions or bring nut-free snacks with them.
Can Mission ECHT accommodate allergies, disabilities, or individual learning needs?
Families are encouraged to contact Mission ECHT regarding accessibility, allergies, or individual learning needs relevant to participation in classroom activities.
Mission ECHT will discuss reasonable accommodations and any necessary arrangements before enrollment is finalized.
Sensitive medical or personal information should be provided through designated registration documents rather than the general interest form.
Attendance and Class Policies
What happens if my child misses a class?
Parents or guardians should notify Mission ECHT when a student will be absent.
Because tuition is based on scheduled enrollment for the instructional program, missed classes do not ordinarily result in tuition credits or refunds.
What happens when schools are closed?
Mission ECHT generally follows the Weston Public Schools calendar.
Regular classes are not ordinarily scheduled during school holidays, vacation weeks, snow days, or emergency school closures unless separately announced.
Monthly tuition remains fixed across the instructional program year.
Can my child leave class early?
Parents or authorized adults may arrange for a student to leave before the scheduled conclusion of a class.
Advance notice is appreciated to minimize disruption to instruction.
What happens if I arrive late to collect my child?
Students must be collected promptly at the scheduled end of their registered instructional class.
Families should notify Mission ECHT immediately if an unexpected delay occurs.
Repeated late collection may affect continued enrollment.
May my child leave independently?
Independent departure is permitted only when authorized under Mission ECHT's applicable student departure policies and supported by the required written parent or guardian authorization.
How do I change my child's class schedule?
Requests to change a registered class or instructional day must be submitted in writing.
Changes are subject to instructor availability, class capacity, and the applicable enrollment policies.
How do I withdraw from a class?
Withdrawal requests must be submitted in writing.
Notice requirements, payment responsibilities, and any applicable refunds are governed by the enrollment agreement accepted at registration.
Privacy and Communication
How does Mission ECHT protect information submitted through the website?
Information submitted through the interest form is used to respond to inquiries, communicate with families, evaluate class enrollment needs, and provide registration information.
Families should not include sensitive medical or personal information in the general comments section.
Please review our Privacy Policy for additional information.
Who may complete the interest form?
The child's parent or legal guardian must complete the interest form.
By submitting the form, the person completing it confirms that the information is accurate and authorizes Mission ECHT to contact them regarding the requested educational classes.
Where are classes held?
Weston Art & Innovation Center
356 Boston Post Road
Weston, Massachusetts
How can I ask another question?
We welcome questions about our environmental education curriculum, class schedules, registration, and tuition.
Mission ECHT
Email: info@missionecht.org
Phone: (617) 803-4944
Every Drop Matters.