Current Programs

Pono is NEW YORK CITY’S ONLY DEMOCRATIC OUTDOOR URBAN LEARNING CENTER

We offer FULL-TIME, PART-TIME, EXTRACURRICULAR PROGRAMS, AND CAMPS FOR AGES 6 TO 16.

AGES 6 to 12

We currently offer City to Sanctuary, an extracurricular outdoor environmental education program for ages 6 to 12. Pono’s full and part-time programs for this age group were paused in 2021 and will remain on pause until 2024.

City to Sanctuary

City to Sanctuary, Pono’s extracurricular year-round outdoor program, deepens children’s connection to nature, all living things, and most importantly, to their own true selves and abilities. Children ages 6 to 12 feel a renewed sense of wonder about the world through experiencing the wilderness in 640 acres of a wildlife preserve.

AGES 13 to 16

For this age group, we offer a full-time alternative middle and high school program that is centered on mentorships/internships and travel. Part-time enrollment is available. We also offer Pono Summer Camp, where students design their summer camp experience.

Full-Time Alternative Middle and High School Program

Pono’s middle and high school program is an alternative democratic, outdoor, and urban college prep program where students design the curriculum through a process that respects and reflects their varied individual learning interests and what they want to study in college and do in their later life. Students share their interests, and Pono brings them to life through an authentic world learning environment that consists of mentorships and internships at various reputable organizations throughout New York City; local, national, and international travel; and, high-quality interactive lessons with our full-time faculty and visiting teachers from various fields. Our middle and high school students pursue topics and long-term projects in fields as diverse as natural sciences (including biology, chemistry, Earth science, and physics), history, creative movement and dance, philosophy, health and nutrition, cooking, creative writing, art, yoga, music, charity, graphic design, fashion design, carpentry, sports, entomology, and more.

As an outdoor urban program, students travel three days a week to locations in and around NYC. They travel nationally four times a year, and internationally once a year.

Pono’s middle and high school program is a mixed-age small-sized program where each child receives the attention they need and work together through a democratic process to govern their harmonious learning community.

Our full-time program meets Monday through Friday. The students meet in person on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, from 10 am to 3 pm. They meet virtually on Thursdays, from 9 am to 3 pm. The pick-up and drop-off location for in-person days is in Grand Central Terminal.

Pono’s full-time middle and high school program is an alternative college prep program where students participate in mentorships and internships in fields they want to study in college. They graduate with the required credits and the needed tests to earn a high school equivalency diploma (HSE).

Middle and High School courses and mentorships for part-timers

Students ages 13 to 16 can enroll part-time in Pono’s middle and high school program by signing up for any of the courses or mentorships it offers.

Pono’s mentorships foster in-depth, guided exploration of subjects chosen by Pono students allowing the students to work with experts who share their knowledge. A mentorship is typically offered over the course of 4 days and ends with a culminating project. Students receive a certificate of completion.

The drop-off and pick-up location for all courses and mentorships is at Grand Central Terminal. Drop off is 10 am and pick up is at 3 pm.

Click on the photos below to learn more about our courses and mentorships.

Pono Summer Camp

Pono’s Summer Camp is where “nothing is out of reach” (Time Out Kids). Our camp offers enriching field trips in and around NYC, environmental lessons in 640 acres of mature forest, and high-quality in-person tours and lessons that are taught by experts in diverse fields.