Bridgewater is where I found my confidence as a learner and a teacher. At Bridgewater, I found the tools I needed to become a better writer and a better student than I had ever been.
Cristy O’Brien, ’05, still remembers when math really began to make sense to her. She was taking a Bridgewater State class that, ironically, was focused on how to teach the subject to others.
Today, O’Brien helps children have similar “aha” moments as the co-founder of an alternative, nature-based educational nonprofit in Dartmouth. Bridgewater State, she said, prepared her to become an effective educator.
“Bridgewater is where I found my confidence as a learner and a teacher,” she said. “At Bridgewater, I found the tools I needed to become a better writer and a better student than I had ever been.”
In high school, O’Brien prioritized socialization over academics, but she found a supportive community as a Bear that changed her views about school. She quickly became interested in general education classes as well as courses within her elementary education and English majors.
“My feelings about myself as a learner completely changed when I was at Bridgewater,” O’Brien said. “It was a warm environment but also challenging.”
O’Brien was a student-employee under the mentorship of Dr. John Marvelle and gained hands-on experience at a reading and writing program in Taunton.
She first worked as a fifth-grade teacher before moving to an alternative classroom serving students with social-emotional needs.
As her own daughter neared kindergarten age, O’Brien yearned for a school rooted in nature and community interaction.
“Watching her absorb the world and observe and interact with people of all ages, I didn’t want that to end,” she recalled.
O’Brien connected with others in Southeastern Massachusetts with similar desires and, in 2018, co-founded Elements Learning Collaborative. Housed at Round the Bend Farm, the organization has grown from a summer camp to a year-round operation, welcoming students from age 4 through middle school.
Programs during the school day serve students who are homeschooled or in preschool while the summer camp includes those attending traditional schools.
Weather permitting, students spend the entire day outdoors. On a typical day, children might learn about the anatomy of leaves by painting with watercolors, gather data in the field for a math lesson or study a baby goat’s biology in science class.
Nature-based education also offers an opportunity to explore broader lessons, O’Brien said.
“Nature is important because nature teaches us balance and biodiversity,” she said. “When things are diverse, they are healthy.”
Reflecting on her career, O’Brien is thankful it all began at such a transformative university.
“Bridgewater gave me the tools to enter the professional world,” she said.